Long-Lasting Cross-Protection Against Influenza A by Neuraminidase and M2e-based immunization strategies.

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Long-Lasting Cross-Protection Against Influenza A by Neuraminidase and M2e-based immunization strategies.

Sci Rep. 2016 Apr 13;6:24402

Authors: Schotsaert M, Ysenbaert T, Smet A, Schepens B, Vanderschaeghe D, Stegalkina S, Vogel TU, Callewaert N, Fiers W, Saelens X

Abstract
There is mounting evidence that in the absence of neutralizing antibodies cross-reactive T cells provide protection against pandemic influenza viruses. Here, we compared protection and CD8+ T cell responses following challenge with H1N1 2009 pandemic and H3N2 viruses of mice that had been immunized with hemagglutinin (HA), neuraminidase (NA) and the extracellular domain of matrix protein 2 (M2e) fused to a virus-like particle (VLP). Mice were challenged a first time with a sublethal dose of H1N1 2009 pandemic virus and, four weeks later, challenged again with an H3N2 virus. Mice that had been vaccinated with HA, NA, NA + M2e-VLP and HA + NA + M2e-VLP were protected against homologous H1N1 virus challenge. Challenged NA and NA + M2e-VLP vaccinated mice mounted CD8+ T cell responses that correlated with protection against secondary H3N2 challenge. HA-vaccinated mice were fully protected against challenge with homologous H1N1 2009 virus, failed to mount cross-reactive CD8+ T cells and succumbed to the second challenge with heterologous H3N2 virus. In summary, NA- and M2e-based immunity can protect against challenge with (homologous) virus without compromising the induction of robust cross-reactive CD8+ T cell responses upon exposure to virus.

PMID: 27072615 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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