RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 The potential of a universal influenza virus-like particle vaccine expressing a chimeric cytokine
JF Life Science Alliance
JO Life Sci. Alliance
FD Life Science Alliance LLC
SP e202201548
DO 10.26508/lsa.202201548
VO 6
IS 1
A1 Nerome, Kuniaki
A1 Imagawa, Toshifumi
A1 Sugita, Shigeo
A1 Arasaki, Youta
A1 Maegawa, Kenichi
A1 Kawasaki, Kazunori
A1 Tanaka, Tsuyoshi
A1 Watanabe, Shinji
A1 Nishimura, Hidekazu
A1 Suzuki, Tetsuro
A1 Kuroda, Kazumichi
A1 Kosugi, Isao
A1 Kajiura, Zenta
YR 2023
UL https://www.life-science-alliance.org/content/6/1/e202201548.abstract
AB The efficacy of the current influenza vaccines is frequently reduced because of antigenic drift, a trade-off of developing improved vaccines with broad cross-protective activity against influenza A viruses. In this study, we have successfully constructed a chimeric cytokine (CC) comprising the M2 protein, influenza A neuraminidase stalk, and interleukin-12. We produced virus-like particles (VLPs) containing CC and influenza hemagglutinin (HA) proteins using a baculovirus system in Eri silkworm pupae. The protective efficacy of the CCHA-VLP vaccine was evaluated in mice. The CCFkH5HA-VLP vaccine increased the survival rates of BALB/c mice, infected with a lethal dose of PRH1 and HKH5 viruses, to 80% and 100%, respectively. The results suggested that CCHA-VLP successfully induced potent cross-reactive protective immunity against infection with homologous and heterologous subtypes of the influenza A virus. This is the first study to design a CC-containing HA-VLP vaccine and validate its protective efficacy.