Skip to main content

Research Repository

Advanced Search

Adjuvant formulated virus-like particles expressing native-like forms of the Lassa virus envelope surface glycoprotein are immunogenic and induce antibodies with broadly neutralizing activity

Müller, Helena; Fehling, Sarah Katharina; Dorna, Jens; Urbanowicz, Richard A.; Oestereich, Lisa; Krebs, Yvonne; Kolesnikova, Larissa; Schauflinger, Martin; Krähling, Verena; Magassouba, N’Faly; Fichet-Calvet, Elisabeth; Ball, Jonathan K.; Kaufmann, Andreas; Bauer, Stefan; Becker, Stephan; von Messling, Veronika; Strecker, Thomas

Adjuvant formulated virus-like particles expressing native-like forms of the Lassa virus envelope surface glycoprotein are immunogenic and induce antibodies with broadly neutralizing activity Thumbnail


Authors

Helena Müller

Sarah Katharina Fehling

Jens Dorna

Richard A. Urbanowicz

Lisa Oestereich

Yvonne Krebs

Larissa Kolesnikova

Martin Schauflinger

Verena Krähling

N’Faly Magassouba

Elisabeth Fichet-Calvet

JONATHAN BALL jonathan.ball@nottingham.ac.uk
Professor of Molecular Virology

Andreas Kaufmann

Stefan Bauer

Stephan Becker

Veronika von Messling

Thomas Strecker



Abstract

Lassa mammarenavirus (LASV) is a rodent-borne arenavirus endemic to several West African countries. It is the causative agent of human Lassa fever, an acute viral hemorrhagic fever disease. To date, no therapeutics or vaccines against LASV have obtained regulatory approval. Polyclonal neutralizing antibodies derived from hyperimmunized animals may offer a useful strategy for prophylactic and therapeutic intervention to combat human LASV infections. The LASV envelope surface glycoprotein complex (GP) is the major target for neutralizing antibodies, and it is the main viral antigen used for the design of an LASV vaccine. Here, we assessed the immunogenic potential of mammalian cell-derived virus-like particles (VLPs) expressing GP from the prototypic LASV strain Josiah in a native-like conformation as the sole viral antigen. We demonstrate that an adjuvanted prime-boost immunization regimen with GP-derived VLPs elicited neutralizing antibody responses in rabbits, suggesting that effective antigenic epitopes of GP were displayed. Notably, these antibodies exhibited broad reactivity across five genetic lineages of LASV. VLP-based immunization strategies may represent a powerful approach for generating polyclonal sera containing cross-reactive neutralizing antibodies against LASV.

Citation

Müller, H., Fehling, S. K., Dorna, J., Urbanowicz, R. A., Oestereich, L., Krebs, Y., …Strecker, T. (2020). Adjuvant formulated virus-like particles expressing native-like forms of the Lassa virus envelope surface glycoprotein are immunogenic and induce antibodies with broadly neutralizing activity. npj Vaccines, 5, Article 71. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41541-020-00219-x

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Jul 10, 2020
Online Publication Date Aug 4, 2020
Publication Date Aug 4, 2020
Deposit Date Aug 17, 2020
Publicly Available Date Mar 29, 2024
Journal npj Vaccines
Electronic ISSN 2059-0105
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 5
Article Number 71
DOI https://doi.org/10.1038/s41541-020-00219-x
Public URL https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/4816399
Publisher URL https://www.nature.com/articles/s41541-020-00219-x
Additional Information Received: 29 January 2020; Accepted: 10 July 2020; First Online: 4 August 2020; : The authors declare no competing interests.

Files




You might also like



Downloadable Citations