Review
Immunology
Chenchen Jiao, Bo Wang, Pucheng Chen, Yongping Jiang, Jinxiong Liu
Summary: By analyzing more than 70 types of broadly neutralizing antibodies targeting the HA of influenza A viruses, this review identifies five regions of HA as highly conserved protective epitopes. The findings provide valuable insights for the design of universal influenza vaccines and targeted therapeutic agents.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Tingting Li, Junyu Chen, Qingbing Zheng, Wenhui Xue, Limin Zhang, Rui Rong, Sibo Zhang, Qian Wang, Minqing Hong, Yuyun Zhang, Lingyan Cui, Maozhou He, Zhen Lu, Zhenyong Zhang, Xin Chi, Jinjin Li, Yang Huang, Hong Wang, Jixian Tang, Dong Ying, Lizhi Zhou, Yingbin Wang, Hai Yu, Jun Zhang, Ying Gu, Yixin Chen, Shaowei Li, Ningshao Xia
Summary: Influenza A viruses are a significant global threat, and this study has identified a chimeric monoclonal antibody, C12H5, that offers broad neutralization against H1N1 and H5N1 viruses. The antibody targets a specific epitope on the surface glycoprotein of the virus, leading to control of virus entry and egress. This discovery could have implications for the development of antiviral drugs and broad-protection vaccines against influenza.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
James D. Allen, Ted M. Ross
Summary: Although vaccines are the best tool for preventing influenza virus infections, their effectiveness has been low to moderate in recent years. Developing broadly reactive vaccine candidates to target multiple influenza virus variants is crucial, and next-generation COBRA H3 HA vaccines have shown superior efficacy in eliciting protective immune responses.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Editorial Material
Microbiology
Marina R. Good, Jenna J. Guthmiller
Summary: The study reveals that female mice generate a more robust immune response against influenza viruses compared to males, characterized by more efficient germinal center responses including increased class switching and affinity maturation. This finding provides important insights for the development of influenza vaccines.
Review
Virology
Jenna J. Guthmiller, Henry A. Utset, Patrick C. Wilson
Summary: Antibodies play a critical role in protecting against influenza virus infections. However, the protective humoral immunity against influenza viruses is limited by the antigenic drift and shift. Next-generation vaccine platforms may help overcome these obstacles to generate robust and long-lasting protection against influenza A viruses.
Review
Immunology
Alessandro Sette, Erica Ollmann Saphire
Summary: Investing in research to uncover mechanisms of broad-based immunity and developing vaccines that elicit both broadly protective antibodies and T cells is crucial to mitigate the impact of the next viral pandemic.
Article
Cell Biology
Nicole Darricarrere, Yu Qiu, Masaru Kanekiyo, Adrian Creanga, Rebecca A. Gillespie, Syed M. Moin, Jacqueline Saleh, Jose Sancho, Te-Hui Chou, Yanfeng Zhou, Ruijun Zhang, Shujia Dai, Anthony Moody, Kevin O. Saunders, Michelle C. Crank, John R. Mascola, Barney S. Graham, Chih-Jen Wei, Gary J. Nabel
Summary: Seasonal influenza vaccines offer protection against specific strains but have limitations. H1 and H3 subtypes of influenza A virus cause most seasonal epidemics. A new study shows that vaccines with headless HA stabilized-stem can elicit broadly neutralizing antibody responses to various H1 and H3 viruses in nonhuman primates.
SCIENCE TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kevin R. McCarthy, Tarra A. Von Holle, Laura L. Sutherland, Thomas H. Oguin, Gregory D. Sempowski, Stephen C. Harrison, M. Anthony Moody
Summary: Immune memory established by initial infection with influenza virus has a lasting imprint on later responses, which differ from those induced by early childhood immunization. A study comparing immune imprints from vaccination and infection in non-human primates found that initial exposure by infection led to strong but limited antibody responses, while initial vaccination elicited weaker but broader binding responses to different HA strains. This suggests that the mode of initial exposure affects the strength and breadth of the immune response.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Michael Piepenbrink, Fatai Oladunni, Aitor Nogales, Ahmed M. Khalil, Theresa Fitzgerald, Madhubanti Basu, Christopher Fucile, David J. Topham, Alexander F. Rosenberg, Luis Martinez-Sobrido, James J. Kobie
Summary: Influenza A virus (IAV) infections pose a significant threat to public health due to the variable nature of the virus. This study shows that immunization with a seasonal inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV) can increase the levels of antibodies against H3N2 IAV, a strain known for its genetic drift. These antibodies have broad and potent antiviral activity and can protect against various H3N2 IAV strains. They also persist in the bone marrow, indicating their potential for long-term immunity. These findings contribute to the development of a universal influenza vaccine.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Review
Virology
Kaito A. Nagashima, Jarrod J. Mousa
Summary: Influenza virus is a highly mutable respiratory pathogen causing significant disease annually. Despite efforts to improve vaccine effectiveness against circulating strains, limitations exist, and research into broader neutralizing antibodies has shown progress.
Review
Immunology
Rina Fajri Nuwarda, Abdulsalam Abdullah Alharbi, Veysel Kayser
Summary: Influenza is a major public health concern, and vaccines are an effective method for prevention and control. New vaccine platforms and advancements in vaccine manufacturing processes are being explored to improve effectiveness and stability.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ming Xia, Md Rejaul Hoq, Pengwei Huang, Wen Jiang, Xi Jiang, Ming Tan
Summary: A new vaccine strategy has been developed to enhance immune responses against influenza viruses by generating PVNPs displaying HA1 antigens, which has shown promising results in experiments.
Article
Immunology
Wei Wang, Esmeralda Alvarado-Facundo, Russell Vassell, Limone Collins, Rhonda E. Colombo, Anuradha Ganesan, Casey Geaney, David Hrncir, Tahaniyat Lalani, Ana Elizabeth Markelz, Ryan C. Maves, Bruce McClenathan, Katrin Mende, Stephanie A. Richard, Christina Schofield, Srihari Seshadri, Christina Spooner, Gregory C. Utz, Tyler E. Warkentien, Min Levine, Christian L. Coles, Timothy H. Burgess, Maryna Eichelberger, Carol D. Weiss
Summary: This study found that egg- and cell-derived influenza vaccines in the 2018-2019 season elicited similar neutralizing antibody titers and response rates against A(H3N2) viruses, while rHA vaccine generated the strongest response. All vaccines boosted titers to HA with egg-adaptive substitutions, but showed poor neutralization against wild-type viruses.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Letter
Immunology
Wenming Jiang, Chunxia Dong, Shuo Liu, Cheng Peng, Xin Yin, Shaobo Liang, Lin Zhang, Jinping Li, Xiaohui Yu, Yang Li, Jingjing Wang, Guangyu Hou, Zheng Zeng, Hualei Liu
Summary: A novel highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N6) clade 2.3.4.4b virus was isolated from a poultry market in China that a person with a confirmed case had visited. Most genes of the avian and human H5N6 isolates were closely related. The virus also exhibited distinct antigenicity to the Re-11 vaccine strain.
EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Virology
Aitor Nogales, Michael Schotsaert, Raveen Rathnasinghe, Marta L. DeDiego, Adolfo Garcia-Sastre, Luis Martinez-Sobrido
Summary: The influenza A virus (IAV) can infect various mammalian and avian species, and studies have developed replication-competent IAV expressing traceable reporter genes to better understand its biology and pathogenesis. These novel approaches provide valuable tools for developing new therapeutic strategies against IAV infections.
Article
Virology
Andrei Veleanu, Maximilian A. Kelch, Chengjin Ye, Melanie Flohr, Alexander Wilhelm, Marek Widera, Luis Martinez-Sobrido, Sandra Ciesek, Tuna Toptan
Summary: Some SARS-CoV-2 variants are less susceptible to neutralization by post-vaccine sera and monoclonal antibodies, raising concerns about disease control. This study investigates the impact of spike and non-spike mutations on the virus life cycle. The results suggest that non-spike mutations may play a role in infection kinetics.
Article
Virology
Anitha D. D. Jayaprakash, Adam J. J. Ronk, Abhishek N. N. Prasad, Michael F. F. Covington, Kathryn R. R. Stein, Toni M. M. Schwarz, Saboor Hekmaty, Karla A. A. Fenton, Thomas W. W. Geisbert, Christopher F. F. Basler, Alexander Bukreyev, Ravi Sachidanandam
Summary: Filoviruses cause severe diseases in humans and nonhuman primates but have subclinical effects in bats. By infecting Egyptian rousette bats with Marburg and Ebola viruses, researchers identified various immune responses and pathways involved in bat resistance to these viruses, providing insights for the development of new strategies to treat and mitigate the diseases caused by these viruses in humans.
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Alvaro Simba-Lahuasi, Angel Cantero-Camacho, Romel Rosales, Briana Lynn McGovern, M. Luis Rodriguez, Vicente Marchan, Kris M. White, Adolfo Garcia-Sastre, Jose Gallego
Summary: Researchers have identified and characterized RNA-binding compounds that can inhibit the replication of SARS-CoV-2. These compounds were discovered by screening a small library of antiviral compounds and showed promising activity against SARS-CoV-2. Further investigation revealed that these compounds recognize conserved RNA elements in the SARS-CoV-2 genome. These findings provide new possibilities for developing RNA-targeted antivirals and therapeutic agents against coronaviruses.
Article
Virology
Palaniappan Ramanathan, Bersabeh Tigabu, Rodrigo I. Santos, Philipp A. Ilinykh, Natalia Kuzmina, Olivia A. Vogel, Naveen Thakur, Hamza Ahmed, Chao Wu, Gaya K. Amarasinghe, Christopher F. Basler, Alexander Bukreyev
Summary: Members of the Ebolavirus genus exhibit varying levels of pathogenicity in humans, with Ebola (EBOV) being the most pathogenic, Bundibugyo (BDBV) less pathogenic, and Reston (RESTV) not known to cause disease. The VP24 protein encoded by these viruses plays a role in blocking the immune response, contributing to virulence. By studying the interaction between VP24 and host proteins, researchers found that modifying the interface between EBOV VP24 and host karyopherin alpha can attenuate its ability to antagonize the immune response. This study highlights the importance of VP24 in the pathogenicity of Ebolaviruses.
Article
Virology
Camilla M. Donnelly, Olivia A. Vogel, Megan R. Edwards, Paige E. Taylor, Justin A. Roby, Jade K. Forwood, Christopher F. Basler
Summary: Nipah and Hendra viruses are highly pathogenic viruses that cause severe respiratory disease and encephalitis. This study investigates the interaction between viral proteins and cellular structures to gain a better understanding of viral transmission and develop potential therapeutics.
Article
Immunology
Sadaf Aslam, Madhusudan Rajendran, Divya Kriti, Andrew Kurland, Jeffrey Johnson, Harm van Bakel, Florian Krammer, Adolfo Garcia-Sastre, Juan Ayllon
Summary: To improve the production yield of seasonal influenza vaccines, we have identified optimal vaccine seed virus backbones for influenza B virus through research and evaluation in embryonated eggs. This study includes 71 strains of influenza B virus from 1940 to the present, representing the known temporal and genetic variability. By assessing the growth profiles and effectiveness of these strains, we selected three strains with the best performance as vaccine seed virus backbones to increase the production yield of influenza B virus seasonal vaccines.
Article
Immunology
Maria M. Lorenzo, Alejandro Marin-Lopez, Kevin Chiem, Luis Jimenez-Cabello, Irfan Ullah, Sergio Utrilla-Trigo, Eva Calvo-Pinilla, Gema Lorenzo, Sandra Moreno, Chengjin Ye, Jun-Gyu Park, Alejandro Matia, Alejandro Brun, Juana M. Sanchez-Puig, Aitor Nogales, Walther Mothes, Pradeep D. Uchil, Priti Kumar, Javier Ortego, Erol Fikrig, Luis Martinez-Sobrido, Rafael Blasco
Summary: The COVID-19 pandemic highlights the need for fast responses and reliable technologies for vaccine development. This study reports on the construction and preclinical testing of a recombinant MVA vaccine, with the MVA-Spf vaccine candidate showing higher levels of antibodies, a stronger T cell response, and a higher degree of protection.
Review
Immunology
Yonatan K. Sapadin, Elazar Mermelstein, Robert G. Phelps, Christopher F. Basler, JoAnn M. Tufariello, Mark G. Lebwohl
Summary: Lichen planus is a distinct mucocutaneous disease with established criteria. Lichenoid eruptions are similar and can be indistinguishable. COVID-19 vaccines have been associated with lichenoid eruptions and reactions. This study reviews existing literature and presents a case series of vaccine-induced lichenoid eruptions, highlighting the rare Blaschkoid distribution and its association with mRNA COVID-19 vaccines.
Article
Microbiology
Michael Piepenbrink, Fatai Oladunni, Aitor Nogales, Ahmed M. Khalil, Theresa Fitzgerald, Madhubanti Basu, Christopher Fucile, David J. Topham, Alexander F. Rosenberg, Luis Martinez-Sobrido, James J. Kobie
Summary: Influenza A virus (IAV) infections pose a significant threat to public health due to the variable nature of the virus. This study shows that immunization with a seasonal inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV) can increase the levels of antibodies against H3N2 IAV, a strain known for its genetic drift. These antibodies have broad and potent antiviral activity and can protect against various H3N2 IAV strains. They also persist in the bone marrow, indicating their potential for long-term immunity. These findings contribute to the development of a universal influenza vaccine.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Kevin Chiem, Aitor Nogales, Maria Lorenzo, Desarey Morales Vasquez, Yan Xiang, Yogesh K. Gupta, Rafael Blasco, Juan Carlos de la Torre, Luis Martinez-Sobrido
Summary: Despite the eradication of smallpox, some orthopoxviruses, such as monkeypox virus (MPXV), remain important human pathogens. Vaccines for smallpox are effective against MPXV, but limited in access. Current antiviral treatments for MPXV are limited to two FDA-approved drugs. Therefore, there is an urgent need to discover novel antivirals for the treatment of MPXV and other potentially zoonotic orthopoxvirus infections. Here, we found 13 compounds that inhibit both VACV and MPXV, derived from two different libraries of compounds known to inhibit various RNA viruses.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Luis Martinez-Sobrido, James J. Kobie
Article
Virology
Ahmed M. Khalil, Michael S. Piepenbrink, Ian Markham, Madhubanti Basu, Luis Martinez-Sobrido, James J. Kobie
Summary: IBV contributes significantly to morbidity and mortality, particularly in children, necessitating improvements in vaccines and treatments. A specific hMAb, 1092D4, has been found to have minimal dependence on Fc-effector functions for in vivo antiviral activity.
Article
Immunology
Sonia Jangra, Jeffrey J. Landers, Gabriel Laghlali, Raveen Rathnasinghe, Prajakta Warang, Seok-Chan Park, Jessica. J. O'Konek, Gagandeep Singh, Katarzyna W. Janczak, Adolfo Garcia-Sastre, Nandini Arya, Dilara Karadag, Jr James R. Baker, Michael Schotsaert, Pamela T. Wong
Summary: Multiple FDA-approved vaccines provide good protection against severe disease caused by SARS-CoV-2. However, immunity can decline quickly, especially in the elderly, and new viral variants are emerging that can evade the immune response induced by infection or vaccination. Intranasal vaccination is more effective in inducing mucosal immune responses than injectable vaccines, which can improve protection and reduce viral transmission.
Review
Immunology
Vicent Tur-Planells, Adolfo Garcia-Sastre, Sara Cuadrado-Castano, Estanislao Nistal-Villan
Summary: This review provides an overview of non-human-adapted RNA viruses used in cancer therapy and the diverse strategies employed to optimize their therapeutic capabilities. Through this article, we gain insights into the promising advancements in virotherapy and its potential to revolutionize cancer treatment.
Review
Immunology
Ahlam Alasiri, Raya Soltane, Akram Hegazy, Ahmed Magdy Khalil, Sara H. Mahmoud, Ahmed A. Khalil, Luis Martinez-Sobrido, Ahmed Mostafa
Summary: Despite being widespread in wild birds and domestic poultry, human infections with highly pathogenic avian influenza H5Nx viruses have been limited since 1996. Few countries use vaccination as a control strategy, while most rely on culling infected flocks. China and Egypt are the major sites where vaccination has been employed, particularly for clade 2.3.4.4b H5N1 viruses. However, improper implementation of control strategies in Egypt has resulted in continuous outbreaks and virus evolution. Comprehensive surveillance in endemic areas is crucial to understand the public health risk of newly emerging immune-evasive or drug-resistant H5Nx variants.
