A Built-In CpG Adjuvant in RSV F Protein DNA Vaccine Drives a Th1 Polarized and Enhanced Protective Immune Response

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Yao Ma, Emory University; Yue-Ying Jiao, Beijing Jiaotong University; Yun-Zhou Yu, Beijing Inst Biotechnol; Nan Jiang, Beijing Jiaotong University; Ying Hua, Beijing Jiaotong University; Ziu-Juan Zhang, Beijing Jiaotong University; Yuan-Hui Fu, Beijing Jiaotong University; Xiang-Lei Peng, Beijing Jiaotong University; Yan-Peng Zheng, Beijing Jiaotong University; Larry J Anderson, Emory University; Jin-Sheng He, Beijing Jiaotong University
• Language: English
• Date: 2018-01-01
• Publisher: MDPI
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2018 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/v10010038
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Viruses-Basel
• Volume: 10
• Issue: 1
• Start Page: 38
• End Page: 38
• Grant/Funding Information: This work was supported by National Major Scientific and Technological Special Project for “Significant New Drugs Development” during the Twelfth Five-year Plan Period (Grants 2013ZX09103003-011).
• Keywords: Science & Technology; B-CELL; protective immunity; built-in adjuvant; INFECTION; GENE-EXPRESSION; FUSION GLYCOPROTEIN; OLIGODEOXYNUCLEOTIDE CLASSES; MOTIFS; POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION; human respiratory syncytial virus; DNA vaccine; RESPIRATORY SYNCYTIAL VIRUS; PLASMACYTOID DENDRITIC CELLS; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; TIME QUANTITATIVE PCR; Virology; CpG oligodeoxynucleotide
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Medicine and Surgery; Health Sciences, General

Abstract

Human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is themost significant cause of acute lower respiratory infection in children. However, there is no licensed vaccine available. Here, we investigated the effect of five or 20 copies of C-Class of CpG ODN (CpG-C) motif incorporated into a plasmid DNA vaccine encoding RSV fusion (F) glycoprotein on the vaccine-induced immune response. The addition of CpG-C motif enhanced serum binding and virus-neutralizing antibody responses in BALB/c mice immunized with the DNA vaccines. Moreover, mice vaccinated with CpG-modified vaccines, especially with the higher 20 copies, resulted in an enhanced shift toward a Th1-biased antibody and T-cell response, a decrease in pulmonary pathology and virus replication, and a decrease in weight loss after RSV challenge. This study suggests that CpG-C motif, cloned into the backbone of DNA vaccine encoding RSV F glycoprotein, functions as a built-in adjuvant capable of improving the efficacy of DNA vaccine against RSV infection.