scholarly journals Assessing the protective potential of H1N1 influenza virus hemagglutinin head and stalk antibodies in humans

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shannon R. Christensen ◽  
Sushila A. Toulmin ◽  
Trevor Griesman ◽  
Lois E. Lamerato ◽  
Joshua G. Petrie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Influenza Virus ◽  
Animal Models ◽  
Neutralizing Antibodies ◽  
Influenza Viruses ◽  
H1n1 Infection ◽  
Virus Infections ◽  
Human Influenza Virus ◽  
Cytotoxicity Activity ◽  
Stalk Domain

AbstractSeasonal influenza viruses are a major cause of human disease worldwide. Most neutralizing antibodies (Abs) elicited by influenza viruses target the head domain of the hemagglutinin (HA) protein. Anti-HA head Abs can be highly potent, but they have limited breadth since the HA head is variable. There is great interest in developing new universal immunization strategies that elicit broadly neutralizing Abs against conserved regions of HA, such as the stalk domain. Although HA stalk Abs can provide protection in animal models, it is unknown if they are present at sufficient levels in humans to provide protection against naturally-acquired influenza virus infections. Here, we quantified H1N1 HA head and stalk-specific Abs in 179 adults hospitalized during the 2015-2016 influenza virus season. We found that HA head Abs, as measured by hemagglutinin-inhibition (HAI) assays, were associated with protection against naturally-acquired H1N1 infection. HA stalk-specific serum total IgG titers were also associated with protection, but this association was slightly attenuated and not statistically significant after adjustment for HA head-specific Ab titers. We found higher titers of HA stalk-specific IgG1 and IgA Abs in sera from uninfected participants than from infected participants; however, we found no difference in sera in vitro antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity activity. In passive transfer experiments, sera from participants with high HAI activity efficiently protected mice, while sera with low HAI activity protected mice to a lower extent. Our data suggest that human HA head and stalk Abs both contribute to protection against H1N1 infection.ImportanceAbs targeting the HA head of influenza viruses are often associated with protection from influenza virus infections. These Abs typically have limited breadth since mutations frequently arise in HA head epitopes. New vaccines targeting the more conserved HA stalk domain are being developed. Abs that target the HA stalk are protective in animal models, but it is unknown if these Abs exist at protective levels in humans. Here, we found that Abs against both the HA head and HA stalk were associated with protection from naturally-acquired human influenza virus infections during the 2015-2016 influenza season.

scholarly journals Assessing the Protective Potential of H1N1 Influenza Virus Hemagglutinin Head and Stalk Antibodies in Humans

2019 ◽  
Vol 93 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shannon R. Christensen ◽  
Sushila A. Toulmin ◽  
Trevor Griesman ◽  
Lois E. Lamerato ◽  
Joshua G. Petrie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Influenza Virus ◽  
Animal Models ◽  
Neutralizing Antibodies ◽  
Influenza Viruses ◽  
H1n1 Infection ◽  
Virus Infections ◽  
Human Influenza Virus ◽  
Cytotoxicity Activity ◽  
Stalk Domain

ABSTRACTSeasonal influenza viruses are a major cause of human disease worldwide. Most neutralizing antibodies (Abs) elicited by influenza viruses target the head domain of the hemagglutinin (HA) protein. Anti-HA head Abs can be highly potent, but they have limited breadth since the HA head is variable. There is great interest in developing new universal immunization strategies that elicit broadly neutralizing Abs against conserved regions of HA, such as the stalk domain. Although HA stalk Abs can provide protection in animal models, it is unknown if they are present at sufficient levels in humans to provide protection against naturally acquired influenza virus infections. Here, we quantified H1N1 HA head- and stalk-specific Abs in 179 adults hospitalized during the 2015–2016 influenza virus season. We found that HA head Abs, as measured by hemagglutinin inhibition (HAI) assays, were associated with protection against naturally acquired H1N1 infection. HA stalk-specific serum total IgG titers were also associated with protection, but this association was attenuated and not statistically significant after adjustment for HA head-specific Ab titers. We found slightly higher titers of HA stalk-specific IgG1 and IgA Abs in sera from uninfected participants than in sera from infected participants; however, we found no difference in serumin vitroantibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity activity. In passive transfer experiments, sera from participants with high HAI activity efficiently protected mice, while sera with low HAI activity protected mice to a lower extent. Our data suggest that HA head Abs are more efficient at protecting against H1N1 infection than HA stalk Abs.IMPORTANCEAbs targeting the HA head of influenza viruses are often associated with protection from influenza virus infections. These Abs typically have limited breadth, since mutations frequently arise in HA head epitopes. New vaccines targeting the more conserved HA stalk domain are being developed. Abs that target the HA stalk are protective in animal models, but it is unknown if these Abs exist at protective levels in humans. Here, we completed experiments to determine if Abs against the HA head and stalk were associated with protection from naturally acquired human influenza virus infections during the 2015–2016 influenza season.

scholarly journals Natural and directed antigenic drift of the H1 influenza virus hemagglutinin stalk domain

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher S. Anderson ◽  
Sandra Ortega ◽  
Francisco A. Chaves ◽  
Amelia M. Clark ◽  
Hongmei Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Influenza Virus ◽  
Viral Fitness ◽  
Antigenic Drift ◽  
Virus Infections ◽  
Head Region ◽  
Immune Pressure ◽  
Stalk Domain ◽  
Ha Protein

Abstract The induction of antibodies specific for the influenza HA protein stalk domain is being pursued as a universal strategy against influenza virus infections. However, little work has been done looking at natural or induced antigenic variability in this domain and the effects on viral fitness. We analyzed human H1 HA head and stalk domain sequences and found substantial variability in both, although variability was highest in the head region. Furthermore, using human immune sera from pandemic A/California/04/2009 immune subjects and mAbs specific for the stalk domain, viruses were selected in vitro containing mutations in both domains that partially contributed to immune evasion. Recombinant viruses encoding amino acid changes in the HA stalk domain replicated well in vitro, and viruses incorporating two of the stalk mutations retained pathogenicity in vivo. These findings demonstrate that the HA protein stalk domain can undergo limited drift under immune pressure and the viruses can retain fitness and virulence in vivo, findings which are important to consider in the context of vaccination targeting this domain.

scholarly journals Antiviral Activity of Aspalathus linearis against Human Influenza Virus

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 1934578X1701200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ratika Rahmasari ◽  
Takahiro Haruyama ◽  
Siriwan Charyasriwong ◽  
Tomoki Nishida ◽  
Nobuyuki Kobayashi
Keyword(s):  
Influenza Virus ◽  
Influenza A Virus ◽  
Influenza A ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Influenza Viruses ◽  
Replication Process ◽  
Human Influenza Virus ◽  
Alkaline Extract ◽  
Aspalathus Linearis

Influenza A viruses are responsible for annual epidemics and occasional pandemics, which cause significant morbidity and mortality. The limited protection offered by influenza vaccination, and the emergence of drug-resistant influenza strains, highlight the urgent need for the development of novel anti-influenza drugs. However, the search for antiviral substances from the library of low molecular weight chemical compounds is limited. Thus, because of their natural diversity and accessibility, plants or plant-derived materials are rapidly becoming valuable sources for the discovery and development of new antiviral drugs. In this study, crude extracts of Aspalathus linearis, a plant reported to have anti-HIV activity, were evaluated in vitro for their activity against the influenza A virus. Of the extracts tested, an alkaline extract of Aspalathus linearis demonstrated the strongest inhibition against influenza A virus and could also inhibit different types of influenza viruses, including Oseltamivir-resistant influenza viruses A and B. Our time course of addition studies indicated that the alkaline extract of Aspalathus linearis exerts its antiviral effect predominantly during the late stages of the influenza virus replication process.

scholarly journals LACK OF IDENTITY IN NEUTRALIZING AND HEMAGGLUTINATION-INHIBITING ANTIBODIES AGAINST INFLUENZA VIRUSES

1950 ◽  
Vol 91 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Duard L. Walker ◽  
Frank L. Horsfall
Keyword(s):  
Influenza Virus ◽  
Hemagglutination Inhibition ◽  
Neutralizing Antibodies ◽  
Neutralizing Antibody ◽  
Immune Serum ◽  
Influenza Viruses ◽  
In Ovo ◽  
Neutralization Line

There is an exponential linear relationship between the quantity of influenza virus neutralized and the quantity of immune serum employed in in ovo neutralization. The slope of the neutralization line is extremely steep. The concentration of neutralizing antibody can be measured with considerable precision in ovo if the constant virus-varying serum technique is utilized. The amounts of hemagglutination-inhibiting and neutralizing antibodies which are absorbed by a given quantity of influenza virus (PR8) were found to be predictable and the degree of reactivity of these two antibodies was shown to be directly related to the extent of immunization. It was demonstrated that there are marked discrepancies in correlation between antibody titers obtained by in vitro hemagglutination-inhibition and in vivo neutralization techniques and that neutralizing antibody is preferentially absorbed by a given quantity of virus. Inasmuch as the results were found not to be attributable to peculiarities of the techniques employed, it appears that the antibodies measured by hemagglutination-inhibition in vitro and by neutralization in vivo are not identical.

scholarly journals Ethanol Extract of Caesalpinia decapetala Inhibits Influenza Virus Infection In Vitro and In Vivo

Viruses ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 557 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Zhang ◽  
Jungang Chen ◽  
Chang Ke ◽  
Haiwei Zhang ◽  
Shoujun Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Influenza Virus ◽  
Influenza A ◽  
Antiviral Agents ◽  
Influenza Virus Infection ◽  
Virus Titer ◽  
Ethanol Extract ◽  
Influenza Viruses ◽  
Virus Infections

Influenza virus infections can lead to viral pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome in severe cases, causing significant morbidity and mortality and posing a great threat to human health. Because of the diversity of influenza virus strains and drug resistance to the current direct antiviral agents, there have been no effective drugs as yet to cure all patients infected by influenza viruses. Natural products from plants contain compounds with diverse structures that have the potential to interact with multiple host and virus factors. In this study, we identified the ethanol extract of Caesalpinia decapetala (Roth) Alston (EEC) as an inhibitor against the replication of a panel of influenza A and B viruses both on human pulmonary epithelial A549 and human monocytic U937 cells. The animal study revealed that EEC administration reduces the weight loss and improves the survival rate of mice infected with lethal influenza virus. Also, EEC treatment attenuated lung injury and reduced virus titer significantly. In conclusion, we showed that EEC has antiviral activity both in vitro and in vivo, suggesting that the plant C. decapetala has the potential to be further developed as a resource of new anti-influenza drugs.

scholarly journals A single dose vaccination with an elastase-dependent H1N1 live attenuated swine influenza virus protects pigs from challenge with 2009 pandemic H1N1 virus

2014 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-23
Author(s):  
Aleksandar Mašić ◽  
Niziti Woldeab ◽  
Carissa Embury-Hyatt ◽  
Yan Zhou ◽  
Shawn Babiuk
Keyword(s):  
Influenza Virus ◽  
Single Dose ◽  
Influenza A Virus ◽  
Neutralizing Antibodies ◽  
Influenza A ◽  
Swine Influenza Virus ◽  
Swine Influenza ◽  
Influenza Viruses ◽  
Virus Infections ◽  
Intranasal Route

Abstract The 2009 outbreak of H1N1 influenza A viruses in humans underscored the importance of pigs in influenza A virus evolution and the emergence of novel viruses with pandemic potential. In addition, influenza A virus infections continued to cause production losses in the agricultural industry resulting in a significant drop of profit. The primary method to control influenza A virus infections in pigs is through vaccination. Previously we demonstrated that two doses of an elastase-dependent live attenuated swine influenza virus administered by either the intratracheal or intranasal route can provide a high degree of protection in pigs against challenge with both homologous and different heterologous swine influenza viruses. Here we report the protection efficacy of a single dose elastase-dependent live attenuated swine influenza virus administered by the intranasal route against challenge with homologous subtypic H1N1 2009 pandemic swine-like influenza virus. Protection was observed in the absence of neutralizing antibodies specific for H1N1 2009 in sera.

scholarly journals Hemagglutinin stalk domain from H5N1 strain as a potentially universal antigen.

2014 ◽  
Vol 61 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Karolina Uranowska ◽  
Jolanta Tyborowska ◽  
Anna Jurek ◽  
Bogusław Szewczyk ◽  
Beata Gromadzka
Keyword(s):  
Influenza Virus ◽  
Influenza A Virus ◽  
Neutralizing Antibodies ◽  
Influenza A ◽  
Virus Antigen ◽  
Cross Reactivity ◽  
Influenza Viruses ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Stalk Domain ◽  
Major Surface

Influenza A virus infections are the major public health concern and cause significant morbidity and mortality each year worldwide. Vaccination is the main strategy of influenza epidemic prevention. However, seasonal vaccines induce strain-specific immunity and must be reformulated annually based on prediction of the strains that will circulate in the next season. Thus, it is essential to develop vaccines that would induce broad and persistent immunity to influenza viruses. Hemagglutinin is the major surface antigen of the influenza virus. Recent studies revealed the importance of HA stalk-specific antibodies in neutralization of different influenza virus strains. Therefore, it is important to design an immunogen that would focus the immune response on the HA stalk domain in order to elicit neutralizing antibodies. In the present study, we report characterization of a conserved truncated protein, potentially a universal influenza virus antigen from the H5N1 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A virus strain. Our results indicate that exposure of the HA stalk domain containing conserved epitopes results in cross reactivity with different antibodies (against group 1 and 2 HAs). Additionally, we conclude that HA stalk domain contains not only conformational epitopes recognized by universal FI6 antibody, but also linear epitopes recognized by other antibodies.

scholarly journals Extending the Stalk Enhances Immunogenicity of the Influenza Virus Neuraminidase

2019 ◽  
Vol 93 (18) ◽  
Author(s):  
Felix Broecker ◽  
Allen Zheng ◽  
Nungruthai Suntronwong ◽  
Weina Sun ◽  
Mark J. Bailey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Influenza Virus ◽  
Mouse Model ◽  
Influenza Viruses ◽  
Antibody Responses ◽  
H3n2 Virus ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Virus Challenge ◽  
Virus Particles ◽  
Stalk Domain

ABSTRACT Influenza viruses express two surface glycoproteins, the hemagglutinin (HA) and the neuraminidase (NA). Anti-NA antibodies protect from lethal influenza virus challenge in the mouse model and correlate inversely with virus shedding and symptoms in humans. Consequently, the NA is a promising target for influenza virus vaccine design. Current seasonal vaccines, however, poorly induce anti-NA antibodies, partly because of the immunodominance of the HA over the NA when the two glycoproteins are closely associated. To address this issue, here we investigated whether extending the stalk domain of the NA could render it more immunogenic on virus particles. Two recombinant influenza viruses based on the H1N1 strain A/Puerto Rico/8/1934 (PR8) were rescued with NA stalk domains extended by 15 or 30 amino acids. Formalin-inactivated viruses expressing wild-type NA or the stalk-extended NA variants were used to vaccinate mice. The virus with the 30-amino-acid stalk extension induced significantly higher anti-NA IgG responses (characterized by increased in vitro antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity [ADCC] activity) than the wild-type PR8 virus, while anti-HA IgG levels were unaffected. Similarly, extending the stalk domain of the NA of a recent H3N2 virus enhanced the induction of anti-NA IgGs in mice. On the basis of these results, we hypothesize that the subdominance of the NA can be modulated if the protein is modified such that its height surpasses that of the HA on the viral membrane. Extending the stalk domain of NA may help to enhance its immunogenicity in influenza virus vaccines without compromising antibody responses to HA. IMPORTANCE The efficacy of influenza virus vaccines could be improved by enhancing the immunogenicity of the NA protein. One of the reasons for its poor immunogenicity is the immunodominance of the HA over the NA in many seasonal influenza virus vaccines. Here we demonstrate that, in the mouse model, extending the stalk domain of the NA protein can enhance its immunogenicity on virus particles and overcome the immunodominance of the HA without affecting antibody responses to the HA. The antibody repertoire is broadened by the extended NA and includes additional ADCC-active antibodies. Our findings may assist in the efforts toward more effective influenza virus vaccines.

scholarly journals The Long Road to a Universal Influenza Virus Vaccine

Proceedings ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 125
Author(s):  
Peter Palese
Keyword(s):  
Influenza Virus ◽  
Virus Vaccine ◽  
Influenza A ◽  
Influenza Virus Vaccine ◽  
Antigenic Drift ◽  
Surface Glycoprotein ◽  
Influenza B ◽  
Virus Infections ◽  
Stalk Domain

Seasonal and pandemic influenza virus infections can cause significant disease worldwide. Current vaccines only provide limited, short-lived protection, and antigenic drift/shift in the hemagglutinin (HA) surface glycoprotein necessitates their annual reformulation and re-administration. To overcome these limitations, universal influenza virus vaccine strategies aim at eliciting broadly protective antibodies to conserved epitopes of the HA. We have developed two approaches. (1) The first is based on “chimeric” HA constructs that retain the conserved stalk domain of the HA and have exotic HA heads. Vaccination and boosting with such constructs successfully redirects the immune system in animals and in humans towards the conserved immune sub-dominant domains of the HA stalks; this results in an antigenic silencing of the HA heads and a protective immune response facilitated by the conserved HA stalks. In mice and ferrets, such a strategy protects the animals against homo-subtypic and hetero-subtypic challenge with influenza A strains as well as against influenza B variants. It is hoped that vaccine constructs expressing three components (i.e., conserved group 1 HA stalks, conserved group 2 HA stalks, and conserved influenza B HA stalks) will be protective against all future seasonal and pandemic strains. (2) The “mosaic” HA approach is based on antigenic silencing of the major immunodominant antigenic sites of the HA heads by only replacing those epitopes with corresponding sequences of exotic avian HAs, yielding “mosaic” HAs. In mice, a prime-boost vaccination regime with inactivated viruses expressing “mosaic” HAs elicited highly cross-reactive antibodies against the stalk domain of the HAs that were capable of eliciting Fc-mediated effector functions in vitro. Extensive trials will be necessary in the future in order to identify the optimal vaccination regime (“chimeric” HA-based versus “mosaic” HA-based) in humans.

scholarly journals Attenuation of Equine Influenza Viruses through Truncations of the NS1 Protein

2005 ◽  
Vol 79 (13) ◽  
pp. 8431-8439 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle Quinlivan ◽  
Dmitriy Zamarin ◽  
Adolfo García-Sastre ◽  
Ann Cullinane ◽  
Thomas Chambers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Influenza Virus ◽  
Mdck Cells ◽  
Influenza Viruses ◽  
Common Disease ◽  
Ns1 Protein ◽  
Human Influenza ◽  
Equine Influenza Virus ◽  
Human Influenza Virus ◽  
Equine Influenza

ABSTRACT Equine influenza is a common disease of the horse, causing significant morbidity worldwide. Here we describe the establishment of a plasmid-based reverse genetics system for equine influenza virus. Utilizing this system, we generated three mutant viruses encoding carboxy-terminally truncated NS1 proteins. We have previously shown that a recombinant human influenza virus lacking the NS1 gene (delNS1) could only replicate in interferon (IFN)-incompetent systems, suggesting that the NS1 protein is responsible for IFN antagonist activity. Contrary to previous findings with human influenza virus, we found that in the case of equine influenza virus, the length of the NS1 protein did not correlate with the level of attenuation of that virus. With equine influenza virus, the mutant virus with the shortest NS1 protein turned out to be the least attenuated. We speculate that the basis for attenuation of the equine NS1 mutant viruses generated is related to their level of NS1 protein expression. Our findings show that the recombinant mutant viruses are impaired in their ability to inhibit IFN production in vitro and they do not replicate as efficiently as the parental recombinant strain in embryonated hen eggs, in MDCK cells, or in vivo in a mouse model. Therefore, these attenuated mutant NS1 viruses may have potential as candidates for a live equine influenza vaccine.

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