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The global spread of H5 clade 2.3.4.4 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses threatens poultry and public health. The continuous circulation of these viruses has led to their considerable genetic and antigenic evolution, resulting in the formation of eight subclades (2.3.4.4a-h). Here, we examined the antigenic sites that determine the antigenic differences between two H5 vaccine strains, H5-Re8 (clade 2.3.4.4g) and H5-Re11 (clade 2.3.4.4h). Epitope mapping data revealed that all eight identified antigenic sites were located within two classical antigenic regions, with five sites in region A (positions 115, 120, 124, 126, and 140) and three in region B (positions 151, 156, and 185). Through antigenic cartography analysis of mutants with varying numbers of substitutions, we confirmed that a combination of mutations in these eight sites reverses the antigenicity of H5-Re11 to that of H5-Re8, and vice versa. More importantly, our analyses identified H5-Re11_Q115L/R120S/A156T (H5-Re11 + 3) as a promising candidate for a broad-spectrum vaccine, positioned centrally in the antigenic map, and offering potential universal protection against all variants within the clade 2.3.4.4. H5-Re11 + 3 serum has better cross-reactivity than sera generated with other 2.3.4.4 vaccines, and H5-Re11 + 3 vaccine provided 100% protection of chickens against antigenically drifted H5 viruses from various 2.3.4.4 antigenic groups. Our findings suggest that antigenic regions A and B are immunodominant in H5 viruses, and that antigenic cartography-guided vaccine design is a promising strategy for selecting a broad-spectrum vaccine.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41541-024-00947-4 | DOI Listing |
Curr HIV Res
September 2025
Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA.
Newborns represent only 1% of the population. Yet, HIV vertical transmissions represent 10% of all new infections globally, even though antiretroviral therapy (ART) has been shown to reduce the risk of vertical transmission to less than 2%. While vaccines still represent the most efficient and cost-effective intervention to eradicate new infections, HIV immunogens that can effectively elicit broad-spectrum protection are still at least a decade away.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVirol Sin
September 2025
State Key Laboratory of Virology and Biosafety, RNA Institute, College of Life Sciences and Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China; Institute for Vaccine Research at Animal Bio-safety Level Ⅲ Laboratory, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China.
Since the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 in late 2019, the cumulative number of confirmed cases worldwide has surpassed 778 million, and the number of deaths has exceeded 7 million, posing a significant threat to human life and health while inflicting enormous losses on the global economy. At the stage where sequential immunization is recommended, there is a pressing demand for mRNA vaccines that can be rapidly adapted to new sequences, are easy to industrialize, and exhibit high safety and effectiveness. We developed a lipid nanoparticle (LNP) system, designated as WNP, which facilitates essentially in situ expression at the injection site and results in lower levels of pro-inflammatory factors in the liver, thus enhancing its safety compared to liver-targeted alternatives.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS One
September 2025
Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.
The fourth leading cause of death in the US, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is punctuated by frequent viral and bacterial infections causing severe acute exacerbations (AECOPD) and increased mortality. In previous work we have shown that altered immune cell signaling may confer increased and persistent susceptibility to infection. Here we continue this investigation by conducting broad-spectrum proteomic profiling of circulating white blood cells to assemble an empirical protein-protein interaction network associated with frequency of infectious exacerbation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Virol
September 2025
Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.
Bourbon virus (BRBV) is an emerging tick-borne virus that can cause severe and fatal disease in humans. BRBV is vectored via the tick, which is widely distributed throughout the central, eastern, and southern United States. Serosurveillance studies in Missouri and North Carolina identified BRBV-neutralizing antibodies in approximately 0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCurr Res Microb Sci
August 2025
Changchun Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Key Laboratory of Jilin Province for Zoonosis Prevention and Control, Changchun, China.
Given the persistent antigenic drift of seasonal influenza viruses and the continuous threat of emerging pandemics, there is an urgent necessity to develop novel influenza vaccines capable of conferring broad-spectrum immunity against multiple viral subtypes. CD8 T cells provide a promising approach to achieving such protection because of their ability to recognize conserved internal antigens. Particularly, the highly cross-reactive internal nucleoprotein of influenza virus demonstrates remarkable efficacy in safeguarding against infection caused by diverse strains.
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