Development of broadly protective influenza B vaccines.

Influenza B viruses pose a significant threat to global public health, leading to severe respiratory infections in humans and, in some cases, death. During the last 50 years, influenza B viruses of two antigenically distinct lineages (termed 'Victoria' and 'Yamagata') have circulated in humans, necessitating two different influenza B vaccine strains. In this study, we devised a novel vaccine strategy involving reciprocal amino acid substitutions at sites where Victoria- and Yamagata-lineage viruses differ, leading to the generation of 'hybrid' vaccine viruses with the potential to protect against both lineages.

A vaccine antigen central in influenza A(H5) virus antigenic space confers subtype-wide immunity.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5) viruses globally impact wild and domestic birds, and mammals, including humans, underscoring their pandemic potential. The antigenic evolution of the A(H5) hemagglutinin (HA) poses challenges for pandemic preparedness and vaccine design. Here, the global antigenic evolution of the A(H5) HA was captured in a high-resolution antigenic map.

Preclinical development of a stabilized RH5 virus-like particle vaccine that induces improved antimalarial antibodies.

Plasmodium falciparum reticulocyte-binding protein homolog 5 (RH5) is a leading blood-stage malaria vaccine antigen target, currently in a phase 2b clinical trial as a full-length soluble protein/adjuvant vaccine candidate called RH5.1/Matrix-M. We identify that disordered regions of the full-length RH5 molecule induce non-growth inhibitory antibodies in human vaccinees and that a re-engineered and stabilized immunogen (including just the alpha-helical core of RH5) induces a qualitatively superior growth inhibitory antibody response in rats vaccinated with this protein formulated in Matrix-M adjuvant.

SARS-CoV-2 incidence, seroprevalence, and antibody dynamics in a rural, population-based cohort: March 2020 - July 2022.

Studies of SARS-CoV-2 incidence are important for response to continued transmission and future pandemics. We followed a rural community cohort with broad age representation with active surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 identification from November 2020 through July 2022. Participants provided serum specimens at regular intervals and following SARS-CoV-2 infection or vaccination.

Development of an improved blood-stage malaria vaccine targeting the essential RH5-CyRPA-RIPR invasion complex.

Reticulocyte-binding protein homologue 5 (RH5), a leading blood-stage Plasmodium falciparum malaria vaccine target, interacts with cysteine-rich protective antigen (CyRPA) and RH5-interacting protein (RIPR) to form an essential heterotrimeric "RCR-complex". We investigate whether RCR-complex vaccination can improve upon RH5 alone. Using monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) we show that parasite growth-inhibitory epitopes on each antigen are surface-exposed on the RCR-complex and that mAb pairs targeting different antigens can function additively or synergistically.