Call for a paradigm shift in the design of universal influenza vaccines by harnessing multiple correlates of protection.

Expert Opin Drug Discov

Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea.

Published: December 2020

Introduction: The genetic variability and diversity of influenza viruses, and the expansion of their hosts, present a significant threat to human health. The development of a universal influenza vaccine is urgently needed to tackle seasonal epidemics, pandemics, vaccine mismatch, and zoonotic transmissions to humans.

Areas Covered: Despite the identification of broadly neutralizing antibodies against influenza viruses, designing a universal influenza vaccine that induces such broadly neutralizing antibodies at protective levels in humans has remained challenging. Besides neutralizing antibodies, multiple correlates of protection have recently emerged as crucially important for eliciting broad protection against diverse influenza viruses. This review discusses the immune responses required for broad protection against influenza viruses, and suggests a paradigm shift from an HA stalk-based approach to other approaches that can induce multiple immunological correlates of protection for the development of a universal influenza vaccine.

Expert Opinion: To develop a truly universal influenza vaccine, multiple correlates of protection should be considered, including antibody responses and T cell immunity. Balanced induction of neutralizing antibodies, antibody effector functions, and T cell immunity will contribute to the most effective vaccination strategy. Live-attenuated influenza vaccines provide an attractive platform to improve the breadth and potency of vaccines for broader protection.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17460441.2020.1801629DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

universal influenza
20
correlates protection
16
influenza viruses
16
neutralizing antibodies
16
multiple correlates
12
influenza vaccine
12
influenza
10
paradigm shift
8
influenza vaccines
8
development universal
8

Similar Publications

Spatiotemporal Dynamic Immunomodulation by Infection-Mimicking Gels Enhances Broad and Durable Protective Immunity Against Heterologous Viruses.

Adv Sci (Weinh)

January 2025

SKKU Advanced Institute of Nanotechnology (SAINT), Department of Nano Engineering, Department of Nano Science and Technology, School of Chemical Engineering, Biomedical Institute for Convergence at SKKU, Sungkyunkwan University, 2066 Seobu-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do, 16419, Republic of Korea.

Despite their safety and widespread use, conventional protein antigen-based subunit vaccines face significant challenges such as low immunogenicity, insufficient long-term immunity, poor CD8 T-cell activation, and poor adaptation to viral variants. To address these issues, an infection-mimicking gel (IM-Gel) is developed that is designed to emulate the spatiotemporal dynamics of immune stimulation in acute viral infections through in situ supramolecular self-assembly of nanoparticulate-TLR7/8a (NP-TLR7/8a) and an antigen with tannic acid (TA). Through collagen-binding properties of TA, the IM-Gel enables sustained delivery and enhanced retention of NP-TLR7/8a and protein antigen in the lymph node subcapsular sinus of mice for over 7 days, prolonging the exposure of vaccine components in both B cell and T cell zones, leading to robust humoral and cellular responses.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Influenza remains a persistent global health challenge, largely due to the virus' continuous antigenic drift and occasional shift, which impede the development of a universal vaccine. To address this, the identification of broadly neutralizing antibodies and their epitopes is crucial. Nanobodies, with their unique characteristics and binding capacity, offer a promising avenue to identify such epitopes.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

In a Phase 2a, double-blind, placebo-controlled study including healthy participants aged 18-55 years, OVX836, a nucleoprotein (NP)-based candidate vaccine, previously showed a good safety profile, a robust immune response (both humoral and cellular) and a preliminary signal of protection (VE = 84%) against PCR-confirmed symptomatic influenza after a single intramuscular dose of 180 µg, 300 µg or 480 µg. : Using the same methodology, we confirmed the good safety and strong immunogenicity of OVX836 at the same doses in older adults (≥65 years), a key target population for influenza vaccination. : Significant humoral (anti-NP IgG) and cellular (interferon gamma (IFNγ) spot-forming cells per million peripheral blood mononuclear cells and specific CD4 IFNγ T-cells) immune responses were observed at the three dose levels, without clear dose-response relationship.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Standard-of-care influenza vaccines contain antigens that are typically derived from components of wild type (WT) influenza viruses. Often, these antigens elicit strain-specific immune responses and are susceptible to mismatch in seasons where antigenic drift is prevalent. Thanks to advances in viral surveillance and sequencing, influenza vaccine antigens can now be optimized using computationally derived methodologies and algorithms to enhance their immunogenicity.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Analysis of the Monophyletic Lineage of Avian Influenza H5N1 Which Circulated in Venezuelan Birds During the 2022-2023 Outbreak.

Microorganisms

December 2024

Laboratorio de Virologia Molecular, Centro de Microbiología y Biología Celular (CMBC), Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas (IVIC), Caracas 1020, Venezuela.

Avian influenza subtype H5N1 has caused outbreaks worldwide since 1996, with the emergence of the Guandong lineage in China. The current clade 2.3.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!