Conserved Synthetic Peptides from the Hemagglutinin of Influenza Viruses Induce Broad Humoral and T-Cell Responses in a Pig Model
Vergara-Alert, Júlia (Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries. Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal)
Argilaguet, Jordi 1977- (Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries. Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal)
Busquets, Núria (Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries. Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal)
Ballester Devis, Maria (Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries. Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal)
Martín-Valls, Gerard (Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries. Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal)
Rivas, Raquel (Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries. Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal)
López-Soria, Sergio (Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries. Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal)
Solanes, David (Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries. Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal)
Majó i Masferrer, Natàlia (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Sanitat i d'Anatomia Animals)
Segalés, Joaquim (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Sanitat i d'Anatomia Animals)
Veljkovic, Veljko (Center for Multidisciplinary Research, Institute of Nuclear Sciences VINCA, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia)
Rodriguez, Fernando (Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries. Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal)
Darji, Ayub (Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries)

Date:	2012
Abstract:	Outbreaks involving either H5N1 or H1N1 influenza viruses (IV) have recently become an increasing threat to cause potential pandemics. Pigs have an important role in this aspect. As reflected in the 2009 human H1N1 pandemia, they may act as a vehicle for mixing and generating new assortments of viruses potentially pathogenic to animals and humans. Lack of universal vaccines against the highly variable influenza virus forces scientists to continuously design vaccines à la carte, which is an expensive and risky practice overall when dealing with virulent strains. Therefore, we focused our efforts on developing a broadly protective influenza vaccine based on the Informational Spectrum Method (ISM). This theoretical prediction allows the selection of highly conserved peptide sequences from within the hemagglutinin subunit 1 protein (HA1) from either H5 or H1 viruses which are located in the flanking region of the HA binding site and with the potential to elicit broader immune responses than conventional vaccines. Confirming the theoretical predictions, immunization of conventional farm pigs with the synthetic peptides induced humoral responses in every single pig. The fact that the induced antibodies were able to recognize in vitro heterologous influenza viruses such as the pandemic H1N1 virus (pH1N1), two swine influenza field isolates (SwH1N1 and SwH3N2) and a H5N1 highly pathogenic avian virus, confirm the broad recognition of the antibodies induced. Unexpectedly, all pigs also showed T-cell responses that not only recognized the specific peptides, but also the pH1N1 virus. Finally, a partial effect on the kinetics of virus clearance was observed after the intranasal infection with the pH1N1 virus, setting forth the groundwork for the design of peptide-based vaccines against influenza viruses. Further insights into the understanding of the mechanisms involved in the protection afforded will be necessary to optimize future vaccine formulations.
Grants:	Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación AGL2007-60434/GAN Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación AGL2010-22229-C03-01 Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación BES-2008-00260
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Influenza virus ; Swine H1N1
Published in:	PloS one, Vol. 7 (july 2012) , ISSN 1932-6203

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0040524
PMID: 22815759

10 p, 1.5 MB

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