Potent and long-lasting humoral and cellular immunity against varicella zoster virus induced by mRNA-LNP vaccine
Abstract Varicella zoster virus (VZV) is a highly contagious human herpes virus responsible for causing chickenpox (varicella) and shingles (herpes zoster). Despite the approval of a highly effective vaccine, Shingrix®, the global incidence of herpes zoster is increasing and the economic burden to t...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2024-04-01
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| Series: | npj Vaccines |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41541-024-00865-5 |
| _version_ | 1797220048789569536 |
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| author | Anannya Bhattacharya Lonzaric Jan Olga Burlak Jilong Li Ghanshyam Upadhyay Katherine Williams Jinhui Dong Harrison Rohrer Michelle Pynn Andrew Simon Nathan Kuhlmann Sergei Pustylnikov Mariane B. Melo Antu K. Dey |
| author_facet | Anannya Bhattacharya Lonzaric Jan Olga Burlak Jilong Li Ghanshyam Upadhyay Katherine Williams Jinhui Dong Harrison Rohrer Michelle Pynn Andrew Simon Nathan Kuhlmann Sergei Pustylnikov Mariane B. Melo Antu K. Dey |
| author_sort | Anannya Bhattacharya |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Varicella zoster virus (VZV) is a highly contagious human herpes virus responsible for causing chickenpox (varicella) and shingles (herpes zoster). Despite the approval of a highly effective vaccine, Shingrix®, the global incidence of herpes zoster is increasing and the economic burden to the health care system and society are substantial due to significant loss of productivity and health complications, particularly among elderly and immunocompromised individuals. This is primarily because access to the vaccines remains mostly limited to countries within developed economies, such as USA and Canada. Therefore, similarly effective vaccines against VZV that are more accessible to the rest-of-the-world are necessary. In this study, we aimed to evaluate immunogenicity and memory response induced by three mRNA-LNP-based vaccine candidates targeting VZV’s surface glycoprotein E (gE). C57BL/6 mice were immunized with each candidate vaccine, and humoral and cellular immune responses were assessed. Our results demonstrate that the mRNA-LNP-based vaccine candidates elicited robust and durable humoral responses specific to the gE antigen. Notably, mice vaccinated with the mRNA-LNP vaccines exhibited significantly higher antigen-specific T-cell cytokine production compared to the group receiving Shingrix®, the current standard of care vaccine. Additionally, mRNA-LNP vaccines induced long-lasting memory response, as evidenced by detection of persistent gE-specific Long-Lived Plasma Cells (LLPCs) and memory T cells four months after final immunization. These findings underscore the potential of our mRNA-LNP-based vaccine candidates in generating potent immune responses against VZV, offering promising prospects for their clinical development as an effective prophylactic vaccine against herpes zoster. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T12:43:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-275e736cb31442479d18b298d31e253b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2059-0105 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T12:43:21Z |
| publishDate | 2024-04-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | npj Vaccines |
| spelling | doaj.art-275e736cb31442479d18b298d31e253b2024-04-07T11:07:39ZengNature Portfolionpj Vaccines2059-01052024-04-019111410.1038/s41541-024-00865-5Potent and long-lasting humoral and cellular immunity against varicella zoster virus induced by mRNA-LNP vaccineAnannya Bhattacharya0Lonzaric Jan1Olga Burlak2Jilong Li3Ghanshyam Upadhyay4Katherine Williams5Jinhui Dong6Harrison Rohrer7Michelle Pynn8Andrew Simon9Nathan Kuhlmann10Sergei Pustylnikov11Mariane B. Melo12Antu K. Dey13GreenLight Biosciences Inc.GreenLight Biosciences Inc.GreenLight Biosciences Inc.GreenLight Biosciences Inc.GreenLight Biosciences Inc.GreenLight Biosciences Inc.GreenLight Biosciences Inc.GreenLight Biosciences Inc.GreenLight Biosciences Inc.GreenLight Biosciences Inc.GreenLight Biosciences Inc.GreenLight Biosciences Inc.GreenLight Biosciences Inc.GreenLight Biosciences Inc.Abstract Varicella zoster virus (VZV) is a highly contagious human herpes virus responsible for causing chickenpox (varicella) and shingles (herpes zoster). Despite the approval of a highly effective vaccine, Shingrix®, the global incidence of herpes zoster is increasing and the economic burden to the health care system and society are substantial due to significant loss of productivity and health complications, particularly among elderly and immunocompromised individuals. This is primarily because access to the vaccines remains mostly limited to countries within developed economies, such as USA and Canada. Therefore, similarly effective vaccines against VZV that are more accessible to the rest-of-the-world are necessary. In this study, we aimed to evaluate immunogenicity and memory response induced by three mRNA-LNP-based vaccine candidates targeting VZV’s surface glycoprotein E (gE). C57BL/6 mice were immunized with each candidate vaccine, and humoral and cellular immune responses were assessed. Our results demonstrate that the mRNA-LNP-based vaccine candidates elicited robust and durable humoral responses specific to the gE antigen. Notably, mice vaccinated with the mRNA-LNP vaccines exhibited significantly higher antigen-specific T-cell cytokine production compared to the group receiving Shingrix®, the current standard of care vaccine. Additionally, mRNA-LNP vaccines induced long-lasting memory response, as evidenced by detection of persistent gE-specific Long-Lived Plasma Cells (LLPCs) and memory T cells four months after final immunization. These findings underscore the potential of our mRNA-LNP-based vaccine candidates in generating potent immune responses against VZV, offering promising prospects for their clinical development as an effective prophylactic vaccine against herpes zoster.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41541-024-00865-5 |
| spellingShingle | Anannya Bhattacharya Lonzaric Jan Olga Burlak Jilong Li Ghanshyam Upadhyay Katherine Williams Jinhui Dong Harrison Rohrer Michelle Pynn Andrew Simon Nathan Kuhlmann Sergei Pustylnikov Mariane B. Melo Antu K. Dey Potent and long-lasting humoral and cellular immunity against varicella zoster virus induced by mRNA-LNP vaccine npj Vaccines |
| title | Potent and long-lasting humoral and cellular immunity against varicella zoster virus induced by mRNA-LNP vaccine |
| title_full | Potent and long-lasting humoral and cellular immunity against varicella zoster virus induced by mRNA-LNP vaccine |
| title_fullStr | Potent and long-lasting humoral and cellular immunity against varicella zoster virus induced by mRNA-LNP vaccine |
| title_full_unstemmed | Potent and long-lasting humoral and cellular immunity against varicella zoster virus induced by mRNA-LNP vaccine |
| title_short | Potent and long-lasting humoral and cellular immunity against varicella zoster virus induced by mRNA-LNP vaccine |
| title_sort | potent and long lasting humoral and cellular immunity against varicella zoster virus induced by mrna lnp vaccine |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41541-024-00865-5 |
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