Intranasal flu vaccine with nanoparticles offers robust protection


Date:
January 28, 2022
Source:
Georgia State University
Summary:
An influenza vaccine administered through the nose and constructed
with nanoparticles that enhance immune response offers strong
protection against different influenza virus strains, according
to researchers.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
An influenza vaccine administered through the nose and constructed with nanoparticles that enhance immune response offers strong protection
against different influenza virus strains, according to researchers in
the Institute for Biomedical Sciences at Georgia State University.


==========================================================================
The intranasal vaccine contributed to multifaceted immune responses,
leading to robust cross protection against influenza in mice. The
vaccine consists of PEI- HA/CpG nanoparticles. PEI (polyethyleneimine),
a robust and versatile delivery system, can simultaneously carry antigens (hemagglutinin, HA) that induce an immune response in the body, and
adjuvants (CpG) that enhance the body's immune response to an antigen
for optimal immunoenhancement.

These comprehensive immune responses and cross protection were long
lasting, exhibiting defense from influenza virus over six months after immunization. The findings are published in the journal ACS Applied
Materials & Interfaces.

Intranasal vaccination is an ideal approach for infectious respiratory
diseases such as influenza. Seasonal influenza vaccines generally induce
narrow immune responses that rapidly decline, which leaves populations vulnerable to novel influenza strains. Advancements in influenza vaccine technology are needed to protect against a wide range of influenza
viruses. Intranasal vaccination can improve local mucosal immune responses
by preventing influenza infection at the portal of virus entry.

In the influenza virus, HA is a protein that plays a crucial role in
the early stages of virus infection. Influenza HA has a head region and
stalk region.

Current influenza vaccines elicit immune responses against the HA head,
but this head region is highly changeable and accounts for lowered
efficiency against different strains. The HA stalk region is more
conservative across different strains of influenza viruses.

Protein antigens that are administered intranasally are usually less able
to provoke an immune response, so adjuvants are needed to have highly
efficient intranasal vaccines. Adjuvants, such as CpG, can enhance and manipulate immune responses, thus improving the potency and breadth
of protection.

"The PEI-HA/CpG nanoparticles show good potential as a cross-protective influenza vaccine candidate," said Dr. Baozhong Wang, corresponding author
of the study and a professor in the Institute for Biomedical Sciences
at Georgia State. "The combination of PEI and CpG in the PEI-HA/CpG nanoparticle group contributed to the multifaceted immune responses,
leading to vigorous cross protection. The incorporation of CpG and
antigens into the same nanoparticle enhanced cellular immune responses.

"Our results revealed that the nanoparticles significantly enhanced HA immunogenicity, or the ability to provoke an immune response, providing
cross protection against different influenza virus strains. The
conserved HA stalk region induced substantial antibodies in the
nanoparticle immunization groups." "Nanoparticle platforms have shown intriguing characteristics and great potentials in the development of next-generation cross-protective influenza vaccines," said Dr. Chunhong
Dong, the first author of the study and a postdoctoral fellow in the
Institute for Biomedical Sciences. "However, challenges exist to the
successful research and development of nanoparticle vaccines. Though no apparent adverse effects were observed in the study, a more comprehensive safety evaluation of the nanoparticle adjuvant system is needed before
clinical trials." Co-authors of the study include Baozhong Wang,
Chunhong Dong (first author), Ye Wang, Wandi Zhu, Yao Ma, Joo Kim,
Lai Wei and Gilbert X. Gonzalez.

The study was funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) of the National Institutes of Health.

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by Georgia_State_University. Note:
Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Chunhong Dong, Ye Wang, Wandi Zhu, Yao Ma, Joo Kim, Lai Wei,
Gilbert X.

Gonzalez, Bao-Zhong Wang. Polycationic HA/CpG Nanoparticles Induce
Cross- Protective Influenza Immunity in Mice. ACS Applied Materials
& Interfaces, 2022; DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c19192 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/01/220128165601.htm

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