Intranasal immunization with proteoliposomes protects against influenza.

Worldwide, influenza virus remains a serious disease which has successfully eluded numerous attempts to design a consistently effective vaccine. In part, these attempts have been thwarted because of a lack of basic understanding of the mechanisms which mediate protection and recovery from influenza infection. A better understanding of the roles of secretory antibody, serum antibody and cell mediated immunity vis-à-vis protection and recovery from influenza infection has allowed us more rationally to approach the design and administration of a vaccine for influenza. We have constructed a vaccine composed of glycoproteins from the envelopes of either influenza of Sendai virus embedded in a lipid bilayer (immunosomes) mimicking the presentation of the virus to the cells during natural infection. Intranasal immunization with these immunosomes induces an adequate systemic Ir compared with intramuscular immunization and a superior local IgA response. These animals were specifically protected from virus challenge.