Research Center for Emerging Infections and Zoonoses, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Hannover, Germany.
Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Hannover, Germany.
Front Immunol. 2023 Jul 7;14:1177324. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1177324. eCollection 2023.
Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is one of the most relevant tick-transmitted neurotropic arboviruses in Europe and Asia and the causative agent of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE). Annually more than 10,000 TBE cases are reported despite having vaccines available. In Europe, the vaccines FSME-IMMUN® and Encepur® based on formaldehyde-inactivated whole viruses are licensed. However, demanding vaccination schedules contribute to sub-optimal vaccination uptake and breakthrough infections have been reported repeatedly. Due to its immunogenic properties as well as its role in viral replication and disease pathogenesis, the non-structural protein 1 (NS1) of flaviviruses has become of interest for non-virion based flavivirus vaccine candidates in recent years.
Therefore, immunogenicity and protective efficacy of TBEV NS1 expressed by neuraminidase (NA)-deficient Influenza A virus (IAV) or Modified Vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) vectors were investigated in this study.
With these recombinant viral vectors TBEV NS1-specific antibody and T cell responses were induced. Upon heterologous prime/boost regimens partial protection against lethal TBEV challenge infection was afforded in mice.
This supports the inclusion of NS1 as a vaccine component in next generation TBEV vaccines.
蜱传脑炎病毒（TBEV）是欧洲和亚洲最重要的蜱传神经嗜性虫媒病毒之一，也是蜱传脑炎（TBE）的病原体。尽管有疫苗可用，但每年仍报告超过 10000 例 TBE 病例。在欧洲，基于甲醛灭活全病毒的 FSME-IMMUN®和 Encepur®疫苗获得许可。然而，苛刻的疫苗接种时间表导致疫苗接种率不理想，并且已经反复报告了突破性感染。由于其免疫原性以及在病毒复制和疾病发病机制中的作用，近年来，黄病毒的非结构蛋白 1（NS1）已成为基于非病毒颗粒的黄病毒疫苗候选物的研究热点。
因此，本研究中研究了由神经氨酸酶（NA）缺陷型流感 A 病毒（IAV）或改良安卡拉痘苗病毒（MVA）载体表达的 TBEV NS1 的免疫原性和保护效力。
用这些重组病毒载体，诱导了 TBEV NS1 特异性抗体和 T 细胞反应。在异源初免/加强方案中，这些重组病毒载体在小鼠中提供了针对致死性 TBEV 挑战感染的部分保护。
这支持将 NS1 作为下一代 TBEV 疫苗的疫苗成分。
