Virus reduction neutralization test and LI-COR microneutralization assay bridging and WHO international standard calibration studies for respiratory syncytial virus.

Background: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine is an unmet medical need. The virus reduction neutralization test (VRNT) was developed to replace the LI-COR microneutralization assay to measure RSV neutralization titers. Methods: A bridging study using selected V171 phase I samples and calibration studies using the WHO international standard antiserum to RSV were performed to compare VRNT and LI-COR. Results: From the bridging study, we showed good concordance between VRNT and LI-COR titers, and similar post-/prevaccination titer ratios. From the calibration studies, we can convert VRNT and LI-COR titers into similar IU/ml. Conclusion: The VRNT and LI-COR microneutralization assay correlate well and the titers can be standardized as similar IU/ml, enabling direct comparison of titers from different assays.

Comparison of rhesus and cynomolgus macaques in a Streptococcus pyogenes infection model for vaccine evaluation.

Animal models predictive of human disease are generally difficult to establish and reproduce. In the case of the Group A Streptococcus (GAS) bacterium, which is predominantly a human pathogen, virulence assessment in animal models is problematic. We compared a monkey colonization and pharyngitis model of infection in two macaque species to determine the optimal model for vaccine candidate evaluation. Rhesus and cynomolgus macaques were intranasally infected with a streptomycin resistant (Str(r)) GAS strain. Monkeys were monitored for body weight and temperature changes, throat swabs and sera were collected, and clinical observations were noted throughout the study. Both species exhibited oropharyngeal colonization by GAS, with rhesus macaques demonstrating a more sustained colonization through day 28 post-challenge. Veterinary observations revealed no significant differences between GAS-infected rhesus and cynomolgus macaques. Mock-infected monkeys did not exhibit clinical symptoms or GAS colonization throughout the study. ELISA results demonstrated that both rhesus and cynomolgus macaques developed anti-streptolysin-O antibody titers, with cynomolgus generating higher titers. Sera from infected monkeys produced opsonophagocytic killing and bound to the bacterium in an immunofluorescence assay. Both rhesus and cynomolgus macaques can be used for colonization studies with this GAS M3 strain, yet only mild clinical signs of pharyngitis and tonsillitis were observed.

Immunogenicity Comparison of a Next Generation Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine in Animal Models and Human Infants.

BACKGROUND: Evaluation of a pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) in an animal model provides an initial assessment of the performance of the vaccine prior to evaluation in humans. Cost, availability, study duration, cross-reactivity and applicability to humans are several factors which contribute to animal model selection. PCV15 is an investigational 15-valent PCV which includes capsular polysaccharides from pneumococcal serotypes (ST) 1, 3, 4, 5, 6A, 6B, 7F, 9V, 14, 18C, 19A, 19F, 22F, 23F and 33F all individually conjugated to cross-reactive material 197 (CRM197). METHODS: Immunogenicity of PCV15 was evaluated in infant rhesus macaques (IRM), adult New Zealand white rabbits (NZWR) and CD1 mice using multiplexed pneumococcal electrochemiluminescent (Pn ECL) assay to measure serotype-specific IgG antibodies, multiplexed opsonophagocytosis assay (MOPA) to measure serotype-specific functional antibody responses and bacterial challenge in mice to evaluate protection against a lethal dose of S. pneumoniae. RESULTS: PCV15 was immunogenic and induced both IgG and functional antibodies to all 15 vaccine serotypes in all animal species evaluated. PCV15 also protected mice from S. pneumoniae serotype 14 intraperitoneal challenge. Opsonophagocytosis assay (OPA) titers measured from sera of human infants vaccinated with PCV15 in a Phase 2 clinical trial showed a good correlation with that observed in IRM (rs=0.69, P=0.006), a medium correlation with that of rabbits (rs=0.49, P=0.06), and no correlation with that of mice (rs=0.04, P=0.89). In contrast, there was no correlation in serum IgG levels between human infants and animal models. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that PCV15 is immunogenic across multiple animal species, with IRM and human infants showing the best correlation for OPA responses.

A novel automated method for enumeration of Chlamydia trachomatis inclusion forming units.

Chlamydia trachomatis is an obligate intracellular pathogen that primarily infects epithelial cells. Traditional methods for quantification of inclusion forming units (IFUs) rely upon infection of epithelial cell monolayers in vitro. Following incubation for approximately 2 days, inclusion bodies that result from infection of cells are detected by immunofluorescent staining with an antibody conjugated to a fluorescent dye. These inclusion bodies are then manually counted by microscopic examination of multiple, randomly selected fields of view. This requires substantial operator time and is subject to investigator bias. We have developed a novel method in which we utilize an automated microplate ImmunoSpot reader to count C. trachomatis IFUs. Following infection of epithelial cells in a 96-well plate and subsequent incubation, IFUs are fixed and detected with an anti-C. trachomatis LPS monoclonal antibody. Immobilized antibody is detected with a biotinylated secondary antibody and visualized enzymatically with streptavidin-alkaline phosphatase and the colorimetric substrate nitro-blue tetrazolium chloride/5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl-phospate (NBT/BCIP). IFUs are then enumerated with the ImmunoSpot system. This method has been used to quantify IFUs from all cell lines traditionally used for chlamydial propagation, including L929, McCoy, HeLa and HaK cells. IFU numbers obtained are comparable to those determined by traditional microscopic counting. In addition, the method can be applied to rapid determination of serum-neutralizing titers for vaccine studies, and we have also applied this approach to quantify Chlamydia recovered from vaginal swabs collected from infected animals. This method provides for rapid enumeration of IFU counts while minimizing investigator bias and has potential applications for both research and diagnostic use.

Immunogenicity differences of a 15-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide conjugate vaccine (PCV15) based on vaccine dose, route of immunization and mouse strain.

Pneumococcal disease continues to be a medical need even with very effective vaccines on the market. Globally, there are extensive research efforts to improve serotype coverage with novel vaccines; therefore, conducting preclinical studies in different animal models becomes essential. The work presented herein focuses on evaluating a 15-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV15) in mice. Initially we evaluated several doses of PCV15 in Balb/c mice. The optimal vaccine dose was determined to be 0.4µg per pneumococcal polysaccharide (PS) (0.8µg of 6B) for subsequent studies. This PS dose was chosen for PCV evaluation in mice based on antibody levels determined by multiplexed electrochemiluminescent (ECL) assays, T-cell responses following in vitro stimulation with CRM197 peptides and protection from pneumococcal challenge. We then selected four mouse strains for evaluation: Balb/c, C3H/HeN, CD1 and Swiss Webster (SW), immunized with PCV15 by either intraperitoneal (IP) or intramuscular (IM) routes. We assessed IgG responses by ECL assays and functional antibody activity by multiplexed opsonophagocytic assays (MOPA). Every mouse strain evaluated responded to all 15 serotypes contained in the vaccine. Mice tended to have lower responses to serotypes 6B, 23F and 33F. The IP route of immunization resulted in higher antibody titers for most serotypes in Balb/c, C3H and SW. CD1 mice tended to respond similarly for most serotypes, regardless of route of immunization. Similar trends were observed with the four mouse strains when evaluating functional antibody activity. Given the differences in antibody responses based on mouse strain and route of immunization, it is critical to evaluate pneumococcal vaccines in multiple animal models to determine the optimal formulation before moving to clinical trials.

Sensitive assays enable detection of serum IgG antibodies against Clostridium difficile toxin A and toxin B in healthy subjects and patients with Clostridium difficile infection.

BACKGROUND: Pathogenic Clostridium difficile produces two proinflammatory exotoxins, toxin A and toxin B. Low level of serum antitoxin IgG antibodies is a risk factor for the development of primary and recurrent C. difficile infection (CDI). RESULTS: We developed and validated two sensitive, titer-based electrochemiluminescence assays for the detection of serum antibody levels against C. difficile toxins A and B. These assays demonstrated excellent precision. The sensitivity of the assays allowed the detection of antitoxin A and antitoxin B IgG antibodies in all tested serum samples during assay validation. CONCLUSION: The validated titer-based assays enable assessment of antitoxin A and antitoxin B IgG antibodies as potential biomarkers to identify patients with CDI at increased risk for CDI recurrence.

Chimeric epitopes delivered by polymeric synthetic linear peptides induce protective immunity to malaria.

Polymeric linear peptide chimeras (LPCs) that incorporate Plasmodium vivax promiscuous T cell epitopes and the P. falciparum circumsporozoite protein B cell epitope have been shown to induce a high level of immunogenicity and overcome genetic restriction when tested as vaccine immunogens in BALB/c mice. The present study evaluates the biological relevance of several LPCs using a well characterized rodent malaria model. Polymeric peptide constructs based on P. berghei and P. yoelii sequences, and orthologous to the human malaria sequences included in the original LPCs, were designed and tested for immunogenicity in mice of different H-2 haplotypes. We demonstrate that robust immune responses are induced and that peptides containing the orthologous rodent Plasmodium sequences exhibited similar immunogenic capabilities. Unique to this report, we show that LPCs can also prime MHC class I-restricted cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) and, most relevantly, that a peptide construct prototype incorporating single B, T and CTL epitopes induced protection against an experimental challenge with P. berghei or P. yoelii sporozoites. Collectively, these results suggest that polymeric polypeptide chimeras can be used as a platform to deliver subunit vaccines.

An in vitro culture model to study the dynamics of colonic microbiota in Syrian golden hamsters and their susceptibility to infection with Clostridium difficile.

Clostridium difficile infections (CDI) are caused by colonization and growth of toxigenic strains of C. difficile in individuals whose intestinal microbiota has been perturbed, in most cases following antimicrobial therapy. Determination of the protective commensal gut community members could inform the development of treatments for CDI. Here, we utilized the lethal enterocolitis model in Syrian golden hamsters to analyze the microbiota disruption and recovery along a 20-day period following a single dose of clindamycin on day 0, inducing in vivo susceptibility to C. difficile infection. To determine susceptibility in vitro, spores of strain VPI 10463 were cultured with and without soluble hamster fecal filtrates and growth was quantified by quantitative PCR and toxin immunoassay. Fecal microbial population changes over time were tracked by 16S ribosomal RNA gene analysis via V4 sequencing and the PhyloChip assay. C. difficile culture growth and toxin production were inhibited by the presence of fecal extracts from untreated hamsters but not extracts collected 5 days post-administration of clindamycin. In vitro inhibition was re-established by day 15, which correlated with resistance of animals to lethal challenge. A substantial fecal microbiota shift in hamsters treated with antibiotics was observed, marked by significant changes across multiple phyla including Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria. An incomplete return towards the baseline microbiome occurred by day 15 correlating with the inhibition of C. difficile growth in vitro and in vivo. These data suggest that soluble factors produced by the gut microbiota may be responsible for the suppression of C. difficile growth and toxin production.

Immunogenicity in mice and non-human primates of the Group A Streptococcal J8 peptide vaccine candidate conjugated to CRM197.

Vaccine development for Group A streptococcal (GAS) infection has been extensively focused on the N-terminal hypervariable or the C-terminal conserved regions of the M protein, a major virulence factor of GAS. We evaluated the immunogenicity and functional activity of the conserved C-terminal peptide vaccine candidate, J8, conjugated to CRM197, in two mouse strains: C3H (H2(k)) and Balb/c (H2(d)), and in rhesus macaques. Mice were immunized with J8-CRM197 formulated with Amorphous Aluminum Hydroxyphosphate Sulfate Adjuvant (AAHSA), and non-human primates were immunized with J8-CRM197 formulated with AAHSA, ISCOMATRIX (TM) adjuvant, or AAHSA/ISCOMATRIX adjuvant. J8-CRM197 was immunogenic in mice from both H2(k) and H2(d) backgrounds, and the antibodies generated bound to the surface of four different GAS serotypes and had functional bacterial opsonic activity. Mice immunized with J8-CRM197/AAHSA demonstrated varying degrees of protection from lethal challenge. We also demonstrated that J8-CRM197 is immunogenic in non-human primates. Our data confirm the utility of J8 as a potential GAS vaccine candidate and demonstrate that CRM197 is an acceptable protein carrier for this peptide.

Plasmodium vivax promiscuous T-helper epitopes defined and evaluated as linear peptide chimera immunogens.

Clinical trials of malaria vaccines have confirmed that parasite-derived T-cell epitopes are required to elicit consistent and long-lasting immune responses. We report here the identification and functional characterization of six T-cell epitopes that are present in the merozoite surface protein-1 of Plasmodium vivax (PvMSP-1) and bind promiscuously to four different HLA-DRB1* alleles. Each of these peptides induced lymphoproliferative responses in cells from individuals with previous P. vivax infections. Furthermore, linear-peptide chimeras containing the promiscuous PvMSP-1 T-cell epitopes, synthesized in tandem with the Plasmodium falciparum immunodominant circumsporozoite protein (CSP) B-cell epitope, induced high specific antibody titers, cytokine production, long-lasting immune responses, and immunoglobulin G isotype class switching in BALB/c mice. A linear-peptide chimera containing an allele-restricted P. falciparum T-cell epitope with the CSP B-cell epitope was not effective. Two out of the six promiscuous T-cell epitopes exhibiting the highest anti-peptide response also contain B-cell epitopes. Antisera generated against these B-cell epitopes recognize P. vivax merozoites in immunofluorescence assays. Importantly, the anti-peptide antibodies generated to the CSP B-cell epitope inhibited the invasion of P. falciparum sporozoites into human hepatocytes. These data and the simplicity of design of the chimeric constructs highlight the potential of multimeric, multistage, and multispecies linear-peptide chimeras containing parasite promiscuous T-cell epitopes for malaria vaccine development.