Polymeric nanoparticle-based mRNA vaccine is protective against influenza virus infection in ferrets.

New therapies and vaccines based on nucleic acids combined with an efficient nanoparticle delivery vehicle have a broad applicability for different disease indications. An alternative delivery technology for the successfully applied lipid nanoparticles in mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccines are nanoparticles composed of biodegradable poly(amido)amine-based polymers with mRNA payload. To show that these polymeric nanoparticles can efficiently deliver influenza hemagglutinin mRNA to target tissues and elicit protective immune responses, a relevant ferret influenza challenge model was used. In this model, our nanoparticle-based vaccine elicited strong humoral and cellular immune responses in the absence of local and systemic reactogenicity. Upon virus challenge, vaccinated animals exhibited reduced clinical signs and virus load relative to unvaccinated control animals. Based on these findings, further investigation of the polymeric nanoparticles in the context of prophylactic vaccination is warranted. Future studies will focus on optimizing the payload, the nanoparticle stability, the efficacy in the context of pre-existing immunity, and the applicability of the technology to prevent other infectious diseases.

Infection with Seasonal H1N1 Influenza Results in Comparable Disease Kinetics and Host Immune Responses in Ferrets and Golden Syrian Hamsters.

Animal models of influenza are important in preclinical research for the study of influenza infection and the assessment of vaccines, drugs and therapeutics. Here, we show that Golden Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) inoculated via the intranasal route with high dose of influenza H1N1 display comparable disease kinetics and immune responses to the 'gold standard' ferret (Mustela furo) model. We demonstrate that both the hamster and ferret models have measurable disease endpoints of weight loss, temperature change, viral shedding from the upper respiratory tract and increased lung pathology. We also characterised both the humoral and cellular immune responses to infection in both models. The comparability of these data supports the Golden Syrian hamster model being useful in preclinical evaluation studies to explore the efficacy of countermeasures against influenza.

Severity of heterosubtypic influenza virus infection in ferrets is reduced by live attenuated influenza vaccine.

Live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) is widely used to protect humans from seasonal influenza infection, particularly in children. In contrast to inactivated vaccines, the LAIV can induce both mucosal and cellular immune responses. Here we show that a single dose of monovalent H1N1pdm09-specific LAIV in the ferret model is fully protective against a subsequent wild-type H1N1pdm09 challenge, and furthermore reduces the severity of disease following challenge with a different influenza A subtype (H3N2). The reduced severity comprised reductions in weight loss and fever, as well as more rapid clearance of virus, compared to non-vaccinated H3N2-challenged ferrets. No H3N2-neutralizing antibodies were detected in vaccinated ferret sera. Rather, heterosubtypic protection correlated with interferon-gamma+ (IFN-γ+) T-cell responses measured in peripheral blood and in lung lymphocytes. The IFN-γ+ cells were cross-reactive to H3N2 virus even when obtained from vaccinated animals that had never been exposed to H3N2 virus. We believe this study provides compelling evidence that the LAIV can provide a significant reduction in infection and symptoms when challenged with heterosubtypic influenza strains not included in the LAIV, highlighting the importance of cross-reactive T-cells in the design of a universal influenza vaccine.

Protein tyrosine phosphatase-1B gene PTPN1: selection of tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms and association with body fat, insulin sensitivity, and the metabolic syndrome in a normal female population.

Protein tyrosine phosphatase-1B negatively regulates leptin and insulin signaling, potentially contributing to hormonal resistance. We selected six tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) representing 18 common variants in the protein tyrosine phosphatase-1B gene (PTPN1) and tested their effect on serum leptin, body fat, and measures of insulin sensitivity and the metabolic syndrome in a large sample of normal female Caucasian twins (n = 2,777; mean age, 47.4 +/- 12.5 years) from the St. Thomas' U.K. Adult Twin Registry. SNP rs718049 was significantly associated with waist circumference (P = 0.008) and central fat (P = 0.035) and also with Avignon's insulin sensitivity index (SiM) (P = 0.007), fasting insulin (P = 0.004), fasting glucose (P = 0.022), triglyceride (P = 0.023), and systolic blood pressure (P = 0.046). SNPs rs2282146 and rs1885177 were associated with SiM (P = 0.049 and P = 0.013, respectively), and 1484insG was associated with triglyceride (P = 0.029). A risk haplotype (7.3%) was associated with lower SiM (P = 0.036) and a protective haplotype (5.2%) with higher SiM (P = 0.057), with mean values in homozygotes differing by >1 SD (P = 0.003). The protective haplotype also showed lower triglyceride (P = 0.045) and lower systolic blood pressure (P = 0.006). Fine mapping analyses predicted significant associations with SiM and fasting insulin for several ungenotyped SNPs. PTPN1 variants appear to contribute to central fat and metabolic syndrome traits, secondary to their effect on insulin sensitivity.

Adiponectin gene ADIPOQ SNP associations with serum adiponectin in two female populations and effects of SNPs on promoter activity.

Adiponectin is an insulin sensitiser in muscle and liver, and low serum levels characterise obesity and insulin resistance. Eight tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (tSNPs) in the ADIPOQ gene and promoter were selected, and association with serum adiponectin was tested, in two independent samples of Caucasian women: the Chingford Study (n = 808, mean age 62.8 +/- 5.9 years) and Twins UK (n = 2,718, mean age 47.4 +/- 12.6 years). In the Chingford cohort, -11391 G/A, -10066 G/A (rs182052), -7734 C/A (rs16861209), +276 G/T (rs1501299) and +3228 C/T (rs1063537) were significantly associated with fasting serum adiponectin (Ps = 1.00 x 10(-4) to 1.40 x 10(-2)). Associations with all except +3228 C/T were replicated in the Twins UK cohort (Ps = 3.19 x 10(-9) to 6.00 x 10(-3)). In Chingford subjects, the 12 most common 8-SNP haplotypes (frequency 1.90%) explained 2.85% (p = 5.00 x 10(-2)) and in Twins UK subjects, the four most common 5-SNP haplotypes (frequency > 5.00%) explained 1.66% of the variance (p = 5.83 x 10(-7)). To investigate effects of -11391 G/A (rs17300539) and -11377 C/G (rs266729) on promoter activity, 1.2 kb of the ADIPOQ promoter region was cloned in a luciferase reporter plasmid, and the four haplotypes were transfected in differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes. No significant allelic effects on promoter activity were found.