Protective efficacy of a global HIV-1 mosaic vaccine against heterologous SHIV challenges in rhesus monkeys.

The global diversity of HIV-1 represents a critical challenge facing HIV-1 vaccine development. HIV-1 mosaic antigens are bioinformatically optimized immunogens designed for improved coverage of HIV-1 diversity. However, the protective efficacy of such global HIV-1 vaccine antigens has not previously been evaluated. Here, we demonstrate the capacity of bivalent HIV-1 mosaic antigens to protect rhesus monkeys against acquisition of infection following heterologous challenges with the difficult-to-neutralize simian-human immunodeficiency virus SHIV-SF162P3. Adenovirus/poxvirus and adenovirus/adenovirus vector-based vaccines expressing HIV-1 mosaic Env, Gag, and Pol afforded a significant reduction in the per-exposure acquisition risk following repetitive, intrarectal SHIV-SF162P3 challenges. Protection against acquisition of infection correlated with vaccine-elicited binding, neutralizing, and functional nonneutralizing antibodies, suggesting that the coordinated activity of multiple antibody functions may contribute to protection against difficult-to-neutralize viruses. These data demonstrate the protective efficacy of HIV-1 mosaic antigens and suggest a potential strategy for the development of a global HIV-1 vaccine. PAPERCLIP:

Virulence differences of mpox (monkeypox) virus clades I, IIa, and IIb.1 in a small animal model.

Human mpox (monkeypox), a disease with similarities to smallpox, is endemic in Africa where it has persisted as a zoonosis with limited human-to-human spread. Unexpectedly, the disease expanded globally in 2022 driven by human-to-human transmission outside of Africa. It is not yet known whether the latter is due solely to behavioral and environmental factors or whether the mpox virus is adapting to a new host. Genome sequencing has revealed differences between the current outbreak strains, classified as clade IIb, and the prior clade IIa and clade I viruses, but whether these differences contribute to virulence or transmission has not been determined. We demonstrate that the wild-derived inbred castaneous mouse provides an exceptional animal model for investigating clade differences in mpox virus virulence and show that the order is clade I > clade IIa > clade IIb.1. The greatly reduced replication of the clade IIb.1 major outbreak strain in mice and absence of lethality at 100 times the lethal dose of a closely related clade IIa virus, despite similar multiplication in cell culture, suggest that clade IIb is evolving diminished virulence or adapting to other species.

Intranasal inoculation of an MVA-based vaccine induces IgA and protects the respiratory tract of hACE2 mice from SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Current vaccines have greatly diminished the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic, even though they do not entirely prevent infection and transmission, likely due to insufficient immunity in the upper respiratory tract. Here, we compare intramuscular and intranasal administration of a live, replication-deficient modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA)-based Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike (S) vaccine to raise protective immune responses in the K18-hACE2 mouse model. Using a recombinant MVA expressing firefly luciferase for tracking, live imaging revealed luminescence of the respiratory tract of mice within 6 h and persisting for 3 d following intranasal inoculation, whereas luminescence remained at the site of intramuscular vaccination. Intramuscular vaccination induced S-binding-Immunoglobulin G (IgG) and neutralizing antibodies in the lungs, whereas intranasal vaccination also induced Immunoglobulin A (IgA) and higher levels of antigen-specific CD3+CD8+IFN-γ+ T cells. Similarly, IgG and neutralizing antibodies were present in the blood of mice immunized intranasally and intramuscularly, but IgA was detected only after intranasal inoculation. Intranasal boosting increased IgA after intranasal or intramuscular priming. While intramuscular vaccination prevented morbidity and cleared SARS-CoV-2 from the respiratory tract within several days after challenge, intranasal vaccination was more effective as neither infectious virus nor viral messenger (m)RNAs were detected in the nasal turbinates or lungs as early as 2 d after challenge, indicating prevention or rapid elimination of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Additionally, we determined that neutralizing antibody persisted for more than 6 mo and that serum induced to the Wuhan S protein neutralized pseudoviruses expressing the S proteins of variants, although with less potency, particularly for Beta and Omicron.

One or two injections of MVA-vectored vaccine shields hACE2 transgenic mice from SARS-CoV-2 upper and lower respiratory tract infection.

Modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) is a replication-restricted smallpox vaccine, and numerous clinical studies of recombinant MVAs (rMVAs) as vectors for prevention of other infectious diseases, including COVID-19, are in progress. Here, we characterize rMVAs expressing the S protein of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Modifications of full-length S individually or in combination included two proline substitutions, mutations of the furin recognition site, and deletion of the endoplasmic retrieval signal. Another rMVA in which the receptor binding domain (RBD) is flanked by the signal peptide and transmembrane domains of S was also constructed. Each modified S protein was displayed on the surface of rMVA-infected cells and was recognized by anti-RBD antibody and soluble hACE2 receptor. Intramuscular injection of mice with the rMVAs induced antibodies, which neutralized a pseudovirus in vitro and, upon passive transfer, protected hACE2 transgenic mice from lethal infection with SARS-CoV-2, as well as S-specific CD3+CD8+IFNγ+ T cells. Antibody boosting occurred following a second rMVA or adjuvanted purified RBD protein. Immunity conferred by a single vaccination of hACE2 mice prevented morbidity and weight loss upon intranasal infection with SARS-CoV-2 3 wk or 7 wk later. One or two rMVA vaccinations also prevented detection of infectious SARS-CoV-2 and subgenomic viral mRNAs in the lungs and greatly reduced induction of cytokine and chemokine mRNAs. A low amount of virus was found in the nasal turbinates of only one of eight rMVA-vaccinated mice on day 2 and none later. Detection of low levels of subgenomic mRNAs in turbinates indicated that replication was aborted in immunized animals.

Natural killer cells expanded in vivo or ex vivo with IL-15 overcomes the inherent susceptibility of CAST mice to lethal infection with orthopoxviruses.

The wild-derived inbred CAST/EiJ mouse, one of eight founder strains in the Collaborative Cross panel, is an exceptional model for studying monkeypox virus (MPXV), an emerging human pathogen, and other orthopoxviruses including vaccinia virus (VACV). Previous studies suggested that the extreme susceptibility of the CAST mouse to orthopoxviruses is due to an insufficient innate immune response. Here, we focused on the low number of natural killer (NK) cells in the naïve CAST mouse as a contributing factor to this condition. Administration of IL-15 to CAST mice transiently increased NK and CD8+ T cells that could express IFN-γ, indicating that the progenitor cells were capable of responding to cytokines. However, the number of NK cells rapidly declined indicating a defect in their homeostasis. Furthermore, IL-15-treated mice were protected from an otherwise lethal challenge with VACV or MPXV. IL-15 decreased virus spread and delayed death even when CD4+/CD8+ T cells were depleted with antibody, supporting an early protective role of the expanded NK cells. Purified splenic NK cells from CAST mice proliferated in vitro in response to IL-15 and could be activated with IL-12/IL-18 to secrete interferon-γ. Passive transfer of non-activated or activated CAST NK cells reduced VACV spread but only the latter completely prevented death at the virus dose used. Moreover, antibodies to interferon-γ abrogated the protection by activated NK cells. Thus, the inherent susceptibility of CAST mice to orthopoxviruses can be explained by a low level of NK cells and this vulnerability can be overcome either by expanding their NK cells in vivo with IL-15 or by passive transfer of purified NK cells that were expanded and activated in vitro.

First-in-Human Randomized, Controlled Trial of Mosaic HIV-1 Immunogens Delivered via a Modified Vaccinia Ankara Vector.

Background: Mosaic immunogens are bioinformatically engineered human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) sequences designed to elicit clade-independent coverage against globally circulating HIV-1 strains. Methods: This phase 1, double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled trial enrolled healthy HIV-uninfected adults who received 2 doses of a modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA)-vectored HIV-1 bivalent mosaic immunogen vaccine or placebo on days 0 and 84. Two groups were enrolled: those who were HIV-1 vaccine naive (n = 15) and those who had received an HIV-1 vaccine (Ad26.ENVA.01) 4-6 years earlier (n = 10). We performed prespecified blinded cellular and humoral immunogenicity analyses at days 0, 14, 28, 84, 98, 112, 168, 270, and 365. Results: All 50 planned vaccinations were administered. Vaccination was safe and generally well tolerated. No vaccine-related serious adverse events occurred. Both cellular and humoral cross-clade immune responses were elicited after 1 or 2 vaccinations in all participants in the HIV-1 vaccine-naive group. Env-specific responses were induced after a single immunization in nearly all subjects who had previously received the prototype Ad26.ENVA.01 vaccine. Conclusions: No safety concerns were identified, and multiclade HIV-1-specific immune responses were elicited. Clinical Trials Registration: NCT02218125.

Insufficient Innate Immunity Contributes to the Susceptibility of the Castaneous Mouse to Orthopoxvirus Infection.

The castaneous (CAST) mouse, a wild-derived inbred strain, is highly susceptible to orthopoxvirus infection by intranasal and systemic routes. The 50% lethal intraperitoneal dose of vaccinia virus (VACV) was 3 PFU for CAST mice, whereas BALB/c mice survived 106 PFU. At all times and in all organs analyzed, virus titers were higher in CAST than in BALB/c mice. In individual CAST mice, luciferase-expressing VACV was seen to replicate rapidly leading to death, whereas virus levels increased for a few days and then declined in BALB/c mice. Increases in gamma interferon (IFN-γ) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) were delayed and low in CAST mice compared to BALB/c mice following VACV infection or poly(I-C) inoculation, consistent with differences in innate immune responses. In addition, naive CAST mice had considerably lower numbers of NK and T cells than BALB/c mice. The percentage of IFN-γ-producing CD4+ and CD8+ T cells increased following infection of CAST mice only after considerable virus spread, and the absolute cell numbers remained low. Administration of exogenous IFN-γ or -α to CAST mice before or during the first days of infection suppressed virus replication and prolonged survival, allowing the mice to make adaptive CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses that were necessary to clear the virus after cessation of interferon treatment. Thus, insufficient innate cytokine and cellular immune responses contribute to the unique susceptibility of CAST mice to VACV, whereas the adaptive immune response can be protective only if virus replication is suppressed during the first several days of infection.IMPORTANCE Most inbred mouse strains are relatively resistant to orthopoxviruses. The castaneous (CAST) mouse is a notable exception, exhibiting extreme vulnerability to monkeypox virus, cowpox virus, and vaccinia virus and thus providing a unique model for studying pathogenicity, immunity, vaccines, and antiviral drugs. To fully utilize the CAST mouse for such purposes, it is necessary to understand the basis for virus susceptibility. We showed that naive CAST mice make low IFN-γ and TNF-α responses and have low levels of NK cells and CD4+ and CD8+ T cells compared to a resistant classical inbred mouse strain. Attenuating virus replication with one or more doses of exogenous IFN-α or -γ before or during the first few days of infection enabled the development of adaptive cellular immunity and clearance of virus. Further genetic studies may reveal the basis for the low innate immunity.

Lethal monkeypox virus infection of CAST/EiJ mice is associated with a deficient gamma interferon response.

Monkeypox virus (MPXV) is endemic in Africa, where it causes disease in humans resembling smallpox. A recent importation of MPXV-infected animals into the United States raises the possibility of global spread. Rodents comprise the major reservoir of MPXV, and a variety of such animals, even those native to North America, are susceptible. In contrast, common inbred strains of mice, including BALB/c and C57BL/6, are greatly resistant to MPXV. However, several inbred strains of mice derived from wild mice, including CAST/EiJ, exhibit morbidity and mortality at relatively low inoculums of MPXV. Elucidating the basis for the susceptibility of CAST/EiJ mice could contribute to an understanding of MPXV pathogenicity and host defense mechanisms and enhance the value of this mouse strain as a model system for evaluation of therapeutics and vaccines. Here we compared virus dissemination and induced cytokine production in CAST/EiJ mice to those in the resistant BALB/c strain. Following intranasal infection, robust virus replication occurred in the lungs of both strains, although a relatively higher inoculum was required for BALB/c. However, while spread to other internal organs was rapid and efficient in CAST/EiJ mice, the virus was largely restricted to the lungs in BALB/c mice. Gamma interferon (IFN-γ) and CCL5 were induced in lungs of BALB/c mice concomitant with virus replication but not in CAST/EiJ mice. The importance of IFN-γ in protection against MPXV disease was demonstrated by the intranasal administration of the mouse cytokine to CAST/EiJ mice and the resulting protection against MPXV. Furthermore, C57BL/6 mice with inactivation of the IFN-γ gene or the IFN-γ receptor gene exhibited enhanced sensitivity to MPXV.

Protection from SARS-CoV-2 Variants by MVAs expressing matched or mismatched S administered intranasally to mice.

SARS-CoV-2 vaccines prevent severe disease but are less efficient in averting infection and transmission of variant strains, making it imperative to explore ways of enhancing protection. Use of inbred mice expressing the human SARS-CoV-2 receptor facilitates such investigations. We employed recombinant MVAs (rMVAs) expressing modified S of several SARS-CoV-2 strains and compared their ability to neutralize variants, bind S proteins and protect K18-hACE2 mice against SARS-CoV-2 challenge when administered intramuscularly or intranasally. The rMVAs expressing Wuhan, Beta and Delta S induced substantial cross neutralizing activities to each other but very low neutralization of Omicron; while rMVA expressing Omicon S induced neutralizing antibody predominanly to Omicron. In mice primed and boosted with rMVA expressing the Wuhan S, neutralizing antibodies to Wuhan increased after one immunization with rMVA expressing Omicron S due to original antigenic sin, but substantial neutralizing antibody to Omicron required a second immunization. Nevertheless, monovalent vaccines with S mismatched to the challenge virus still protected against severe disease and reduced the amounts of virus and subgenomic RNAs in the lungs and nasal turbinates, though not as well as vaccines with matched S. Passive transfer of Wuhan immune serum with Omicron S binding but undetectable neutralizing activity reduced infection of the l-ungs by Omicron suggesting additional effector functions. Notably, there was less infectious virus and viral subgenomic RNAs in the nasal turbinates and lungs when the rMVAs were administered intranasally rather than intramuscularly and this held true for vaccines that were matched or mismatched to the challenge strain of SARS-CoV-2.

An mpox virus mRNA-lipid nanoparticle vaccine confers protection against lethal orthopoxviral challenge.

Mpox virus (MPXV) caused a global outbreak in 2022. Although smallpox vaccines were rapidly deployed to curb spread and disease among those at highest risk, breakthrough disease was noted after complete immunization. Given the threat of additional zoonotic events and the virus's evolving ability to drive human-to-human transmission, there is an urgent need for an MPXV-specific vaccine that confers protection against evolving MPXV strains and related orthopoxviruses. Here, we demonstrate that an mRNA-lipid nanoparticle vaccine encoding a set of four highly conserved MPXV surface proteins involved in virus attachment, entry, and transmission can induce MPXV-specific immunity and heterologous protection against a lethal vaccinia virus (VACV) challenge. Compared with modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA), which forms the basis for the current MPXV vaccine, immunization with an mRNA-based MPXV vaccine generated superior neutralizing activity against MPXV and VACV and more efficiently inhibited spread between cells. We also observed greater Fc effector TH1-biased humoral immunity to the four MPXV antigens encoded by the vaccine, as well as to the four VACV homologs. Single MPXV antigen-encoding mRNA vaccines provided partial protection against VACV challenge, whereas multivalent vaccines combining mRNAs encoding two, three, or four MPXV antigens protected against disease-related weight loss and death equal or superior to MVA vaccination. These data demonstrate that an mRNA-based MPXV vaccine confers robust protection against VACV.

Preexisting vaccinia virus immunity decreases SIV-specific cellular immunity but does not diminish humoral immunity and efficacy of a DNA/MVA vaccine.

The influence of preexisting immunity to viral vectors is a major issue for the development of viral-vectored vaccines. In this study, we investigate the effect of preexisting vaccinia virus immunity on the immunogenicity and efficacy of a DNA/modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA) SIV vaccine in rhesus macaques using a pathogenic intrarectal SIV251 challenge. Preexisting immunity decreased SIV-specific CD8 and CD4 T cell responses but preserved the SIV-specific humoral immunity. In addition, preexisting immunity did not diminish the control of an SIV challenge mediated by the DNA/MVA vaccine. The peak and set point viremia was 150- and 17-fold lower, respectively, in preimmune animals compared with those of control animals. The peak and set point viremia correlated directly with colorectal virus at 2 wk postchallenge suggesting that early control of virus replication at the site of viral challenge was critical for viral control. Factors that correlated with early colorectal viral control included 1) the presence of anti-SIV IgA in rectal secretions, 2) high-avidity binding Ab for the native form of Env, and 3) low magnitude of vaccine-elicited SIV-specific CD4 T cells displaying the CCR5 viral coreceptor. The frequency of SIV-specific CD8 T cells in blood and colorectal tissue at 2 wk postchallenge did not correlate with early colorectal viral control. These results suggest that preexisting vaccinia virus immunity may not limit the potential of recombinant MVA vaccines to elicit humoral immunity and highlight the importance of immunodeficiency virus vaccines achieving early control at the mucosal sites of challenge.

Prevention of infection by a granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor co-expressing DNA/modified vaccinia Ankara simian immunodeficiency virus vaccine.

A simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) vaccine coexpressing granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) prevented infection in 71% of macaques that received 12 rectal challenges. The SIVsmE660 challenge had the tropism of incident human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections and a similar genetic distance from the SIV239 vaccine as intraclade HIV isolates. The heterologous prime-boost vaccine regimen used recombinant DNA for priming and recombinant modified vaccinia Ankara for boosting. Co-expression of GM-CSF in the DNA prime enhanced the avidity of elicited immunoglobulin G for SIV envelope glycoproteins, the titers of neutralizing antibody for easy-to-neutralize SIV isolates, and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity. Impressively, the co-expressed GM-CSF increased vaccine-induced prevention of infection from 25% in the non-GM-CSF co-expressing vaccine group to 71% in the GM-CSF co-expressing vaccine group. The prevention of infection showed a strong correlation with the avidity of the elicited Env-specific antibody for the Env of the SIVsmE660 challenge virus (r = 0.9; P < .0001).

Interferon α/ß Decoy Receptor Encoded by a Variant in the Dryvax Smallpox Vaccine Contributes to Virulence and Correlates with Severe Vaccine Side Effects.

Although providing long-lasting immunity, smallpox vaccination was associated with local and systemic reactions and rarely with severe complications, including progressive vaccinia and postvaccinia encephalitis. As the Dryvax smallpox vaccine consists of a population of variants, we investigated a particularly pathogenic isolate called clone 3 (CL3). Virus replication was monitored by inserting the gene encoding firefly luciferase (Luc) into the genomes of CL3 and ACAM2000, the second-generation smallpox vaccine derived from a less virulent clone. Greater luminescence occurred following intranasal or intraperitoneal inoculation of mice with CL3-Luc than ACAM2000-Luc. Previous genome sequencing of CL3 and ACAM2000 revealed numerous differences that could affect pathogenicity. We focused on a 4.2-kbp segment, containing several open reading frames, in CL3 that is absent from ACAM2000 and determined that lower virulence of the latter was associated with a truncation of the interferon α/ß (IFN-α/ß) decoy receptor. Truncation of the decoy receptor in CL3-Luc and repair of the truncated version in ACAM2000-Luc decreased and increased virulence, respectively. Blockade of the mouse type 1 IFN receptor increased the virulence of ACAM2000-Luc to that of CL3-Luc, consistent with the role of IFN in attenuating the former. The severities of disease following intracranial inoculation of immunocompetent mice and intraperitoneal inoculation of T cell-depleted mice were also greater in viruses expressing the full-length decoy receptor. Previous evidence for the low affinity of a similarly truncated decoy receptor for IFN and the presence of a full-length decoy receptor in virus isolated from a patient with progressive vaccinia support our findings. IMPORTANCE Attenuated live viruses make effective vaccines, although concerns exist due to infrequent complications, particularly in individuals with immunological defects. Such complications occurred with smallpox vaccines, which were shown to be comprised of populations of variants. Clone 3, isolated from Dryvax, the vaccine most widely used in the United States during the smallpox eradication campaign, was particularly pathogenic in animal models. We demonstrated that the full-length IFN-α/ß decoy receptor in CL3 and a truncation of the receptor in the clone used for the second-generation smallpox vaccine ACAM2000 account for their difference in pathogenicity. Viruses expressing the full-length decoy receptor were more virulent following intranasal, intraperitoneal, or intracranial inoculation of mice than ACAM2000, and disease was exacerbated following T cell depletion. Correspondingly, the full-length decoy receptor is present in smallpox vaccines with high rates of side effects and in a Dryvax clone obtained from a lesion in a patient with progressive vaccinia.

Identification of wild-derived inbred mouse strains highly susceptible to monkeypox virus infection for use as small animal models.

Infection with monkeypox virus (MPXV) causes disease manifestations in humans that are similar, although usually less severe, than those of smallpox. Since routine vaccination for smallpox ceased more than 30 years ago, there is concern that MPXV could be used for bioterrorism. Thus, there is a need to develop animal models to study MPXV infection. Accordingly, we screened 38 inbred mouse strains for susceptibility to MPXV. Three highly susceptible wild-derived inbred strains were identified, of which CAST/EiJ was further developed as a model. Using an intranasal route of infection with an isolate of the Congo Basin clade of MPXV, CAST/EiJ mice exhibited weight loss, morbidity, and death in a dose-dependent manner with a calculated 50% lethal dose (LD(50)) of 680 PFU, whereas there were no deaths of BALB/c mice at a 10,000-fold higher dose. CAST/EiJ mice exhibited greater MPXV sensitivity when infected via the intraperitoneal route, with an LD(50) of 14 PFU. Both routes resulted in MPXV replication in the lung, spleen, and liver. Intranasal infection with an isolate of the less-pathogenic West African clade yielded an LD(50) of 7,600 PFU. The immune competence of CAST/EiJ mice was established by immunization with vaccinia virus, which induced antigen-specific T- and B-lymphocyte responses and fully protected mice from lethal doses of MPXV. The new mouse model has the following advantages for studying pathogenesis of MPXV, as well as for evaluation of potential vaccines and therapeutics: relative sensitivity to MPXV through multiple routes, genetic homogeneity, available immunological reagents, and commercial production.

Rapid protection in a monkeypox model by a single injection of a replication-deficient vaccinia virus.

The success of the World Health Organization smallpox eradication program three decades ago resulted in termination of routine vaccination and consequent decline in population immunity. Despite concerns regarding the reintroduction of smallpox, there is little enthusiasm for large-scale redeployment of licensed live vaccinia virus vaccines because of medical contraindications and anticipated serious side effects. Therefore, highly attenuated strains such as modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) are under evaluation in humans and animal models. Previous studies showed that priming and boosting with MVA provided protection for >2 years in a monkeypox virus challenge model. If variola virus were used as a biological weapon, however, the ability of a vaccine to quickly induce immunity would be essential. Here, we demonstrate more rapid immune responses after a single vaccination with MVA compared to the licensed Dryvax vaccine. To determine the kinetics of protection of the two vaccines, macaques were challenged intravenously with monkeypox virus at 4, 6, 10, and 30 days after immunization. At 6 or more days after vaccination with MVA or Dryvax, the monkeys were clinically protected (except for 1 of 16 animals vaccinated with MVA), although viral loads and number of skin lesions were generally higher in the MVA vaccinated group. With only 4 days between immunization and intravenous challenge, however, MVA still protected whereas Dryvax failed. Protection correlated with the more rapid immune response to MVA compared to Dryvax, which may be related to the higher dose of MVA that can be tolerated safely.

MVA Vector Vaccines Inhibit SARS CoV-2 Replication in Upper and Lower Respiratory Tracts of Transgenic Mice and Prevent Lethal Disease.

Replication-restricted modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) is a licensed smallpox vaccine and numerous clinical studies investigating recombinant MVAs (rMVAs) as vectors for prevention of other infectious diseases have been completed or are in progress. Two rMVA COVID-19 vaccine trials are at an initial stage, though no animal protection studies have been reported. Here, we characterize rMVAs expressing the S protein of CoV-2. Modifications of full length S individually or in combination included two proline substitutions, mutations of the furin recognition site and deletion of the endoplasmic retrieval signal. Another rMVA in which the receptor binding domain (RBD) flanked by the signal peptide and transmembrane domains of S was also constructed. Each modified S protein was displayed on the surface of rMVA-infected human cells and was recognized by anti-RBD antibody and by soluble hACE2 receptor. Intramuscular injection of mice with the rMVAs induced S-binding and pseudovirus-neutralizing antibodies. Boosting occurred following a second homologous rMVA but was higher with adjuvanted purified RBD protein. Weight loss and lethality following intranasal infection of transgenic hACE2 mice with CoV-2 was prevented by one or two immunizations with rMVAs or by passive transfer of serum from vaccinated mice. One or two rMVA vaccinations also prevented recovery of infectious CoV-2 from the lungs. A low amount of virus was detected in the nasal turbinates of only one of eight rMVA-vaccinated mice on day 2 and none later. Detection of subgenomic mRNA in turbinates on day 2 only indicated that replication was abortive in immunized animals.

Elucidating and minimizing the loss by recombinant vaccinia virus of human immunodeficiency virus gene expression resulting from spontaneous mutations and positive selection.

While characterizing modified vaccinia virus recombinants (rMVAs) containing human immunodeficiency virus env and gag-pol genes, we detected nonexpressing mutants by immunostaining individual plaques. In many cases, the numbers of mutants increased during successive passages, indicating strong selection pressure. This phenomenon provided an opportunity to investigate the formation of spontaneous mutations in vaccinia virus, which encodes its own cytoplasmic replication system, and a challenge to reduce the occurrence of mutations for vaccine production. Analysis of virus from individual plaques indicated that loss of expression was due to frameshift mutations, mostly by addition or deletion of a single nucleotide in runs of four to six Gs or Cs, and large deletions that included MVA DNA flanking the recombinant gene. Interruption of the runs of Gs and Cs by silent codon alterations and moving the recombinant gene to a site between essential, highly conserved MVA genes eliminated or reduced frameshifts and viable deletion mutants, respectively. The rapidity at which nonexpressing mutants accumulated depended on the individual env and gag-pol genes and their suppressive effects on virus replication. Both the extracellular and transmembrane domains contributed to the selection of nonexpressing Env mutants. Stability of an unstable Env was improved by swapping external or transmembrane domains with a more stable Env. Most dramatically, removal of the transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains stabilized even the most highly unstable Env. Understanding the causes of instability and taking preemptive actions will facilitate the development of rMVA and other poxviruses as human and veterinary recombinant vaccines.

Immunogenicity of a highly attenuated MVA smallpox vaccine and protection against monkeypox.

The potential use of smallpox as a biological weapon has led to the production and stockpiling of smallpox vaccine and the immunization of some healthcare workers. Another public health goal is the licensing of a safer vaccine that could benefit the millions of people advised not to take the current one because they or their contacts have increased susceptibility to severe vaccine side effects. As vaccines can no longer be tested for their ability to prevent smallpox, licensing will necessarily include comparative immunogenicity and protection studies in non-human primates. Here we compare the highly attenuated modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) with the licensed Dryvax vaccine in a monkey model. After two doses of MVA or one dose of MVA followed by Dryvax, antibody binding and neutralizing titres and T-cell responses were equivalent or higher than those induced by Dryvax alone. After challenge with monkeypox virus, unimmunized animals developed more than 500 pustular skin lesions and became gravely ill or died, whereas vaccinated animals were healthy and asymptomatic, except for a small number of transient skin lesions in animals immunized only with MVA.

Disparity between levels of in vitro neutralization of vaccinia virus by antibody to the A27 protein and protection of mice against intranasal challenge.

Immunization with recombinant proteins may provide a safer alternative to live vaccinia virus for prophylaxis of poxvirus infections. Although antibody protects against vaccinia virus infection, the mechanism is not understood and the selection of immunogens is daunting as there are dozens of surface proteins and two infectious forms known as the mature virion (MV) and the enveloped virion (EV). Our previous studies showed that mice immunized with soluble forms of EV membrane proteins A33 and B5 and MV membrane protein L1 or passively immunized with antibodies to these proteins survived an intranasal challenge with vaccinia virus. The present study compared MV protein A27, which has a role in virus attachment to glycosaminoglycans on the cell surface, to L1 with respect to immunogenicity and protection. Although mice developed similar levels of neutralizing antibody after immunizations with A27 or L1, A27-immunized mice exhibited more severe disease upon an intranasal challenge with vaccinia virus. In addition, mice immunized with A27 and A33 were not as well protected as mice receiving L1 and A33. Polyclonal rabbit anti-A27 and anti-L1 IgG had equivalent MV-neutralizing activities when measured by the prevention of infection of human or mouse cells or cells deficient in glycosaminoglycans or by adding antibody prior to or after virus adsorption. Nevertheless, the passive administration of antibody to A27 was poorly protective compared to the antibody to L1. These studies raise questions regarding the basis for antibody protection against poxvirus disease and highlight the importance of animal models for the early evaluation of vaccine candidates.

Antibody profiling by proteome microarray reveals the immunogenicity of the attenuated smallpox vaccine modified vaccinia virus ankara is comparable to that of Dryvax.

Modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) is a highly attenuated vaccinia virus that is under consideration as an alternative to the conventional smallpox vaccine Dryvax. MVA was attenuated by extensive passage of vaccinia virus Ankara in chicken embryo fibroblasts. Several immunomodulatory genes and genes that influence host range are deleted or mutated, and replication is aborted in the late stage of infection in most nonavian cells. The effect of these mutations on immunogenicity is not well understood. Since the structural genes appear to be intact in MVA, it is hypothesized that critical targets for antibody neutralization have been retained. To test this, we probed microarrays of the Western Reserve (WR) proteome with sera from humans and macaques after MVA and Dryvax vaccination. As most protein sequences of MVA are 97 to 99% identical to those of other vaccinia virus strains, extensive binding cross-reactivity is expected, except for those deleted or truncated. Despite different hosts and immunization regimens, the MVA and Dryvax antibody profiles were broadly similar, with antibodies against membrane and core proteins being the best conserved. The responses to nonstructural proteins were less well conserved, although these are not expected to influence virus neutralization. The broadest antibody response was obtained for hyperimmune rabbits with WR, which is pathogenic in rabbits. These data indicate that, despite the mutations and deletions in MVA, its overall immunogenicity is broadly comparable to that of Dryvax, particularly at the level of antibodies to membrane proteins. The work supports other information suggesting that MVA may be a useful alternative to Dryvax.