Development of a recombinant Newcastle disease virus-vectored vaccine for infectious bronchitis virus variant strains circulating in Egypt.

Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) causes a major disease problem for the poultry industry worldwide. The currently used live-attenuated vaccines have the tendency to mutate and/or recombine with circulating field strains resulting in the emergence of vaccine-derived variant viruses. In order to circumvent these issues, and to develop a vaccine that is more relevant to Egypt and its neighboring countries, a recombinant avirulent Newcastle disease virus (rNDV) strain LaSota was constructed to express the codon-optimized S glycoprotein of the Egyptian IBV variant strain IBV/Ck/EG/CU/4/2014 belonging to GI-23 lineage, that is prevalent in Egypt and in the Middle East. A wild type and two modified versions of the IBV S protein were expressed individually by rNDV. A high level of S protein expression was detected in vitro by Western blot and immunofluorescence analyses. All rNDV-vectored IBV vaccine candidates were genetically stable, slightly attenuated and showed growth patterns comparable to that of parental rLaSota virus. Single-dose vaccination of 1-day-old SPF White Leghorn chicks with the rNDVs expressing IBV S protein provided significant protection against clinical disease after IBV challenge but did not show reduction in tracheal viral shedding. Single-dose vaccination also provided complete protection against virulent NDV challenge. However, prime-boost vaccination using rNDV expressing the wild type IBV S protein provided better protection, after IBV challenge, against clinical signs and significantly reduced tracheal viral shedding. These results indicate that the NDV-vectored IBV vaccines are promising bivalent vaccine candidates to control both infectious bronchitis and Newcastle disease in Egypt.

An FcRn-targeted mucosal vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 infection and transmission.

SARS-CoV-2 is primarily transmitted through droplets and airborne aerosols, and in order to prevent infection and reduce viral spread vaccines should elicit protective immunity in the airways. The neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) transfers IgG across epithelial barriers and can enhance mucosal delivery of antigens. Here we explore FcRn-mediated respiratory delivery of SARS-CoV-2 spike (S). A monomeric IgG Fc was fused to a stabilized spike; the resulting S-Fc bound to S-specific antibodies and FcRn. Intranasal immunization of mice with S-Fc and CpG significantly induced antibody responses compared to the vaccination with S alone or PBS. Furthermore, we intranasally immunized mice or hamsters with S-Fc. A significant reduction of virus replication in nasal turbinate, lung, and brain was observed following nasal challenges with SARS-CoV-2 and its variants. Intranasal immunization also significantly reduced viral airborne transmission in hamsters. Nasal IgA, neutralizing antibodies, lung-resident memory T cells, and bone-marrow S-specific plasma cells mediated protection. Hence, FcRn delivers an S-Fc antigen effectively into the airway and induces protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection and transmission.

An FcRn-targeted mucosal vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 infection and transmission.

SARS-CoV-2 and its variants cause COVID-19, which is primarily transmitted through droplets and airborne aerosols. To prevent viral infection and reduce viral spread, vaccine strategies must elicit protective immunity in the airways. FcRn transfers IgG across epithelial barriers; we explore FcRn-mediated respiratory delivery of SARS-CoV-2 spike (S). A monomeric IgG Fc was fused to a stabilized S protein; the resulting S-Fc bound to S-specific antibodies (Ab) and FcRn. A significant increase in Ab responses was observed following the intranasal immunization of mice with S-Fc formulated in CpG as compared to the immunization with S alone or PBS. Furthermore, we intranasally immunize adult or aged mice and hamsters with S-Fc. A significant reduction of virus replication in nasal turbinate, lung, and brain was observed following nasal challenges with SARS-CoV-2, including Delta and Omicron variants. Intranasal immunization also significantly reduced viral transmission between immunized and naive hamsters. Protection was mediated by nasal IgA, serum-neutralizing Abs, tissue-resident memory T cells, and bone marrow S-specific plasma cells. Hence FcRn delivers an S-Fc antigen effectively into the airway and induces protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection and transmission. Based on these findings, FcRn-targeted non-invasive respiratory immunizations are superior strategies for preventing highly contagious respiratory viruses from spreading.

Author Correction: A recombinant avian paramyxovirus serotype 3 expressing the hemagglutinin protein protects chickens against H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus challenge.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Contributions of HA1 and HA2 Subunits of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus in Induction of Neutralizing Antibodies and Protection in Chickens.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) subtype H5N1 causes a devastating disease in poultry. Vaccination is an effective method of controlling avian influenza virus (AIV) infection in poultry. The hemagglutinin (HA) protein is the major determinant recognized by the immune system of the host. Cleavage of the HA precursor HA0 into HA1 and HA2 subunits is required for infectivity of the AIV. We evaluated the individual contributions of HA1 and HA2 subunits to the induction of HPAIV serum neutralizing antibodies and protective immunity in chickens. Using reverse genetics, recombinant Newcastle disease viruses (rNDVs) were generated, each expressing HA1, HA2, or HA protein of H5N1 HPAIV. Chickens were immunized with rNDVs expressing HA1, HA2, or HA. Immunization with HA induced high titers of serum neutralizing antibodies and prevented death following challenge. Immunization with HA1 or HA2 alone neither induced serum neutralizing antibodies nor prevented death following challenge. Our results suggest that interaction of HA1 and HA2 subunits is necessary for the display of epitopes on HA protein involved in the induction of neutralizing antibodies and protection. These epitopes are lost when the two subunits are separated. Therefore, vaccination with either a HA1 or HA2 subunit may not provide protection against HPAIV.

A recombinant avian paramyxovirus serotype 3 expressing the hemagglutinin protein protects chickens against H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus challenge.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is a devastating disease of poultry and a serious threat to public health. Vaccination with inactivated virus vaccines has been applied for several years as one of the major policies to control highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) infections in chickens. Viral-vectored HA protein vaccines are a desirable alternative for inactivated vaccines. However, each viral vector possesses its own advantages and disadvantages for the development of a HA-based vaccine against HPAIV. Recombinant Newcastle disease virus (rNDV) strain LaSota expressing HA protein vaccine has shown promising results against HPAIV; however, its replication is restricted only to the respiratory tract. Therefore, we thought to evaluate avian paramyxovirus serotype 3 (APMV-3) strain Netherlands as a safe vaccine vector against HPAIV, which has high efficiency replication in a greater range of host organs. In this study, we generated rAPMV-3 expressing the HA protein of H5N1 HPAIV using reverse genetics and evaluated the induction of neutralizing antibodies and protection by rAPMV3 and rNDV expressing the HA protein against HPAIV challenge in chickens. Our results showed that immunization of chickens with rAPMV-3 or rNDV expressing HA protein provided complete protection against HPAIV challenge. However, immunization of chickens with rAPMV-3 expressing HA protein induced higher level of neutralizing antibodies compared to that of rNDV expressing HA protein. These results suggest that a rAPMV-3 expressing HA protein might be a better vaccine for mass-vaccination of commercial chickens in field conditions.

Author Correction: A Recombinant Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV) Expressing S Protein of Infectious Bronchitis Virus (IBV) Protects Chickens against IBV and NDV.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

A Comparative Study of Pathology and Host Immune Response Induced by Very Virulent Infectious Bursal Disease Virus in Experimentally Infected Chickens of Aseel and White Leghorn Breeds.

Indigenous breeds of young chickens in India are believed to be resistant to the classical strain of infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV). However, the mechanism underlying this resistance is obscure. Innate immunity is a key factor in defining the clinical course and pathology of microbial infections. The present study is aimed to compare the pathology of very virulent IBDV (vvIBDV) and immunological host response in experimentally infected - vaccinated and unvaccinated indigenous Aseel and commercial White Leghorn chickens. The viral loads and innate immune gene expression profiles of MDA-5, Mx, IFN-α, and IFN-ß in different lymphoid organs were analyzed by quantitative PCR. The histopathological scores in Aseel birds were lower than in White Leghorns despite comparable viral loads. The degrees of histopathological lesions were fewer in vaccinated birds than in unvaccinated birds of both breeds. Analysis of innate immune response genes revealed that the cytoplasmic pattern recognition receptor MDA-5 gene was overexpressed mainly in the cecal tonsils of both vaccinated and nonvaccinated White Leghorn chickens. An increase in the expression of the IFN-α gene was seen in the cecal tonsils of Aseels, and an increase in IFN-ß gene expression was seen in the thymuses of White Leghorns following vvIBDV challenge both in vaccinated and nonvaccinated birds. In addition, we observed that the Mx gene plays a minimal role, if any, in vvIBDV infection of the breeds under study. It remains interesting and important that although vvIBDV causes disease in indigenous Aseel birds, the faster clearance and reduced pathology of the virus in Aseel birds compared to White Leghorn chicken indicate some unidentified innate immune factors that are limiting IBDV in this breed. Further studies will be required to correlate kinetics of humoral and cellular immune response in relation to the virus load in different organs to illuminate the mechanism of genetic resistance in native breeds of chicken.

Novel avian paramyxovirus-based vaccine vectors expressing the Ebola virus glycoprotein elicit mucosal and humoral immune responses in guinea pigs.

Paramyxovirus vaccine vectors based on human parainfluenza virus type 3 (HPIV-3) and Newcastle disease virus (NDV) have been previously evaluated against Ebola virus (EBOV) challenge. Although both the viral vectored vaccines efficiently induce protective immunity, some concerns remain to be solved. Since HPIV-3 is a common human pathogen, the human population has pre-existing immunity to HPIV-3, which may restrict the replication of the vaccine vector. For NDV, mesogenic (intermediate virulent) strain used in previous studies is currently classified as a Select Agent in the United States, thus making it unsuitable to be used as a vaccine vector. To overcome these concerns, we have developed a modified NDV vector based on a mesogenic NDV strain, in which the ectodomains of envelope glycoproteins were replaced with the corresponding ectodomains from avian paramyxovirus serotype 3 (APMV-3). The modified NDV vector was highly attenuated in chickens and was able to express the EBOV glycoprotein (GP) gene at high level. In addition, the recombinant APMV-3 was also evaluated as a vaccine vector to express the EBOV GP gene. Guinea pigs immunized with these two vector vaccines developed high levels of neutralizing GP-specific IgG and IgA antibodies.

A Recombinant Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV) Expressing S Protein of Infectious Bronchitis Virus (IBV) Protects Chickens against IBV and NDV.

Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) causes a highly contagious respiratory, reproductive and urogenital tract disease in chickens worldwide, resulting in substantial economic losses for the poultry industry. Currently, live-attenuated IBV vaccines are used to control the disease. However, safety, attenuation and immunization outcomes of current vaccines are not guaranteed. Several studies indicate that attenuated IBV vaccine strains contribute to the emergence of variant viruses in the field due to mutations and recombination. Therefore, there is a need to develop a stable and safe IBV vaccine that will not create variant viruses. In this study, we generated recombinant Newcastle disease viruses (rNDVs) expressing the S1, S2 and S proteins of IBV using reverse genetics technology. Our results showed that the rNDV expressing the S protein of IBV provided better protection than the rNDV expressing S1 or S2 protein of IBV, indicating that the S protein is the best protective antigen of IBV. Immunization of 4-week-old SPF chickens with the rNDV expressing S protein elicited IBV-specific neutralizing antibodies and provided complete protection against virulent IBV and virulent NDV challenges. These results suggest that the rNDV expressing the S protein of IBV is a safe and effective bivalent vaccine candidate for both IBV and NDV.

Effect of fusion protein cleavage site sequence on generation of a genotype VII Newcastle disease virus vaccine.

Newcastle disease (ND) causes severe economic loss to poultry industry worldwide. Frequent outbreaks of ND in commercial chickens vaccinated with live vaccines suggest a need to develop improved vaccines that are genetically matched against circulating Newcastle disease virus (NDV) strains. In this study, the fusion protein cleavage site (FPCS) sequence of NDV strain Banjarmasin/010 (Banj), a genotype VII NDV, was individually modified using primer mutagenesis to those of avian paramyxovirus (APMV) serotypes 2, 7 and 8 and compared with the recombinant Banjarmasin (rBanj) with avirulent NDV LaSota cleavage site (rBanj-LaSota). These FPCS mutations changed the in vitro cell-to-cell fusion activity and made rBanj FPCS mutant viruses highly attenuated in chickens. When chickens immunized with the rBanj FPCS mutant viruses and challenged with the virulent Banj, there was reduced challenge virus shedding observed compared to chickens immunized with the heterologous vaccine strain LaSota. Among the genotype VII NDV Banj vaccine candidates, rBanj-LaSota and rBanj containing FPCS of APMV-8 induced highest neutralizing antibody titers and protected chickens with reduced challenge virus shedding. These results show the effect of the F protein cleavage site sequence in generating genotype VII matched NDV vaccines.

Prophylactic potential of resiquimod against very virulent infectious bursal disease virus (vvIBDV) challenge in the chicken.

The study evaluated the prophylactic potential of resiquimod (R-848), a synthetic TLR7 agonist, against very virulent infectious bursal disease virus (vvIBDV) infection in chicken. Specific pathogen free White Leghorn chicks of three week age were treated with R-848 (50µg/bird, intramuscular) or PBS (n=26/group). Twenty four hour later, half of the birds from each group were challenged with 10(5) ELD50 of vvIBDV and observed for 10days. To understand the effect of R-848, immune response genes such as interferon (IFN)-ß, IFN-γ, IL-1ß, IL-4, iNOS and TLR7 were analyzed at 24 and 48h post-challenge in PBMCs ex vivo by real-time PCR (n=6/group). On day 4 post-challenge, representative birds (n=3/group) were sacrificed to study the bursal damage and IBDV antigen clearance. Immunosuppression was assessed by antibody response against live Newcastle disease virus (NDV) vaccine, which was administered on day 10 post-challenge. R-848 pre-treatment significantly upregulated the transcripts of each immune response gene studied (P<0.05). There was 50% mortality on vvIBDV challenge in control birds, while it was only 20% with R-848 group. R-848 pre-treatment reduced the bursal damage as indicated by lower bursal lesion score in histopathology, reduced IBDV antigen signal in immunohistochemistry and improved antigen clearance in agar gel immunodiffusion test. Further, it protected significantly against vvIBDV induced immunosuppression as indicated by HI antibody titre. It is concluded that pre-treatment of R-848 conferred partial protection from mortality and bursal damage while complete protection against immunosuppression in chicken when challenged with vvIBDV, which could be due to the upregulation of immune response genes.