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The majority of routinely given vaccines require two or three immunisations for full protective efficacy. Single dose vaccination has long been considered a key solution to improving the global immunisation coverage. Recent infectious disease outbreaks have further highlighted the need for vaccines that can achieve full efficacy after a single administration. Viral vectors are a potent immunisation platform, benefiting from intrinsic immuno-stimulatory features while retaining excellent safety profile through the use of non-replicating viruses. We investigated the scope for enhancing the protective efficacy of a single dose adenovirus-vectored malaria vaccine in a mouse model of malaria by co-administering it with vaccine adjuvants. Out of 11 adjuvants, only two, Abisco ® -100 and CoVaccineHT TM , enhanced vaccine efficacy and sterile protection following malaria challenge. The CoVaccineHT TM adjuvanted vaccine induced significantly higher proportion of antigen specific central memory CD8 + cells, and both adjuvants resulted in increased proportion of CD8 + T cells expressing the CD107a degranulation marker in the absence of IFNγ, TNFα and IL2 production. Our results show that the efficacy of vaccines designed to induce protective T cell responses can be positively modulated with chemical adjuvants and open the possibility of achieving full protection with a single dose immunisation.

Viral vectors are the vaccine platform of choice for many pathogens that have thwarted efforts towards control using conventional vaccine approaches. Although the STEP trial encumbered development of recombinant human adenovirus vectors only a few years ago, replication-deficient simian adenoviruses have since emerged as a crucial component of clinically effective prime-boost regimens. The vectors discussed here elicit functionally relevant cellular and humoral immune responses, at extremes of age and in diverse populations. The recent Ebola virus outbreak highlighted the utility of viral vectored vaccines in facilitating a rapid response to public health emergencies. Meanwhile, technological advances in manufacturing to support scale-up of viral vectored vaccines have helped to consolidate their position as a leading approach to tackling 'old' and emerging infections., (Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

A little more than a decade after the explosion of research into recombinant live-attenuated or replication-deficient viruses as vaccine platforms, many viral vector-based vaccines have been licensed for animals. Progress has been slower for humans but 2011 will see the licensure of the first viral-vectored vaccine for humans, against Japanese Encephalitis. In addition a vaccine with a viral-vectored component showed efficacy against HIV infection in humans. Viral-based vaccines have an excellent safety profile but must deal with the potential problem of pre-existing anti-vector immunity. Recent successes reflect diverse improvements such as development of new adenovirus serotypes and better prime-boost approaches, suggesting that many viral vectors are approaching their final years as vaccine 'candidates' rather than vaccines., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Malaria is a major health problem as nearly half of the human population is exposed to this parasite causing around 600 million clinical cases annually. Prime-boost regimes using simian adenoviral vectors and MVA expressing the clinically relevant Plasmodium falciparum ME.TRAP antigen have shown outstanding protective efficacy in mouse models. We now extend those observations to macaque monkeys. Immunisation with AdCh63 elicited a median response of 869 IFN-γ SFC/million PBMCs to ME.TRAP and responses were boosted by MVA to reach 5256 SFC/million PBMCs, increasing at the same time the breadth of the T cell responses to cover the complete ME.TRAP antigen. Intramuscular vaccination was more immunogenic than the intradermal route, and MVA could be used repeatedly for up to 3 times to boost adenovirus-primed responses. An interval of 16 weeks between repeated MVA injections was optimal to enhance cytokine production by T cells and improve the CD8 multifunctional responses. Antibodies to TRAP were exceptionally high and maintained for a long period of time after the prime-boost regime. These results in non-human primates highlight the potential of this vaccination regime and encourage its future use in clinical trials., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Live recombinant viral vectors based on adenoviruses and poxviruses are among the most promising platforms for development of new vaccines against diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV-AIDS. Vaccines based on live viruses must remain infectious to be effective, so therefore need continuous refrigeration to maintain stability and viability, a requirement that can be costly and difficult, especially in developing countries. The sugars sucrose and trehalose are commonly used as stabilizing agents and cryoprotectants for biological products. Here, we have exploited the ability of these sugars to vitrify on desiccation to develop a thermostabilization technique for live viral vaccine vectors. By slowly drying vaccines suspended in solutions of these disaccharide stabilizers onto a filter-like support membrane at ambient temperature, an ultrathin glass is deposited on the fibers of the inert matrix. Immobilization of two recombinant vaccine vectors-E1/E3-deleted human adenovirus type 5 and modified vaccinia virus Ankara-in this glass on the membranes enabled complete recovery of viral titer and immunogenicity after storage at up to 45 degrees C for 6 months and even longer with minimal losses. Furthermore, the membrane carrying the stabilized vaccine can be incorporated into a holder attached to a syringe for almost simultaneous reconstitution and injection at point of use. The technology may potentially be developed for the deployment of viral vector-based biopharmaceuticals in resource-poor settings.

Adenoviral-vectored vaccines are licensed for prevention of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and Ebola virus, but, for bacterial proteins, expression in a eukaryotic cell may affect the antigen's localization and conformation or lead to unwanted glycosylation. Here, we investigated the potential use of an adenoviral-vectored vaccine platform for capsular group B meningococcus (MenB). Vector-based candidate vaccines expressing MenB antigen factor H binding protein (fHbp) were generated, and immunogenicity was assessed in mouse models, including the functional antibody response by serum bactericidal assay (SBA) using human complement. All adenovirus-based vaccine candidates induced high antigen-specific antibody and T cell responses. A single dose induced functional serum bactericidal responses with titers superior or equal to those induced by two doses of protein-based comparators, as well as longer persistence and a similar breadth. The fHbp transgene was further optimized for human use by incorporating a mutation abrogating binding to the human complement inhibitor factor H. The resulting vaccine candidate induced high and persistent SBA responses in transgenic mice expressing human factor H. The optimized transgene was inserted into the clinically relevant ChAdOx1 backbone, and this vaccine has now progressed to clinical development. The results of this preclinical vaccine development study underline the potential of vaccines based on genetic material to induce functional antibody responses against bacterial outer membrane proteins. Editor's summary: Adenoviral-vectored vaccines have been approved for viral infections, but their utility for protecting against bacterial infections is unclear. Here, Dold et al. evaluated an adenoviral-vectored vaccine platform for capsular group B meningococcus. The authors found, using multiple mouse models, that the vaccine candidates elicited robust antibody and T cell responses with a single dose. The authors further optimized the vaccine and incorporated the immunogen into the ChAdOx1 backbone. This vaccine, which is now in clinical development, may offer a single shot option for meningococcal disease. —Courtney Malo [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Viral vectors, including adenovirus (Ad) and modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA), have gained increasing attention as vaccine platforms in recent years due to their capacity to express antigens from a wide array of pathogens, their rapid induction of humoral and cellular protective immune responses, and their relatively low production costs. In particular, the chimpanzee Ad vector, ChAdOx1, has taken centre stage as a leading COVID-19 vaccine candidate. However, despite mounting data, both clinical and pre-clinical, demonstrating effective induction of adaptive immune responses, the innate immune signals that precede the protective responses that make these vectors attractive vaccine platforms remain poorly understood. Results: In this study, a mouse immunisation model was used to evaluate whole blood gene expression changes 24 h after either a single dose or heterologous prime-boost regimen of an Ad and/or MVA vaccine. We demonstrate through comparative analysis of Ad vectors encoding different antigens that a transgene product-specific gene signature can be discerned from the vector-induced transcriptional response. Expression of genes involved in TLR2 stimulation and γδ T cell and natural killer cell activation were induced after a single dose of Ad, while MVA led to greater expression of type I interferon genes. The order of prime-boost combinations was found to influence the magnitude of the gene expression changes, with MVA/Ad eliciting greater transcriptional perturbation than Ad/MVA. Contrasting the two regimens revealed significant enrichment of epigenetic regulation pathways and augmented expression of MHC class I and II molecules associated with MVA/Ad. Conclusion: These data demonstrate that the order in which vaccines from heterologous prime-boost regimens are administered leads to distinct transcriptional responses and may shape the immune response induced by such combinations. The characterisation of early vaccine-induce responses strengthens our understanding of viral vector vaccine mechanisms of action ahead of their characterisation in human clinical trials and are a valuable resource to inform the pre-clinical design of appropriate vaccine constructs for emerging infectious diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adenovirus vectors activate V 2+ T cells in a type I interferon-, TNF-, and IL-18-dependent manner V 2 SP + sp T cells are unconventional T cells that can be activated by cytokines without TCR signaling. We examined three species C vectors (Ad5, Ad6, and ChAdN13) and five non-species C vectors (Ad24, Ad35, ChAd63, ChAd68, and ChAdOx1), and found that on average, the non-species C vectors induced significantly more V 2 SP + sp T cell IFN- production (Fig. Adenovirus vaccine vectors activated V 2 SP + sp T cells in an interleukin 18-, TNF-, and type I interferon-dependent manner. [Extracted from the article]

Substantial protection can be provided against the pre-erythrocytic stages of malaria by vaccination first with an adenoviral and then with an modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) poxviral vector encoding the same ME.TRAP transgene. We investigated whether the two vaccine components adenovirus (Ad) and MVA could be coinjected as a mixture to enhance protection against malaria. A single-shot mixture at specific ratios of Ad and MVA (Ad+MVA) enhanced CD8+ T cell-dependant protection of mice against challenge with Plasmodium berghei. Moreover, the degree of protection could be enhanced after homologous boosting with the same Ad+MVA mixture to levels comparable with classic heterologous Ad prime-MVA boost regimes. The mixture increased transgene-specific responses while decreasing the CD8+ T cell antivector immunity compared to each vector used alone, particularly against the MVA backbone. Mixed vector immunization led to increased early circulating interferon-γ (IFN-γ) response levels and altered transcriptional microarray profiles. Furthermore, we found that sequential immunizations with the Ad+MVA mixture led to consistent boosting of the transgene-specific CD8+ response for up to three mixture immunizations, whereas each vector used alone elicited progressively lower responses. Our findings offer the possibility of simplifying the deployment of viral vectors as a single mixture product rather than in heterologous prime-boost regimens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • DNA vaccination technologies using naked plasmids is the first type of genetic vaccines developed, followed by viral vectors and mRNA. • As other genetic vaccines, DNA vaccines drive the expression of the encoded antigens within the host cells. • The DNA vaccine technology has proven highly immunogenic in several animal models, however this immunogenicity does not readily extrapolate from non-clinical to clinical use. • Only one prophylactic DNA vaccine has been licensed for emergency use in humans. • Several approaches are explored to increase the immunogenicity of DNA vaccines in human and support more vaccine licensure for human use. The history of DNA vaccine began as early as the 1960s with the discovery that naked DNA can transfect mammalian cells in vivo. In 1992, the evidence that such transfection could lead to the generation of antigen-specific antibody responses was obtained and supported the development of this technology as a novel vaccine platform. The technology then attracted immense interest and high hopes in vaccinology, as evidence of high immunogenicity and protection against virulent challenges accumulated from several animal models for several diseases. In particular, the capacity to induce T-cell responses was unprecedented in non-live vaccines. However, the technology suffered its major knock when the success in animals failed to translate to humans, where DNA vaccine candidates were shown to be safe but remained poorly immunogenic, or not associated with clinical benefit. Thanks to a thorough exploration of the molecular mechanisms of action of these vaccines, an impressive range of approaches have been and are currently being explored to overcome this major challenge. Despite limited success so far in humans as compared with later genetic vaccine technologies such as viral vectors and mRNA, DNA vaccines are not yet optimised for human use and may still realise their potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]