M2e nanovaccines supplemented with recombinant hemagglutinin protect chickens against heterologous HPAI H5N1 challenge
Current poultry vaccines against influenza A viruses target the globular head region of the hemagglutinin (HA1), providing limited protection against antigenically divergent strains. Experimental subunit vaccines based on the conserved ectodomain of the matrix protein 2 (M2e) induce cross-reactive antibody responses, but fail to fully prevent virus shedding after low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) virus challenge, and are ineffective against highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses. This study assessed the benefits of combining nanoparticles bearing three tandem M2e repeats (NR-3M2e nanorings or NF-3M2e nanofilaments) with an HA1 subunit vaccine in protecting chickens against a heterologous HPAI H5N1 virus challenge. Chickens vaccinated with the combined formulations developed M2e and HA1-specific antibodies, were fully protected from clinical disease and mortality, and showed no histopathological lesions or virus shedding, unlike those given only HA1, NR-3M2e, or NF-3M2e. Thus, the combined vaccine formulations provided complete cross-protection against HPAI H5N1 virus, and prevented environmental virus shedding, crucial for controlling avian influenza outbreaks.
Authors
- Denis Archambault (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9409-5140)
- Vinay Khatri (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7320-4918)
- Steve Bourgault (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5563-8787)
- Carissa Embury‐Hyatt
- Matthew Suderman (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2715-9930)
- Tamiru N. Alkie
- Ronan Le Goffic (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2012-0064)
- Christophe Chevalier (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3231-9027)
- Yohannes Berhane (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5958-3525)
- Cynthia Calzas
Institutions
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CA)
- Université du Québec à Montréal (CA)
- Public Health Agency of Canada (CA)
- Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (FR)
- Université Paris-Saclay (FR)
- Microbiologie de l’alimentation au service de la santé (FR)
- University of Saskatchewan (CA)
- Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement (FR)
- Virologie et Immunologie Moléculaires (FR)
- University of Manitoba (CA)
Publication Details
- Journal
- npj Vaccines
- Published
- 2024-09-05
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41541-024-00944-7
- Citations
- 3
- Primary Topic
- Influenza Virus Research Studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 1.16
Funders
- Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency
- International Development Research Centre
- Global Affairs Canada
- Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement