An mRNA vaccine against monkeypox virus inhibits infection by co-activation of humoral and cellular immune responses

The persistent monkeypox outbreaks intensify the demand for monkeypox vaccines. Based on the mRNA vaccine platform, we conduct a systematic screening of monkeypox virus (MPXV) surface proteins from two types of viral particles, extracellular enveloped viruses (EVs) and intracellular mature viruses (MVs). This screening unveils 12 important antigens with diverse levels of neutralizing immunogenicity. Further assessment reveals that the combinations of 4, 8, and 12 of these antigens, namely Mix-4, Mix-8, and Mix-12, induce varying degrees of immune protection, with Mix-12 being the most potent. This finding demonstrates the significance of not only the level but also the diversity of the neutralizing antibodies in providing potent immune protection. Additionally, we utilize a T cell-epitope enrichment strategy, analyzing the complete proteome sequence of the MPXV to predict antigenic epitope-rich regions. Integration of these epitope-rich regions into a cellular immune-targeting antigen, named MPX-EPs, showcases that a cellular immune-targeting mRNA vaccine can independently confer immune protection. Furthermore, co-immunization with Mix-12 and MPX-EPs achieves complete protection against MPXV challenge. Overall, these results suggest an effective approach to enhance the immune protection of mRNA vaccines through the specific coordination of humoral and cellular immune responses.