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Updated: May 1, 2026
An Improved and High Throughput Respiratory Syncytial Virus RSV Micro-neutralization Assay
Published on: January 26, 2019
Sendai virus-based RSV vaccine protects against RSV challenge in an in vivo maternal antibody model
Bart G Jones1, Robert E Sealy1, Sherri L Surman1
1Department of Infectious Diseases, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN, USA.
Insights
This study shows that the SeVRSV vaccine is effective in infants, even with existing maternal antibodies. The intranasal vaccine successfully generated protective immune responses against Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV).
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Immunology
- Vaccinology
Background:
- Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) causes significant infant illness and death, with no current vaccine.
- SeVRSV is a novel intranasal vaccine candidate using Sendai virus (SeV) to express the RSV fusion (F) gene.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of the SeVRSV vaccine in the presence of maternal antibodies in infants.
- To determine if pre-existing maternal antibodies inhibit the vaccine-induced immune response to SeVRSV.
Main Methods:
- Human infant antibody titers were measured and replicated in cotton rats via passive antibody transfer.
- Animals received the SeVRSV vaccine, rested for 3 months, and were then challenged with RSV.
- De novo vaccine-induced immune responses were assessed post-challenge.
Main Results:
- SeVRSV vaccination induced protective immune responses against RSV challenge, despite the presence of passively transferred maternal antibodies at vaccination.
- The vaccine's efficacy was demonstrated through protection against RSV challenge in the animal model.
Conclusions:
- The SeVRSV intranasal vaccine demonstrates efficacy in inducing protective immunity against RSV, even in the presence of maternal antibodies.
- These findings support the further development of SeVRSV as a potential vaccine for protecting children against RSV.
Abstract:
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the cause of significant morbidity and mortality among infants, and despite decades of research there remains no licensed vaccine. SeVRSV is a Sendai virus (SeV)-based live intranasal vaccine that expresses the full length RSV fusion (F) gene. SeV is the murine counterpart of human parainfluenza virus type 1. Given that the target population of SeVRSV is young infants, we questioned whether maternal antibodies typical of this age group would inhibit SeVRSV vaccine efficacy. After measuring SeV- and RSV-specific serum neutralizing antibody titers in human infants, we matched these defined titers in cotton rats by the passive transfer of polyclonal or monoclonal antibody products. Animals were then vaccinated with SeVRSV followed by a 3 month rest period to allow passively transferred antibodies to wane. Animals were finally challenged with RSV to measure the de novo vaccine-induced immune responses. Despite the presence of passively-transferred serum neutralizing antibodies at the time of vaccination, SeVRSV induced immune responses that were protective against RSV challenge. The data encourage advancement of SeVRSV as a candidate vaccine for the protection of children from morbidity and mortality caused by RSV.
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