Bacterial Outer Membrane Vesicles (OMVs)-based Dual Vaccine for Influenza A H1N1 Virus and MERS-CoV

Area of Science:

• Vaccinology
• Virology
• Microbiology

Background:

• Seasonal influenza and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) pose significant global health threats.
• Vaccination is a critical intervention for controlling severe viral diseases.
• Developing effective vaccines against multiple pathogens is a public health priority.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a novel vaccine platform for simultaneous protection against influenza and MERS-CoV.
• To assess the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of a chimeric antigen-based vaccine.

Main Methods:

• Generation of bacterial outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) displaying a chimeric fusion protein.
• The fusion protein combined the H1-type haemagglutinin (HA) of pandemic influenza A virus (H1N1pdm09) and the receptor binding domain (RBD) of MERS-CoV.
• Immunization of mice with the OMV-based vaccine (OMVs-H1/RBD) and subsequent challenge studies.

Main Results:

• The chimeric antigen (H1/RBD) successfully induced specific neutralizing antibodies against both H1N1pdm09 and MERS-CoV.
• Immunized mice were protected against H1N1pdm09 challenge.
• The vaccine demonstrated efficient neutralization of MERS-CoV.

Conclusions:

• Bacterial outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) serve as a viable platform for developing multi-valent vaccines.
• OMVs-based vaccines presenting viral antigens offer a safe and effective approach for protection against diverse viral infections.
• This strategy holds promise for addressing the public health burden of influenza and emerging coronaviruses.