A subunit vaccine for multiple respiratory viruses

Area of Science:

• Vaccinology
• Nanotechnology
• Virology

Background:

• Seasonal influenza, SARS-CoV-2, and RSV cause significant global mortality.
• Current vaccines for these viruses are typically administered individually.
• Subunit protein vaccine technologies for multivalent applications are underdeveloped.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a nanoliposome-based vaccine platform capable of co-displaying antigens from multiple respiratory viruses.
• To evaluate the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of this multivalent vaccine in preclinical models.

Main Methods:

• A nanoliposome platform was engineered to co-display recombinant hemagglutinin ectodomains from three influenza strains, SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain, and prefusion RSV F ectodomain.
• Immunizations were performed in mouse, ferret, and cotton rat models.
• Antibody responses and protective immunity against influenza, SARS-CoV-2, and RSV were assessed.

Main Results:

• The nanoliposome vaccine successfully elicited protective immunity against all three targeted respiratory viruses in animal models.
• Antibody responses generated by the multivalent vaccine were comparable to those from monovalent formulations.
• The platform demonstrated feasibility for co-displaying diverse viral antigens.

Conclusions:

• Nanoliposome-based multivalent recombinant protein vaccines can provide broad immunologic protection against major respiratory viruses.
• This platform offers a promising strategy for developing next-generation vaccines against multiple respiratory pathogens.
• Further development could lead to a single vaccine for seasonal influenza, SARS-CoV-2, and RSV.