Authors: Peter C Soema Sietske K Rosendahl Huber GeertJan Willems Wim Jiskoot Gideon F A Kersten JeanPierre Amorij
Publish Date: 2014/10/25
Volume: 32, Issue: 4, Pages: 1505-1515
Abstract
Influenza CD8+ Tcell epitopes are conserved amongst influenza strains and can be recognized by influenzaspecific cytotoxic Tcells CTLs which can rapidly clear infected cells An influenza peptide vaccine that elicits these CTLs would therefore be an alternative to current influenza vaccines which are not crossreactive However peptide antigens are poorly immunogenic due to lack of delivery to antigen presenting cells and therefore need additional formulation with a suitable delivery system In this study the potential of virosomes as a delivery system for an influenza Tcell peptide was investigatedThe conserved human HLAA21 influenza Tcell epitope M158–66 was formulated with virosomes The immunogenicity and protective effect of the peptideloaded virosomes was assessed in HLAA2 transgenic mice Delivery properties of the virosomes were studied in mice and in in vitro dendritic cell culturesImmunization of HLAA21 transgenic C57BL/6 mice with peptideloaded virosomes in the presence of the adjuvant CpGODN 1826 increased the number of peptidespecific CTLs Vaccination with adjuvanted peptideloaded virosomes reduced weight loss in mice after heterologous influenza infection Association with fusionactive virosomes was found to be crucial for antigen uptake by dendritic cells and subsequent induction of CTLs in mice
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