Biology subjects

Moin, S. M.

Publications and source records attributed to Moin, S. M..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2022

Vaccine-elicitation of cross-group neutralizing protective antibodies to influenza A viruses

Current influenza vaccines predominantly induce immunity to the hypervariable viral hemagglutinin (HA) head, requiring frequent vaccine reformulation. Conversely, antigenic sites on the conserved HA stem are subdominant and harbor a supersite which is targeted by broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs), making it a prime target for universal vaccines. Here, we show that co-immunization of two stem immunogens derived from influenza A group 1 and 2 HAs elicits cross-group protective immunity and neutralizing antibody responses in mice, ferrets, and nonhuman primates (NHPs). Immunized mice were protected from multiple group 1 and 2 viruses, and all animal models showed broad serum neutralizing activity. A bnAb isolated from an immunized NHP broadly neutralized and conferred protection from viruses including H5N1 and H7N9. Genetic and structural analyses revealed a remarkable convergent evolution between macaque and human bnAbs, illustrating the biophysical constraints for acquiring immunoglobulins with cross-group specificity. Co-immunization of stem immunogens elicits not only group-specific protective immunity, but also cross-group bnAb responses, and represents a step towards broadly protective influenza vaccines.

immunology↗

bioRxiv2020

Elicitation of broadly protective immunity to influenza by multivalent hemagglutinin nanoparticle vaccines

Influenza vaccines that confer broad and durable protection against diverse virus strains would have a major impact on global health. However, next-generation vaccine design efforts have been complicated by challenges including the genetic plasticity of the virus and the immunodominance of certain epitopes in its glycoprotein antigens. Here we show that computationally designed, two-component nanoparticle immunogens induce potently neutralizing and broadly protective antibody responses against a wide variety of influenza viruses. The nanoparticle immunogens display 20 hemagglutinin (HA) trimers in a highly immunogenic array, and their assembly in vitro enables precisely controlled co-display of multiple distinct HAs in defined ratios. Nanoparticle immunogens displaying the four HAs of licensed quadrivalent influenza vaccines (QIV) elicited hemagglutination inhibition and neutralizing antibody responses to vaccine-matched strains that were equivalent or superior to commercial QIV in mice, ferrets, and nonhuman primates. The nanoparticle immunogens--but not QIV--simultaneously induced broadly protective antibody responses to heterologous viruses, including H5N1 and H7N9, by targeting the subdominant yet conserved HA stem. Unlike previously reported influenza vaccine candidates, our nanoparticle immunogens can alter the intrinsic immunodominance hierarchy of HA to induce both potent receptor-blocking and broadly cross-reactive stem-directed antibody responses and are attractive candidates for a next-generation influenza vaccine that could replace current seasonal vaccines. One Sentence SummaryNanoparticle immunogens displaying four seasonal influenza hemagglutinins elicit neutralizing antibodies directed at both the immunodominant head and the conserved stem and confer broad protective immunity.

immunology↗

bioRxiv2018

Design of nanoparticulate group 2 influenza hemagglutinin stem antigens that activate unmutated ancestor B cell receptors of broadly neutralizing antibody lineages

Influenza vaccines targeting the highly-conserved stem of the hemagglutinin (HA) surface glycoprotein have the potential to protect against pandemic and drifted seasonal influenza viruses not covered by current vaccines. While HA stem-based immunogens derived from group 1 influenza A have been shown to induce intra-group heterosubtypic protection, HA stem-specific antibody lineages originating from group 2 may be more likely to possess broad cross-group reactivity. We report the structure-guided development of mammalian cell-expressed candidate vaccine immunogens based on influenza A group 2 H3 and H7 HA stem trimers displayed on self-assembling ferritin nanoparticles using an iterative, multipronged approach involving helix stabilization, loop optimization, disulfide bond addition, and side chain repacking. These immunogens were thermostable, formed uniform and symmetric nanoparticles, were recognized by cross-group-reactive broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) with nanomolar affinity, and elicited protective, homosubtypic antibodies in mice. Importantly, several immunogens were able to activate B cells expressing inferred unmutated common ancestor (UCA) versions of cross-group-reactive human bNAbs from two multi-donor classes, suggesting they could initiate elicitation of these bNAbs in humans.

immunology↗