Use of equine H3N8 hemagglutinin as a broadly protective influenza vaccine immunogen

David Verhoeven; Brett A. Sponseller; James E. Crowe; Sandhya Bangaru; Richard J. Webby; Brian M. Lee

doi:10.1038/s41541-024-01037-1

Use of equine H3N8 hemagglutinin as a broadly protective influenza vaccine immunogen

David Verhoeven, Brett A. Sponseller, James E. Crowe, Sandhya Bangaru, Richard J. Webby, Brian M. Lee

Veterinary Science

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

Development of an efficacious universal influenza vaccines remains a long-sought goal. Current vaccines have shortfalls such as mid/low efficacy and needing yearly strain revisions to account for viral drift/shift. Horses undergo bi-annual vaccines for the H3N8 equine influenza virus, and surveillance of sera from vaccinees demonstrated very broad reactivity and neutralization to many influenza strains. Subsequently, vaccinating mice using the equine A/Kentucky/1/1991 strain or recombinant hemagglutinin (HA) induced similar broadly reactive and neutralizing antibodies to seasonal and high pathogenicity avian influenza strains. Challenge of vaccinated mice protected from lethal virus challenges across H1N1 and H3N2 strains. This protection correlated with neutralizing antibodies to the HA head, esterase, and stem regions. Vaccinated ferrets were also protected after challenge with H1N1 influenza A/07/2009 virus using whole viral or HA. These data suggest that equine H3N8 induces broad protection against multiple influenzas using a unique antigen that diverges from other universal vaccine approaches.

Original language	English
Article number	247
Journal	npj Vaccines
Volume	9
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41541-024-01037-1
State	Published - Dec 2024

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2024.

Funding

The work was supported in part by a research grant from the Investigator-Initiated Studies Program of Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC. The opinions expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC. We further acknowledge the NIH Biodefense and Emerging Infections Research Resources Repository NIAID, NIH and Influenza Reagent Resource, Influenza Division, WHO Collaborating Center for Surveillance, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for providing rHAs and viruses used in this study.

Funders	Funder number
Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC
NIH Biodefense and Emerging Infections Research Resources Repository NIAID
National Institutes of Health (NIH)

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Immunology
Pharmacology
Infectious Diseases
Pharmacology (medical)

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1038/s41541-024-01037-1

Cite this

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title = "Use of equine H3N8 hemagglutinin as a broadly protective influenza vaccine immunogen",

abstract = "Development of an efficacious universal influenza vaccines remains a long-sought goal. Current vaccines have shortfalls such as mid/low efficacy and needing yearly strain revisions to account for viral drift/shift. Horses undergo bi-annual vaccines for the H3N8 equine influenza virus, and surveillance of sera from vaccinees demonstrated very broad reactivity and neutralization to many influenza strains. Subsequently, vaccinating mice using the equine A/Kentucky/1/1991 strain or recombinant hemagglutinin (HA) induced similar broadly reactive and neutralizing antibodies to seasonal and high pathogenicity avian influenza strains. Challenge of vaccinated mice protected from lethal virus challenges across H1N1 and H3N2 strains. This protection correlated with neutralizing antibodies to the HA head, esterase, and stem regions. Vaccinated ferrets were also protected after challenge with H1N1 influenza A/07/2009 virus using whole viral or HA. These data suggest that equine H3N8 induces broad protection against multiple influenzas using a unique antigen that diverges from other universal vaccine approaches.",

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AU - Bangaru, Sandhya

AU - Webby, Richard J.

AU - Lee, Brian M.

PY - 2024/12

Y1 - 2024/12

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Use of equine H3N8 hemagglutinin as a broadly protective influenza vaccine immunogen

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

Access to Document

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