An RNA nanoparticle vaccine against Zika virus elicits antibody and CD8+ T cell responses in a mouse model

Sci Rep. 2017 Mar 21;7(1):252. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-00193-w.

Abstract

The Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreak in the Americas and South Pacific poses a significant burden on human health because of ZIKV's neurotropic effects in the course of fetal development. Vaccine candidates against ZIKV are coming online, but immunological tools to study anti-ZIKV responses in preclinical models, particularly T cell responses, remain sparse. We deployed RNA nanoparticle technology to create a vaccine candidate that elicited ZIKV E protein-specific IgG responses in C57BL/6 mice as assayed by ELISA. Using this tool, we identified a unique H-2Db-restricted epitope to which there was a CD8+ T cell response in mice immunized with our modified dendrimer-based RNA nanoparticle vaccine. These results demonstrate that this approach can be used to evaluate new candidate antigens and identify immune correlates without the use of live virus.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Viral / blood*
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • Dendrimers / administration & dosage
  • Dendrimers / isolation & purification
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
  • Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / immunology
  • Immunoglobulin G / blood
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Nanoparticles / administration & dosage
  • RNA, Viral / administration & dosage
  • RNA, Viral / immunology*
  • RNA, Viral / isolation & purification
  • Viral Vaccines / administration & dosage
  • Viral Vaccines / immunology*
  • Viral Vaccines / isolation & purification
  • Zika Virus / immunology*
  • Zika Virus Infection / prevention & control*

Substances

  • Antibodies, Viral
  • Dendrimers
  • Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • RNA, Viral
  • Viral Vaccines