Bivalent hemagglutinin and neuraminidase influenza replicon particle vaccines protect pigs against influenza a virus without causing vaccine associated enhanced respiratory disease. Issue 38 (9th September 2022) - Wymore Brand, Meghan
Highlights: HA and NA replicon particle vaccines induced high levels of peripheral and local antibody. HA and NA replicon particle vaccines protected from homologous challenge. HA replicon particle vaccines did not cause VAERD after heterologous challenge. NA-matched replicon particle vaccine reduced replication of HA-mismatched virus in lungs. Abstract: Alphavirus-derived RNA replicon particle (RP) vaccines represent the next generation of swine influenza A virus (IAV) vaccines, as they were shown to be safe, effective, and offer advantages over traditional vaccine platforms. IAV is a significant respiratory pathogen of swine and there is a critical need to improve current commercial swine IAV vaccine platforms. Adjuvanted whole inactivated virus (WIV) IAV swine vaccines provide limited heterologous protection and may lead to vaccine-associated enhanced respiratory disease (VAERD). This study investigated the ability of RP IAV hemagglutinin (HA) vaccines to avoid VAERD and evaluated experimental multivalent HA and neuraminidase (NA) RP vaccines. RP vaccines were formulated with HA or NA heterologous or homologous to the challenge virus in monovalent HA or HA and NA bivalent combinations (HA/NA bivalent). Pigs were vaccinated with an HA RP, HA/NA bivalent RP, or heterologous HA WIV, followed by IAV challenge and necropsy 5 days post infection. RP vaccines provided homologous protection from challenge and induced robust peripheral and local antibody responses. The RP vaccine did not induce VAERD after challenge with a virus containing the heterologous HA, in contrast to the traditional WIV vaccine. The HA monovalent and HA/NA bivalent RP vaccines showed superior protection compared to traditional WIV. Additionally, the RP platform allows greater flexibility to adjust HA and NA content to reflect circulating IAV in swine antigenic diversity.