A lipid/DNA adjuvant-inactivated influenza virus vaccine protects rhesus macaques from uncontrolled virus replication afer heterosubtypic influenza a virus challenge

Abstract

Background. Influenza A virus (IAV) vaccines ofler little protection from mismatched viruses with antigenically distant hemagglutinin (HA) glycoproteins. We sought to determine if a cationic lipid/DNA complex (CLDC) adjuvant could induce heterosubtypic protection if added to a whole inactivated IAV vaccine (WIV). Methods. Adult rhesus macaques (RMs) were vaccinated and at 2 weeks boosted with either an H1N1-WIV or an H3N2-WIV, with and without CLDC adjuvant. Four weeks postboost, animals were challenged with an H1N1 IAV matched to the H1N1-WIV vaccine. Results. Afer challenge, viral RNA (vRNA) levels in the trachea of control RMs and RMs vaccinated with the unadjuvanted H1 or H3 WIV vaccines..