Aggregation by peptide conjugation rescues poor immunogenicity of the HA stem

Abstract

Influenza virus infection is a global public health threat. Current seasonal influenza vaccines are efficacious only when vaccine strains are matched with circulating strains. There is a critical need for developing "universal"vaccines that protect against all influenza viruses. HA stem is a promising target for developing broad-spectrum influenza vaccines due to its relatively conserved feature. However, HA stem is weakly immunogenic when administered alone in a soluble form. Several approaches have been employed to improve the immunogenicity of HA stem, including conjugation of HA stem with a highly immunogenic carrier protein or displaying HA stem on a nanoparticle scaffold. Converting a ..