A vaccine of L2 epitope repeats fused with a modified IgG1 Fc induced cross-neutralizing antibodies and protective immunity against divergent human papillomavirus types

PLoS One. 2014 May 6;9(5):e95448. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0095448. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

Current human papillomavirus (HPV) major capsid protein L1 virus-like particles (VLPs)-based vaccines in clinic induce strong HPV type-specific neutralizing antibody responses. To develop pan-HPV vaccines, here, we show that the fusion protein E3R4 consisting of three repeats of HPV16 L2 aa 17-36 epitope (E3) and a modified human IgG1 Fc scaffold (R4) induces cross-neutralizing antibodies and protective immunity against divergent HPV types. E3R4 was expressed as a secreted protein in baculovirus expression system and could be simply purified by one step Protein A affinity chromatography with the purity above 90%. Vaccination of E3R4 formulated with Freunds adjuvant not only induced cross-neutralizing antibodies against HPV pseudovirus types 16, 18, 45, 52, 58, 6, 11 and 5 in mice, but also protected mice against vaginal challenges with HPV pseudovirus types 16, 45, 52, 58, 11 and 5 for at least eleven months after the first immunization. Moreover, vaccination of E3R4 formulated with FDA approved adjuvant alum plus monophosphoryl lipid A also induced cross-neutralizing antibodies against HPV types 16, 18 and 6 in rabbits. Thus, our results demonstrate that delivery of L2 antigen as a modified Fc-fusion protein may facilitate pan-HPV vaccine development.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Neutralizing / immunology*
  • Capsid Proteins / genetics
  • Capsid Proteins / immunology*
  • Epitopes / genetics
  • Epitopes / immunology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin Fc Fragments / genetics
  • Immunoglobulin Fc Fragments / immunology*
  • Immunoglobulin G / genetics
  • Immunoglobulin G / immunology*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Oncogene Proteins, Viral / genetics
  • Oncogene Proteins, Viral / immunology*
  • Papillomavirus Vaccines / genetics
  • Papillomavirus Vaccines / immunology*
  • Rabbits
  • Vaccines, DNA / genetics
  • Vaccines, DNA / immunology*

Substances

  • Antibodies, Neutralizing
  • Capsid Proteins
  • Epitopes
  • Immunoglobulin Fc Fragments
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • L2 protein, Human papillomavirus type 16
  • Oncogene Proteins, Viral
  • Papillomavirus Vaccines
  • Vaccines, DNA

Grants and funding

This research was supported by Natural Science Foundation of China (31070813), Natural Science Foundation of Beijing (7102110) and Key Program of China International Science & Technology Cooperation (2013DFA32430). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.