1,5-Iodonaphthyl azide-inactivated V3526 protects against aerosol challenge with virulent venezuelan equine encephalitis virus

Vaccine. 2016 May 27;34(25):2762-5. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2016.04.049. Epub 2016 Apr 26.

Abstract

Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) is a New World alphavirus. VEEV is highly infectious in aerosolized form and has been identified as a bio-terrorism agent. There is no licensed vaccine for prophylaxis against VEEV. The current IND vaccine is poorly immunogenic and does not protect against an aerosol challenge with virulent VEEV. We have previously shown that VEEV inactivated by 1,5-iodonaphthyl azide (INA) protects against footpad challenge with virulent VEEV. In this study, we inactivated an attenuated strain of VEEV, V3526, with INA and evaluated its protective efficacy against aerosol challenge with wild type VEEV. We demonstrated that among three routes of immunization, intramuscular immunization with INA-inactivate V3526 (INA-iV3526) provided complete protection against aerosol challenge with virulent VEEV. Our data suggests that INA-iV3526 can be explored further for development as an effective vaccine candidate against aerosol challenge of virulent VEEV.

Keywords: Aerosol challenge; Inactivated; Iodonaphthyl azide; Protection; Vaccine; Venezuelan equine encephalitis.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Aerosols
  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Viral / blood
  • Azides / chemistry
  • Encephalitis Virus, Venezuelan Equine
  • Encephalomyelitis, Venezuelan Equine / prevention & control*
  • Immunoglobulin G / blood
  • Mice
  • Neutralization Tests
  • Vaccination / methods*
  • Vaccines, Inactivated / administration & dosage
  • Vaccines, Inactivated / immunology
  • Viral Vaccines / administration & dosage
  • Viral Vaccines / immunology*

Substances

  • Aerosols
  • Antibodies, Viral
  • Azides
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Vaccines, Inactivated
  • Viral Vaccines