scholarly journals A delayed fractionated dose RTS,S AS01 vaccine regimen mediates protection via improved T follicular helper and B cell responses

eLife ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suresh Pallikkuth ◽  
Sidhartha Chaudhury ◽  
Pinyi Lu ◽  
Li Pan ◽  
Erik Jongert ◽  
...  

Malaria-071, a controlled human malaria infection trial, demonstrated that administration of three doses of RTS,S/AS01 malaria vaccine given at one-month intervals was inferior to a delayed fractional dose (DFD) schedule (62.5% vs 86.7% protection, respectively). To investigate the underlying immunologic mechanism, we analyzed the B and T peripheral follicular helper cell (pTfh) responses. Here, we show that protection in both study arms was associated with early induction of functional IL-21-secreting circumsporozoite (CSP)-specific pTfh cells, together with induction of CSP-specific memory B cell responses after the second dose that persisted after the third dose. Data integration of key immunologic measures identified a subset of non-protected individuals in the standard (STD) vaccine arm who lost prior protective B cell responses after receiving the third vaccine dose. We conclude that the DFD regimen favors persistence of functional B cells after the third dose.

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (58) ◽  
pp. eabi6950 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rishi R. Goel ◽  
Sokratis A. Apostolidis ◽  
Mark M. Painter ◽  
Divij Mathew ◽  
Ajinkya Pattekar ◽  
...  

Novel mRNA vaccines for SARS-CoV-2 have been authorized for emergency use. Despite their efficacy in clinical trials, data on mRNA vaccine-induced immune responses are mostly limited to serological analyses. Here, we interrogated antibody and antigen-specific memory B cells over time in 33 SARS-CoV-2 naïve and 11 SARS-CoV-2 recovered subjects. SARS-CoV-2 naïve individuals required both vaccine doses for optimal increases in antibodies, particularly for neutralizing titers against the B.1.351 variant. Memory B cells specific for full-length spike protein and the spike receptor binding domain (RBD) were also efficiently primed by mRNA vaccination and detectable in all SARS-CoV-2 naive subjects after the second vaccine dose, though the memory B cell response declined slightly with age. In SARS-CoV-2 recovered individuals, antibody and memory B cell responses were significantly boosted after the first vaccine dose; however, there was no increase in circulating antibodies, neutralizing titers, or antigen-specific memory B cells after the second dose. This robust boosting after the first vaccine dose strongly correlated with levels of pre-existing memory B cells in recovered individuals, identifying a key role for memory B cells in mounting recall responses to SARS-CoV-2 antigens. Together, our data demonstrated robust serological and cellular priming by mRNA vaccines and revealed distinct responses based on prior SARS-CoV-2 exposure, whereby COVID-19 recovered subjects may only require a single vaccine dose to achieve peak antibody and memory B cell responses. These findings also highlight the utility of defining cellular responses in addition to serologies and may inform SARS-CoV-2 vaccine distribution in a resource-limited setting.


2018 ◽  
Vol 93 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabrina Helmold Hait ◽  
Diego A. Vargas-Inchaustegui ◽  
Thomas Musich ◽  
Venkatramanan Mohanram ◽  
Iskra Tuero ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT T follicular helper (TFH) cells are fundamental in germinal center (GC) maturation and selection of antigen-specific B cells within secondary lymphoid organs. GC-resident TFH cells have been fully characterized in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. However, the role of GC TFH cells in GC B cell responses following various simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) vaccine regimens in rhesus macaques (RMs) has not been fully investigated. We characterized GC TFH cells of RMs over the course of a mucosal/systemic vaccination regimen to elucidate GC formation and SIV humoral response generation. Animals were mucosally primed twice with replicating adenovirus type 5 host range mutant (Ad5hr)-SIV recombinants and systemically boosted with ALVAC-SIVM766Gag/Pro/gp120-TM and SIVM766&CG7V gD-gp120 proteins formulated in alum hydroxide (ALVAC/Env) or DNA encoding SIVenv/SIVGag/rhesus interleukin 12 (IL-12) plus SIVM766&CG7V gD-gp120 proteins formulated in alum phosphate (DNA&Env). Lymph nodes were biopsied in macaque subgroups prevaccination and at day 3, 7, or 14 after the 2nd Ad5hr-SIV prime and the 2nd vector/Env boost. Evaluations of GC TFH and GC B cell dynamics including correlation analyses supported a significant role for early GC TFH cells in providing B cell help during initial phases of GC formation. GC TFH responses at day 3 post-mucosal priming were consistent with generation of Env-specific memory B cells in GCs and elicitation of prolonged Env-specific humoral immunity in the rectal mucosa. GC Env-specific memory B cell responses elicited early post-systemic boosting correlated significantly with decreased viremia postinfection. Our results highlight the importance of early GC TFH cell responses for robust GC maturation and generation of long-lasting SIV-specific humoral responses at mucosal and systemic sites. Further investigation of GC TFH cell dynamics should facilitate development of an efficacious HIV vaccine. IMPORTANCE The modest HIV protection observed in the human RV144 vaccine trial associated antibody responses with vaccine efficacy. T follicular helper (TFH) cells are CD4+ T cells that select antibody secreting cells with high antigenic affinity in germinal centers (GCs) within secondary lymphoid organs. To evaluate the role of TFH cells in eliciting prolonged virus-specific humoral responses, we vaccinated rhesus macaques with a combined mucosal prime/systemic boost regimen followed by repeated low-dose intrarectal challenges with SIV, mimicking human exposure to HIV-1. Although the vaccine regimen did not prevent SIV infection, decreased viremia was observed in the immunized macaques. Importantly, vaccine-induced TFH responses elicited at day 3 postimmunization and robust GC maturation were strongly associated. Further, early TFH-dependent SIV-specific B cell responses were also correlated with decreased viremia. Our findings highlight the contribution of early vaccine-induced GC TFH responses to elicitation of SIV-specific humoral immunity and implicate their participation in SIV control.


Author(s):  
Francesca Schena ◽  
Federica Penco ◽  
Stefano Volpi ◽  
Claudia Pastorino ◽  
Roberta Caorsi ◽  
...  

2019 ◽  
Vol 217 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ganesh E. Phad ◽  
Pradeepa Pushparaj ◽  
Karen Tran ◽  
Viktoriya Dubrovskaya ◽  
Monika Àdori ◽  
...  

Well-ordered HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein (Env) trimers are prioritized for clinical evaluation, and there is a need for an improved understanding about how elicited B cell responses evolve following immunization. To accomplish this, we prime-boosted rhesus macaques with clade C NFL trimers and identified 180 unique Ab lineages from ∼1,000 single-sorted Env-specific memory B cells. We traced all lineages in high-throughput heavy chain (HC) repertoire (Rep-seq) data generated from multiple immune compartments and time points and expressed several as monoclonal Abs (mAbs). Our results revealed broad dissemination and high levels of somatic hypermutation (SHM) of most lineages, including tier 2 virus neutralizing lineages, following boosting. SHM was highest in the Ab complementarity determining regions (CDRs) but also surprisingly high in the framework regions (FRs), especially FR3. Our results demonstrate the capacity of the immune system to affinity-mature large numbers of Env-specific B cell lineages simultaneously, supporting the use of regimens consisting of repeated boosts to improve each Ab, even those belonging to less expanded lineages.


Blood ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 112 (11) ◽  
pp. 3382-3382
Author(s):  
Peter Allacher ◽  
Christina Hausl ◽  
Aniko Ginta Pordes ◽  
Rafi Uddin Ahmad ◽  
Hartmut J Ehrlich ◽  
...  

Abstract Memory B cells are essential for maintaining long-term antibody responses. They can persist for years even in the absence of antigen and are rapidly re-stimulated to differentiate into antibody-producing plasma cells when they encounter their specific antigen. Previously we demonstrated that ligands for TLR 7 and 9 amplify the differentiation of FVIII-specific memory B cells into anti-FVIII antibody-producing plasma cells at low concentrations of FVIII and prevent the inhibition of memory-B-cell differentiation at high concentrations of FVIII. The modulation of FVIII-specific memory-B-cell responses by agonists for TLR is highly relevant for the design of new immunotherapeutic approaches in patients with FVIII inhibitors because TLR are activated by a range of different viral and bacterial components. Specifically, TLR 7 is triggered by single-stranded RNA derived from viruses and TLR 9 is triggered by bacterial DNA containing unmethylated CpG motifs. We further explored the modulation of FVIII-specific memory-B-cell responses by agonists for TLRs by studying a broad range of concentrations of CpG DNA, a ligand for TLR 9, both in vitro and in vivo using the murine E17 model of hemophilia A. We used CpG-DNA in concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 10,000 ng/ml to study the modulation of FVIII-specific memory-B-cell responses in vitro and verified the specificity of the effects observed by including a blocking agent for TLR 9 and GpC-DNA, a non-stimulating negative control for CpG DNA. Furthermore, we used doses of CpG DNA ranging from 10 to 50,000 ng per dose to study the modulation of FVIII-specific memory-B-cell responses in vivo. E17 hemophilic mice were treated with a single intravenous dose of 200 ng FVIII to stimulate the generation of FVIII-specific memory B cells and were subsequently treated with another dose of FVIII that was given together with CpG DNA. We analyzed titers of anti-FVIII antibodies in the circulation of these mice one week after the second dose of FVIII. Previously we had shown that a single dose of 200 ng FVIII, given intravenously to E17 hemophilic mice, stimulates the formation of FVIII-specific memory B cells but is not sufficient to induce anti-FVIII antibodies that would be detectable in the circulation. Our results demonstrate a biphasic effect of CpG DNA on the re-stimulation of FVIII-specific memory B cells and their differentiation into antibody-producing plasma cells. Both in vitro and in vivo studies show that CpG DNA at high doses inhibits the re-stimulation and differentiation of FVIII-specific memory B cells. However, CpG DNA at low doses amplifies these processes. Amplification and inhibition of memory-B-cell responses are due to specific interactions of CpG DNA with TLR 9. Both effects are blocked by addition of a blocking agent for TLR 9 in vitro. We conclude that triggering of TLR 9 by bacterial DNA has a substantial influence on FVIII-specific memory-B-cell responses. The consequence of TLR 9 triggering can be inhibitory or stimulatory, depending on the actual concentration of the bacterial DNA. Our findings demonstrate the potential modulatory effects of bacterial infections on the regulation of FVIII inhibitor development.


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