A high infectious simian adenovirus type 23 vector based vaccine efficiently protects common marmosets against Zika virus infection

• Published in: PLoS neglected tropical diseases 2020-02, Vol.14 (2), p.e0008027-e0008027
• Main Authors: Luo, Shengxue, Zhao, Wei, Ma, Xiaorui, Zhang, Panli, Liu, Bochao, Zhang, Ling, Wang, Wenjing, Wang, Yuanzhan, Fu, Yongshui, Allain, Jean-Pierre, Li, Tingting, Li, Chengyao
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adenoviridae Infections - immunology; Adenoviridae Infections - veterinary; Adenoviridae Infections - virology; Adenoviruses; Adenoviruses, Simian - classification; Animals; Antibodies; Biology and life sciences; Biopharmaceuticals; Biotechnology; Callithrix; Complications; Disease control; Immunization; Immunogenicity; Infection; Infections; Inoculation; Laboratories; Lesions; Low level; Lymphocytes T; Medicine; Medicine and Health Sciences; Mimicry; Monkey Diseases - immunology; Monkey Diseases - virology; Neurological complications; Novels; Nucleic acids; Peptides; Primates; Proteins; Public health; Research and Analysis Methods; Ribonucleic acid; RNA; Saliva; Spleen; T cells; Tropical diseases; Vaccination; Vaccines; Vector-borne diseases; Viremia; Viruses; Zika virus; Zika Virus Infection - immunology; Zika Virus Infection - veterinary; γ-Interferon
• ISSN: 1935-2735; 1935-2727; 1935-2735
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008027

Zika virus (ZIKV) has spread in many countries or territories causing severe neurologic complications with potential fatal outcomes. The small primate common marmosets are susceptible to ZIKV, mimicking key features of human infection. Here, a novel simian adenovirus type 23 vector-based vaccine expressing ZIKV pre-membrane-envelope proteins (Sad23L-prM-E) was produced in high infectious titer. Due to determination of immunogenicity in mice, a single-dose of 3×108 PFU Sad23L-prM-E vaccine was intramuscularly inoculated to marmosets. This vaccine raised antibody titers of 104.07 E-specific and 103.13 neutralizing antibody (NAb), as well as robust specific IFN-γ secreting T-cell response (1,219 SFCs/106 cells) to E peptides. The vaccinated marmosets, upon challenge with a high dose of ZIKV (105 PFU) six weeks post prime immunization, reduced viremia by more than 100 folds, and the low level of detectable viral RNA (103.66) and T-cell response (>726 SFCs/106 PBMCs) were acquired 1-2 weeks post exposure to ZIKV, while non-vaccinated control marmosets developed long-term high titer of ZIKV (105.73 copies/ml) (P