Development of Influenza B Universal Vaccine Candidates Using the "Mosaic" Hemagglutinin Approach.

ABSTRACT: Influenza B viruses cause seasonal epidemics and are a considerable burden to public health. However, protection by current seasonal vaccines is suboptimal due to the antigenic changes of the circulating strains. In this study, we report a novel universal influenza B virus vaccination strategy based on "mosaic" hemagglutinins. We generated mosaic B hemagglutinins by replacing the major antigenic sites of the type B hemagglutinin with corresponding sequences from exotic influenza A hemagglutinins and expressed them as soluble trimeric proteins. Sequential vaccination with recombinant mosaic B hemagglutinin proteins conferred cross-protection against both homologous and heterologous influenza B virus strains in the mouse model. Of note, we rescued recombinant influenza B viruses expressing m

SUBMITTER: Sun W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6613766 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature