Headless hemagglutinin-containing influenza viral particles direct immune responses toward more conserved epitopes
- Authors
- Type
- Published Article
- Journal
- Journal of Virology
- Publisher
- American Society for Microbiology
- Publication Date
- Sep 26, 2024
- Volume
- 98
- Issue
- 10
- Identifiers
- DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01166-24
- Source
- ASM Journals
- Keywords
- License
- Yellow
Abstract
Current seasonal influenza vaccines provide incomplete protection from disease. This is partially the result of the antibody response being directed toward parts of the virus that are tolerant of mutations. Redirecting the immune response to more conserved regions of the virus has been a central strategy of next-generation vaccine designs and approaches. Here, we develop and test a vaccine based on a modified influenza virus particle that expresses a partially deleted hemagglutinin protein along with the other viral structural proteins. We demonstrate this vaccine elicits antibodies that recognize the more conserved viral epitopes of the hemagglutinin stalk and neuraminidase protein to facilitate protection against influenza viruses despite a lack of classical viral neutralization activity.
