Explore the vast range of titles available.

Vaccines are indispensable for the control and prevention of influenza, but there are several challenges to efficacy. Some individuals respond poorly to vaccination, and virus variation makes targeting optimal antigens difficult. Broadly neutralizing antibodies are one solution, but they have their own pitfalls, including limited cross-reactivity to both influenza A and B strains and the need for repeated injections. Now, Laursen et al. have developed multidomain antibodies with breadth and potency. Administered intranasally to mice with an adeno-associated virus vector, the antibodies provided durable and continuous protection from a panoply of influenza strains. Science , this issue p. 598 Llama nanobodies can be used to generate comprehensive and long-lasting flu protection. Broadly neutralizing antibodies against highly variable pathogens have stimulated the design of vaccines and therapeutics. We report the use of diverse camelid single-domain antibodies to influenza virus hemagglutinin to generate multidomain antibodies with impressive breadth and potency. Multidomain antibody MD3606 protects mice against influenza A and B infection when administered intravenously or expressed locally from a recombinant adeno-associated virus vector. Crystal and single-particle electron microscopy structures of these antibodies with hemagglutinins from influenza A and B viruses reveal binding to highly conserved epitopes. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that multidomain antibodies targeting multiple epitopes exhibit enhanced virus cross-reactivity and potency. In combination with adeno-associated virus–mediated gene delivery, they may provide an effective strategy to prevent infection with influenza virus and other highly variable pathogens.

The HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein (Env) trimer contains the receptor binding sites and membrane fusion machinery that introduce the viral genome into the host cell. As the only target for broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs), Env is a focus for rational vaccine design. We present a cryo-electron microscopy reconstruction and structural model of a cleaved, soluble Env trimer (termed BG505 SOSIP. 664 gp140) in complex with a CD4 binding site (CD4bs) bnAb, PGV04, at 5.8 angstrom resolution. The structure reveals the spatial arrangement of Env components, including the V1/V2, V3, HR1, and HR2 domains, as well as shielding glycans. The structure also provides insights into trimer assembly, gp120-gp41 interactions, and the CD4bs epitope cluster for bnAbs, which covers a more extensive area and defines a more complex site of vulnerability than previously described.

To induce strong and targeted neutralizing antibody (nAb) responses against vaccine targets, one strategy has been to use computationally designed immunogens. However, the structural complexity of many known neutralization epitopes has posed a major challenge for the design of accurate epitope mimetics. Sesterhenn et al. created a protein design algorithm called TopoBuilder to design scaffolds for irregular and discontinuous neutralization epitopes. As a proof of principle, the authors generated epitope-focused immunogens based on the prefusion conformation of the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) fusion protein. When these immunogens were used to vaccinate mice and nonhuman primates in RSV infection models, they generated targeted nAb responses to RSV and boosted site-specific nAb responses in heterologous prime-boost vaccination schemes. Science , this issue p. eaay5051 Computational de novo design of immunogens presenting structurally complex epitopes results in focused neutralizing antibody responses. De novo protein design has been successful in expanding the natural protein repertoire. However, most de novo proteins lack biological function, presenting a major methodological challenge. In vaccinology, the induction of precise antibody responses remains a cornerstone for next-generation vaccines. Here, we present a protein design algorithm called TopoBuilder, with which we engineered epitope-focused immunogens displaying complex structural motifs. In both mice and nonhuman primates, cocktails of three de novo–designed immunogens induced robust neutralizing responses against the respiratory syncytial virus. Furthermore, the immunogens refocused preexisting antibody responses toward defined neutralization epitopes. Overall, our design approach opens the possibility of targeting specific epitopes for the development of vaccines and therapeutic antibodies and, more generally, will be applicable to the design of de novo proteins displaying complex functional motifs.

SARS-CoV-2 (CoV2) antibody therapies, including COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP), monoclonal antibodies, and hyperimmune globulin, are among the leading treatments for individuals with early COVID-19 infection. The functionality of convalescent plasma varies greatly, but the association of antibody epitope specificities with plasma functionality remains uncharacterized. We assessed antibody functionality and reactivities to peptides across the CoV2 and the 4 endemic human coronavirus (HCoV) genomes in 126 CCP donations. We found strong correlation between plasma functionality and polyclonal antibody targeting of CoV2 spike protein peptides. Antibody reactivity to many HCoV spike peptides also displayed strong correlation with plasma functionality, including pan-coronavirus cross-reactive epitopes located in a conserved region of the fusion peptide. After accounting for antibody cross-reactivity, we identified an association between greater alphacoronavirus NL63 antibody responses and development of highly neutralizing antibodies against CoV2. We also found that plasma preferentially reactive to the CoV2 spike receptor binding domain (RBD), versus the betacoronavirus HKU1 RBD, had higher neutralizing titer. Finally, we developed a 2-peptide serosignature that identifies plasma donations with high anti-spike titer, but that suffer from low neutralizing activity. These results suggest that analysis of coronavirus antibody fine specificities may be useful for selecting desired therapeutics and understanding the complex immune responses elicited by CoV2 infection.

Broadly neutralizing monoclonal antibodies protect against infection with HIV-1 in animal models, suggesting that a vaccine that elicits these antibodies would be protective in humans. However, it has not yet been possible to induce adequate serological responses by vaccination. Here, to activate B cells that express precursors of broadly neutralizing antibodies within polyclonal repertoires, we developed an immunogen, RC1, that facilitates the recognition of the variable loop 3 (V3)-glycan patch on the envelope protein of HIV-1. RC1 conceals non-conserved immunodominant regions by the addition of glycans and/or multimerization on virus-like particles. Immunization of mice, rabbits and rhesus macaques with RC1 elicited serological responses that targeted the V3-glycan patch. Antibody cloning and cryo-electron microscopy structures of antibody–envelope complexes confirmed that immunization with RC1 expands clones of B cells that carry the anti-V3-glycan patch antibodies, which resemble precursors of human broadly neutralizing antibodies. Thus, RC1 may be a suitable priming immunogen for sequential vaccination strategies in the context of polyclonal repertoires. The immunogen RC1 facilitates recognition of the V3-glycan patch on the envelope of HIV-1 and elicits specific serological responses in mice and macaques, making it a possible priming immunogen for sequential vaccination strategies in humans.

Antigenic epitopes differ in their immunogenicity. Yewdell and colleagues show that B cell and antibody responses to influenza A virus infection display reproducible dynamic immunodominance hierarchies to viral hemagglutinin epitopes. Immunodominance (ID) defines the hierarchical immune response to competing antigens in complex immunogens. Little is known regarding B cell and antibody ID despite its importance in immunity to viruses and other pathogens. We show that B cells and serum antibodies from inbred mice demonstrate a reproducible ID hierarchy to the five major antigenic sites in the influenza A virus hemagglutinin globular domain. The hierarchy changed as the immune response progressed, and it was dependent on antigen formulation and delivery. Passive antibody transfer and sequential infection experiments demonstrated 'original antigenic suppression', a phenomenon in which antibodies suppress memory responses to the priming antigenic site. Our study provides a template for attaining deeper understanding of antibody ID to viruses and other complex immunogens.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 is a continuous challenge worldwide, and there is an urgent need to map the landscape of immunogenic and immunodominant epitopes recognized by CD8 + T cells. Here, we analyze samples from 31 patients with COVID-19 for CD8 + T cell recognition of 500 peptide-HLA class I complexes, restricted by 10 common HLA alleles. We identify 18 CD8 + T cell recognized SARS-CoV-2 epitopes, including an epitope with immunodominant features derived from ORF1ab and restricted by HLA-A*01:01. In-depth characterization of SARS-CoV-2-specific CD8 + T cell responses of patients with acute critical and severe disease reveals high expression of NKG2A, lack of cytokine production and a gene expression profile inhibiting T cell re-activation and migration while sustaining survival. SARS-CoV-2-specific CD8 + T cell responses are detectable up to 5 months after recovery from critical and severe disease, and these responses convert from dysfunctional effector to functional memory CD8 + T cells during convalescence. Many viral antigens have been identified in patients with COVID-19 patients, but which of these result in meaningful immune responses is unclear. Here the authors identify a range of SARS-CoV-2 CD8 + T cell responses across patients including a response targeting an epitope of ORF1ab with immunodominant properties.

Identification of broadly neutralizing antibodies against influenza A viruses has raised hopes for the development of monoclonal antibody—based immunotherapy and \"universal\" vaccines for influenza. However, a substantial part of the annual flu burden is caused by two cocirculating, antigenically distinct lineages of influenza B viruses. Here, we report human monoclonal antibodies, CR8033, CR8071, and CR9114, that protect mice against lethal challenge from both lineages. Antibodies CR8033 and CR8071 recognize distinct conserved epitopes in the head region of the influenza B hemagglutinin (HA), whereas CR9114 binds a conserved epitope in the HA stem and protects against lethal challenge with influenza A and B viruses. These antibodies may inform on development of monoclonal antibody—based treatments and a universal flu vaccine for all influenza A and B viruses.

Background The highly expressed surface antigen 1 (SAG1)-related sequence (SRS) proteins of T. gondii tachyzoites, as a widespread zoonotic parasite, are critical for host cell invasion and represent promising vaccine targets. In this study, we employed a computer-aided multi-method approach for in silico design and evaluation of TgVax452, an epitope-based candidate vaccine against T. gondii tachyzoite-specific SRS proteins. Methods Using immunoinformatics web-based tools, structural modeling, and static/dynamic molecular simulations, we identified and screened B- and T-cell immunodominant epitopes and predicted TgVax452’s antigenicity, stability, safety, adjuvanticity, and physico-chemical properties. Results The designed protein possessed 452 residues, a MW of 44.07 kDa, an alkaline pI (6.7), good stability (33.20), solubility (0.498), and antigenicity (0.9639) with no allergenicity. Comprehensive molecular dynamic (MD) simulation analyses confirmed the stable interaction (average potential energy: 3.3799 × 10 6 KJ/mol) between the TLR4 agonist residues (RS09 peptide) of the TgVax452 in interaction with human TLR4, potentially activating innate immune responses. Also, a dramatic increase was observed in specific antibodies (IgM and IgG), cytokines (IFN-γ), and lymphocyte responses, based on C-ImmSim outputs. Finally, we optimized TgVax452’s codon adaptation and mRNA secondary structure for efficient expression in E. coli BL21 expression machinery. Conclusion Our findings suggest that TgVax452 is a promising candidate vaccine against T. gondii tachyzoite-specific SRS proteins and requires further experimental studies for its potential use in preclinical trials.

Crystal structure analysis combined with sequencing approaches uncover a broad T cell receptor repertoire and reveal the structural basis of influenza M1 epitope recognition. A keystone of antiviral immunity is CD8 + T cell recognition of viral peptides bound to MHC-I proteins. The recognition modes of individual T cell receptors (TCRs) have been studied in some detail, but the role of TCR variation in providing a robust response to viral antigens is unclear. The influenza M1 epitope is an immunodominant target of CD8 + T cells that help to control influenza in HLA-A2 + individuals. Here we show that CD8 + T cells use many distinct TCRs to recognize HLA-A2–M1, which enables the use of different structural solutions to the problem of specifically recognizing a relatively featureless peptide antigen. The vast majority of responding TCRs target a small cleft between HLA-A2 and the bound M1 peptide. These broad repertoires lead to plasticity in antigen recognition and protection against T cell clonal loss and viral escape.