National Institute of Animal Health (NIAH)

Topics in Animal Health Research 2012

11. Induction of a cross-reactive antibody response to influenza virus M2 antigen in pigs by using a Sendai virus vector

Japanese

Protecting pigs from simultaneous infection with avian, swine, and human influenza viruses would be an effective strategy to prevent the emergence of reassortants with pandemic potential. M2 protein is a candidate antigen for so-called 'universal vaccines' that confer cross-protection from different influenza viruses in a strain- and subtype-independent manner. We tested whether a recombinant F gene-deleted Sendai virus vector, which contained an M2 gene derived from an H5N1 avian influenza virus (SeV/ΔF/H5N1M2), could induce a cross-reactive antibody response to the extracellular domain of M2 protein (M2e) in pigs. SeV/ΔF/H5N1M2 induced an antibody response to M2e when the vector was inoculated intramuscularly. The antibodies induced by SeV/ΔF/H5N1M2 cross-reacted with M2e derived from different avian, swine, and human influenza viruses. In mice, however, SeV/ΔF/H5N1M2 did not confer cross-protection from challenge with a heterologous H3N2 influenza virus. Our results confirm those of other studies that indicated that antibodies to M2e do not mediate protection to influenza viruses in pigs. br />(Viral Disease and Epidemiology Research Division)

References:

Hikono H. et al. (2012) Vet. Immunol. Immunopathol. 146(1):92-96

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