Induction of neutralising antibodies and cellular immune responses against SARS coronavirus by recombinant measles viruses
Summary Live attenuated recombinant measles viruses (rMV) expressing a codon optimised spike glycoprotein (S) or nucleocapsid protein (N) of severe acute respiratory syndrome associated coronavirus (SARS CoV) were generated (rMV S and rMV N) Both recombinant viruses stably expressed the corresponding SARS CoV proteins, grew to similar end titres as the parental strain and induced high antibody titres against MV and the vectored SARS CoV antigens (S and N) in transgenic mice susceptible to measles infection. The antibodies induced by rMV S had a high neutralising effect on SARS CoV as well as on MV. Moreover, significant N specific cellular immune responses were measured by IFN g ELISPOT assays. The pre existence of anti MV antibodies induced by the initial immunisation dose did not inhibit boost of anti S and anti N antibodies. Immunisations comprising a mixture of rMV S and rMV N induced immune responses similar in magnitude to that of vaccine components administered separately. These data support the suitability of MV as a bivalent candidate vaccine vector against MV and emerging viruses such as SARS CoV.
Vaccine