Attenuated Getah Virus Confers Protection Against Multiple Arthritogenic Alphaviruses

Overview

Journal PLoS Pathog

Specialty Microbiology

Date 2024 Nov 18

PMID 39556619

Authors

Zhiwen Jiang

Andres Merits

Ying Qin

Gang Xing

Letian Zhang

Jie Chen

Ningning Wang

Margus Varjak

Xiaofeng Zhai

Dongyan Li

Wanjie Song

Shuo Su

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Alphaviruses are important arthropod-transmitted pathogens of humans and livestock. Getah virus (GETV) is an arthritogenic alphavirus that causes disease in horses and piglets; it also poses a potential threat to humans. A live attenuated vaccine candidate named GETV-3ΔS2-CM1, harbouring a deletion in nonstructural protein 3 and substitutions in the capsid protein, is genetically stable and exhibits robust immunogenicity. It was shown to confer passive protection to piglets born to immunized sows. In mice, a single dose of GETV-3ΔS2-CM1 protected against infection with different strains of GETV, Semliki Forest virus, Ross River virus, o'nyong'nyong virus, chikungunya virus, and Barmah Forest virus. Chimaeras based on the GETV-3ΔS2-CM1 backbone maintained both the attenuated phenotype and high immunogenicity. The safety, efficacy, and ability to induce protection against multiple alphaviruses highlights the potential of GETV-3ΔS2-CM1 and chimaeras using this backbone as promising vaccine candidates. By contributing simultaneously to the wellbeing of animals and humans, our universal next generation vaccine strategy helps to achieve "One Health" goals.

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