Feasibility of cross-protective vaccination against flaviviruses of the Japanese encephalitis serocomplex

Abstract

Serological cross-reactivity providing cross-protective immunity between antigenically related viruses is a cornerstone of vaccination. It was the immunological basis for the first human vaccine against smallpox introduced more than 200 years ago, and continues to underpin modern vaccine development as has recently been shown for human papillomavirus vaccines, which confer cross-protection against other oncogenic papillomavirus types not present in the vaccine. Here, we review the feasibility of cross-protective vaccination against an antigenic group of clinically important viruses belonging to the Japanese encephalitis serocomplex in the Flaviviridae family. We will discuss evidence suggesting that ‘new generation’ flavivirus vaccines may provide effective cross-protective immunity against heterologous Japanese encephalitis serocomplex viruses, and appraise potential risks associated with cross-reactive vaccine immunity. The review will also focus on the structural and mechanistic basis for cross-protective immunity among this group of flaviviruses, which is predominantly mediated by antibodies against a single viral surface protein.

Keywords::

• adjuvant
• ChimeriVax™ technology
• cross-protection
• flavivirus
• Japanese encephalitis virus
• JE-VAX^®
• neutralizing antibody
• vaccines
• West Nile virus

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Kyle Austin for assistance with the preparation ofFigure 1.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This work was supported by NIH grants R01-AI077955 (MS Diamond) and U54 AI057160 (the Midwest Regional Center of Excellence for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases Research). MS Diamond is a paid consultant for MacroGenics, Inc, which has licensed the E16 monoclonal antibody. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.