Project description:We used single-cell RNAseq to analyze transcriptional changes in lung cells following intranasal delivery of adenovirus vector-based recombinant SARS-CoV-2 vaccine.
Project description:Amyloid-beta (Aβ) deposition is an initiating factor in Alzheimer´s disease (AD). Microglia are the brain immune cells that surround and phagocytose Aβ, but their phagocytic capacity declines in AD. This is in agreement with studies that associate AD risk loci with genes regulating phagocytic function. Immunotherapies are currently pursued as therapeutic strategies against AD and there are increased efforts to understand the role of the immune system in ameliorating AD pathology. Here, we evaluated the effect of the Aβ targeting ACI-24 vaccine in preventing the AD pathology in an amyloidosis mouse model. ACI-24 vaccination elicited a robust and sustained antibody response in APPPS1 mice with an accompanying reduction of Aβ plaque load, amyloid plaque-associated ApoE and dystrophic neurites as compared to non-vaccinated controls. Furthermore, plaque-associated microglia had the tendency to be more activated post vaccination. The lower Aβ plaque load triggered by vaccination with ACI-24 was in concordance with the bulk transcriptomic analysis that revealed a reduction in the expression of several disease-associated microglial signatures. Accordingly, plaque-distant microglia displayed a more ramified morphology, supporting beneficial effects of the vaccination on bulk microglial phenotypes. Our study demonstrates that administration of the Aβ targeting vaccine, ACI-24, triggers protective microglial responses that translate into a reduction of AD pathology suggesting its use as a safe and cost effective AD therapeutic intervention.
Project description:To investigate whether differentially expressed genes induced by SIIN-Q11 were shared between lung CD11b+ and CD103+ DCs, we performed gene expression profiling analysis of lung CD11b+ and CD103+ DCs after intranasal SIIN-Q11.
Project description:In the present study, we applied microarray technology to define a biosignature from the whole genome expression in lung and spleen samples after BCG vaccination and M. bovis infection of BALB/c mice. The aims were two-fold, namely to define biosignatures that could predict vaccine success before challenge, and biomarker patterns that correlated with anamnestic protective responses following exposure to virulent M. bovis. Further, Our aim was to define these markers to be detectable without in vitro antigenic challenge. After BCG vaccination, we defined a specific pulmonary gene expression signature related to the connective tissue development and function network that predicted vaccine success before M. bovis challenge. In addition, a Th17-related cytokine profile was found that correlated with vaccine-induced protective immunity following infection with virulent M. bovis in the lung as well as additional genes that were up-regulated in the spleens of vaccinated animals post-infection that was related to neutrophil biology and inflammation. This study has therefore prioritized both biomarkers predicting vaccination success before challenge and bio-signatures that are associated with protective immune responses that will be useful to evaluate future vaccine candidates. Two groups of 20 mice each were immunised by a single intradermal injection of 2 x 10 to 5 CFU of M. bovis BCG (Vaccinated), or Hanks buffered salt solution (HBSS) (Unvaccinated). Six weeks later 5 mice from each group were euthanized for immunological analyses and the remaining mice from each group were challenged with approx 600 CFU M. bovis via the intranasal route. At days 3 and 14 post challenge five mice per group were euthanized and spleens and lungs harvested.
Project description:The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2) variants and “anatomical escape” characteristics threaten the effectiveness of current coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines. There is an urgent need to understand the immunological mechanism of broad-spectrum respiratory tract protection to guide broader vaccines development. In this study, we investigated immune responses induced by an NS1-deleted influenza virus vectored intranasal COVID-19 vaccine (dNS1-RBD) which provides broad-spectrum protection against SARS-CoV-2 variants. Intranasal delivery of dNS1-RBD induced innate immunity, trained immunity and tissue-resident memory T cells covering the upper and lower respiratory tract. It restrained the inflammatory response by suppressing early phase viral load post SARS-CoV-2 challenge and attenuating pro-inflammatory cytokine (IL-6, IL-1B, and IFN-γ) levels, thereby reducing excess immune-induced tissue injury compared with the control group. By inducing local cellular immunity and trained immunity, intranasal delivery of NS1-deleted influenza virus vectored vaccine represents a broad-spectrum COVID-19 vaccine strategy to reduce disease burden. To investigate the immune response generated by dNS1-RBD vaccine in C57BL/6 mouse lung, we vaccinated C57BL/6 mice and collect the lung samples to sequence for the RNA-seq data, then performed gene expression analysis using data obtained from RNA-seq of 5 different time points before and after vaccinated with dNS1-RBD vaccine.
Project description:Respiratory viral infections contribute substantially to global infant losses and disproportionately affect preterm neonates. Using our previously established neonatal murine model of influenza infection, we demonstrate that three-day old mice are exceptionally sensitive to influenza virus infection and exhibit high mortality and viral load. Intranasal pre- and post-treatment of neonatal mice with Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG), an immune modulator in respiratory viral infection of adult mice and human preterm neonates, considerably improves neonatal mice survival after influenza virus infection. We determine that both live and heat-killed intranasal LGG are equally efficacious in protection of neonates. Early in influenza infection, neonatal transcriptional responses in the lung are delayed compared to adults. These responses increase by 24 hours post-infection, demonstrating a delay in the kinetics of the neonatal anti-viral response. LGG pretreatment improves immune gene transcriptional responses during early infection and specifically upregulates type I IFN pathways.
Project description:Systems biology is an approach to comprehensively study complex interactions within a biological system. Most published systems vaccinology studies have utilized whole blood or peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) to monitor the immune response after vaccination. Because human blood is comprised of multiple hematopoietic cell types, the potential for masking responses of under-represented cell populations is increased when analyzing whole blood or PBMC. To investigate the contribution of individual cell types to the immune response after vaccination, we established a rapid and efficient method to purify human T and B cells, natural killer (NK) cells, myeloid dendritic cells (mDC), monocytes, and neutrophils from fresh venous blood. Purified cells were fractionated and processed in a single day. RNA-Seq and quantitative shotgun proteomics were performed to determine expression profiles for each cell type prior to and after inactivated seasonal influenza vaccination. Our results show that transcriptomic and proteomic profiles generated from purified immune cells differ significantly from PBMC. Differential expression analysis for each immune cell type also shows unique transcriptomic and proteomic expression profiles as well as changing biological networks at early time points after vaccination. This cell type-specific information provides a more comprehensive approach to monitor vaccine responses.
Project description:The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2) variants and “anatomical escape” characteristics threaten the effectiveness of current coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines. There is an urgent need to understand the immunological mechanism of broad-spectrum respiratory tract protection to guide broader vaccines development. In this study, we investigated immune responses induced by an NS1-deleted influenza virus vectored intranasal COVID-19 vaccine (dNS1-RBD) which provides broad-spectrum protection against SARS-CoV-2 variants. Intranasal delivery of dNS1-RBD induced innate immunity, trained immunity and tissue-resident memory T cells covering the upper and lower respiratory tract. It restrained the inflammatory response by suppressing early phase viral load post SARS-CoV-2 challenge and attenuating pro-inflammatory cytokine (IL-6, IL-1B, and IFN-γ) levels, thereby reducing excess immune-induced tissue injury compared with the control group. By inducing local cellular immunity and trained immunity, intranasal delivery of NS1-deleted influenza virus vectored vaccine represents a broad-spectrum COVID-19 vaccine strategy to reduce disease burden. To investigate the immune response generated by dNS1-RBD, dNS1-Vector and wild type Influenza virus CA04 in C57BL/6 mouse lung, we vaccinated/infected C57BL/6 mice and collected the lung samples at different time point post vaccinated/infected to sequence for the single cell RNA-seq data, then performed normalization, clustering, reduction, cell type annotation, differential expression analysis and enrichment analysis based on this dataset.