A Recombinant Influenza A/H1N1 Carrying A Short Immunogenic Peptide of MERS-CoV as Bivalent Vaccine in BALB/c Mice

Shehata, Mahmoud M.; Kandeil, Ahmed; Mostafa, Ahmed; Mahmoud, Sara H.; Gomaa, Mokhtar R.; El-Shesheny, Rabeh; Webby, Richard; Kayali, Ghazi; A. Ali, Mohamed

Using self-limited viruses as vectors for the immunogenic proteins of MERS-CoV has been applied in many studies. For instance, one study has engineered a recombinant human adenoviral vector to encoding the full S protein or the S1 domain protein of HCoV-EMC/2012 isolate. Both adeno-based vaccines were evaluated in BALB/c mice and found to induce T-cell responses and neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) against MERS-CoV [3] [4] [5] . Similarly, a recombinant modified vaccinia virus expressing the full S protein was developed. This vaccinia-based vaccine was evaluated against MERS-CoV in Ad5-hDPP4-transduced BALB/c mice and showed significant induction of humoral and cell-mediated immunity and nAbs [6, 7] . In addition, using Ad5-hDPP4-transduced BALB/c mice immunized with Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus replicon particles containing S protein resulted in a reduction of viral titers to nearly undetectable levels by 1 day post infection (pi) and increased nAbs [8] . Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) expressing spike gene of MERS-CoV induced immunological T-cell response and virus neutralization in rhesus monkeys against VSV and MERS-CoV with a single immunization [9] .