Publications
55 results found
Cable J, Sun J, Cheon IS, et al., 2023, Respiratory viruses: New frontiers-a Keystone Symposia report., Ann N Y Acad Sci
Respiratory viruses are a common cause of morbidity and mortality around the world. Viruses like influenza, RSV, and most recently SARS-CoV-2 can rapidly spread through a population, causing acute infection and, in vulnerable populations, severe or chronic disease. Developing effective treatment and prevention strategies often becomes a race against ever-evolving viruses that develop resistance, leaving therapy efficacy either short-lived or relevant for specific viral strains. On June 29 to July 2, 2022, researchers met for the Keystone symposium "Respiratory Viruses: New Frontiers." Researchers presented new insights into viral biology and virus-host interactions to understand the mechanisms of disease and identify novel treatment and prevention approaches that are effective, durable, and broad.
Piggin M, Smith E, Mankone P, et al., 2022, The role of public involvement in the design of the first SARS-CoV-2 human challenge study during an evolving pandemic, Epidemics: the journal of infectious disease dynamics, Vol: 41, Pages: 1-6, ISSN: 1755-4365
High quality health care research must involve patients and the public. This ensures research is important, relevant and acceptable to those it is designed to benefit. The world’s first human challenge study with SARS-CoV-2 undertook detailed public involvement to inform study design despite the urgency to review and establish the study. The work was integral to the UK Research Ethics Committee review and approval of the study. Discussion with individuals from ethnic minorities within the UK population supported decision-making around the study exclusion criteria. Public review of study materials for consent processes led to the addition of new information, comparisons and visual aids to help volunteers consider the practicalities and risks involved in participating. A discussion exploring the acceptability of a human challenge study with SARS-CoV-2 taking place in the UK, given the current context of the pandemic, identified overall support for the study. Public concern for the wellbeing of trial participants, as a consequence of isolation, was identified. We outline our approach to public involvement and its impact on study design.
Schott BH, Wang L, Zhu X, et al., 2022, Single-cell genome-wide association reveals a nonsynonymous variant in ERAP1 confers increased susceptibility to influenza virus, Cell Genomics, Vol: 2, ISSN: 2666-979X
During pandemics, individuals exhibit differences in risk and clinical outcomes. Here, we developed single-cell high-throughput human in vitro susceptibility testing (scHi-HOST), a method for rapidly identifying genetic variants that confer resistance and susceptibility. We applied this method to influenza A virus (IAV), the cause of four pandemics since the start of the 20th century. scHi-HOST leverages single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to simultaneously assign genetic identity to cells in mixed infections of cell lines of European, African, and Asian origin, reveal associated genetic variants for viral burden, and identify expression quantitative trait loci. Integration of scHi-HOST with human challenge and experimental validation demonstrated that a missense variant in endoplasmic reticulum aminopeptidase 1 (ERAP1; rs27895) increased IAV burden in cells and human volunteers. rs27895 exhibits population differentiation, likely contributing to greater permissivity of cells from African populations to IAV. scHi-HOST is a broadly applicable method and resource for decoding infectious-disease genetics.
Temple DS, Hegarty-Craver M, Furberg RD, et al., 2022, Wearable sensor-based detection of influenza in presymptomatic and asymptomatic individuals., Journal of Infectious Diseases, ISSN: 0022-1899
BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for early detection of viral infections in symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals to allow for timely clinical management and public health interventions. METHODS: Twenty healthy adults were challenged with an influenza A (H3N2) virus and prospectively monitored from 7 days before through 10 days after inoculation, using wearable electrocardiogram and physical activity sensors (Clinical Trial: NCT04204493; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04204993). This framework allowed for responses to be accurately referenced to the infection event. For each participant, we trained a semi-supervised multivariable anomaly detection model on data acquired before inoculation and used it to classify the post-inoculation dataset. RESULTS: Inoculation with this challenge virus was well-tolerated with an infection rate of 85%. With the model classification threshold set so that no alarms were recorded in the 170 healthy days recorded, the algorithm correctly identified 16 of 17 (94%) positive presymptomatic and asymptomatic individuals, on average 58 hours post inoculation and 23 hrs before the symptom onset. CONCLUSION: The data processing and modeling methodology show promise for the early detection of respiratory illness. The detection algorithm is compatible with data collected from smartwatches using optical techniques but needs to be validated in large heterogeneous cohorts in normal living conditions.
Dayananda P, Chiu C, Openshaw P, 2022, Controlled human infection challenge studies with RSV., Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology, Editors: Ahmed, Akira, Casadevall, Galan, Garcia-Sastre, Malissen, Rappuoli, Pages: 1-28
Despite considerable momentum in the development of RSV vaccines and therapeutics, there remain substantial barriers to the development and licensing of effective agents, particularly in high-risk populations. The unique immunobiology of RSV and lack of clear protective immunological correlates has held back RSV vaccine development, which, therefore, depends on large and costly clinical trials to demonstrate efficacy. Studies involving the deliberate infection of human volunteers offer an intermediate step between pre-clinical and large-scale studies of natural infection. Human challenge has been used to demonstrate the potential efficacy of vaccines and antivirals while improving our understanding of the protective immunity against RSV infection. Early RSV human infection challenge studies determined the role of routes of administration and size of inoculum on the disease. However, inherent limitations, the use of highly attenuated/laboratory-adapted RSV strains and the continued evolutionary adaptation of RSV limits extrapolation of results to present-day vaccine testing. With advances in technology, it is now possible to perform more detailed investigations of human mucosal immunity against RSV in experimentally infected adults and, more recently, older adults to optimise the design of vaccines and novel therapies. These studies identified defects in RSV-induced humoral and CD8+ T cell immunity that may partly explain susceptibility to recurrent RSV infection. We discuss the insights from human infection challenge models, ethical and logistical considerations, potential benefits, and role in streamlining and accelerating novel antivirals and vaccines against RSV. Finally, we consider how human challenges might be extended to include relevant at-risk populations.
Williams E, Craig K, Chiu C, et al., 2022, Ethics review of COVID-19 human challenge studies: A joint HRA/WHO workshop, Vaccine, Vol: 40, Pages: 3484-3489, ISSN: 0264-410X
This report of a joint World Health Organization (WHO) and United Kingdom (UK) Health Research Authority (HRA) workshop discusses the ethics review of the first COVID-19 human challenge studies, undertaken in the midst of the pandemic. It reviews the early efforts of international and national institutions to define the ethical standards required for COVID-19 human challenge studies and create the frameworks to ensure rigorous and timely review of these studies. This report evaluates the utility of the WHO's international guidance document Key criteria for the ethical acceptability of COVID-19 human challenge studies (WHO Key Criteria) as a practical resource for the ethics review of COVID-19 human challenge studies. It also assesses the UK HRA's approach to these complex ethics reviews, including the formation of a Specialist Ad-Hoc Research Ethics Committee (REC) for COVID-19 Human Challenge Studies to review all current and future COVID-19 human challenge studies. In addition, the report outlines the reflections of REC members and researchers regarding the ethics review process of the first COVID-19 human challenge studies. Finally, it considers the potential ongoing scientific justification for COVID-19 human challenge studies, particularly in relation to next-generation vaccines and optimisation of vaccination schedules. Overall, there was broad agreement that the WHO Key Criteria represented an international consensus document that played a powerful role in setting norms and delineating the necessary conditions for the ethical acceptability of COVID-19 human challenge studies. Workshop members suggested that the WHO Key Criteria could be practically implemented to support researchers and ethics reviewers, including in the training of ethics committee members. In future, a wider audience may be engaged by the original document and potential additional materials, informed by the experiences of those involved in the first COVID-19 human challenge studies outlined
Ascough S, Dayananda P, Kalyan M, et al., 2022, Divergent age-related humoral correlates of protection against respiratory syncytial virus infection in older and young adults: a pilot, controlled, human infection challenge model, The Lancet Healthy Longevity, Vol: 3, Pages: E405-E416, ISSN: 2666-7568
BackgroundRespiratory viral infections are typically more severe in older adults. Older adults are more vulnerable to infection and do not respond effectively to vaccines due to a combination of immunosenescence, so-called inflamm-ageing, and accumulation of comorbidities. Although age-related changes in immune responses have been described, the causes of this enhanced respiratory disease in older adults remain poorly understood. We therefore performed volunteer challenge with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in groups of younger and older adult volunteers. The aim of this study was to establish the safety and tolerability of this model and define age-related clinical, virological, and immunological outcomes.MethodsIn this human infection challenge pilot study, adults aged 18–55 years and 60–75 years were assessed for enrolment using protocol-defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Symptoms were documented by self-completed diaries and viral load determined by quantitative PCR of nasal lavage. Peripheral blood B cell frequencies were measured by enzyme-linked immunospot and antibodies against pre-fusion and post-fusion, NP, and G proteins in the blood and upper respiratory tract were measured. The study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03728413.Findings381 adults aged 60–75 years (older cohort) and 19 adults aged 18–55 years (young cohort) were assessed for enrolment using protocol-defined inclusion and exclusion criteria between Nov 12, 2018, and Feb 26, 2020. 12 healthy volunteers aged 60–75 years and 21 aged 18–55 years were inoculated intranasally with RSV Memphis-37. Nine (67%) of the 12 older volunteers became infected, developing mild-to-moderate upper respiratory tract symptoms that resolved without serious adverse events or sequelae. Viral load peaked on day 6 post-inoculation and symptoms peaked between days 6 and 8. Increases in circulating IgG-positive and IgA-positive antigen-specific plasmablasts, serum
Stewart A, Sinclair E, Ng JC-F, et al., 2022, Pandemic, epidemic, endemic: B cell repertoire analysis reveals unique anti-viral responses to SARS-CoV-2, Ebola and respiratory syncytial virus, Frontiers in Immunology, Vol: 13, Pages: 1-15, ISSN: 1664-3224
Immunoglobulin gene heterogeneity reflects the diversity and focus of the humoral immune response towards different infections, enabling inference of B cell development processes. Detailed compositional and lineage analysis of long read IGH repertoire sequencing, combining examples of pandemic, epidemic and endemic viral infections with control and vaccination samples, demonstrates general responses including increased use of IGHV4-39 in both Zaire Ebolavirus (EBOV) and COVID-19 patient cohorts. We also show unique characteristics absent in Respiratory Syncytial Virus or yellow fever vaccine samples: EBOV survivors show unprecedented high levels of class switching events while COVID-19 repertoires from acute disease appear underdeveloped. Despite the high levels of clonal expansion in COVID-19 IgG1 repertoires there is a striking lack of evidence of germinal centre mutation and selection. Given the differences in COVID-19 morbidity and mortality with age, it is also pertinent that we find significant differences in repertoire characteristics between young and old patients. Our data supports the hypothesis that a primary viral challenge can result in a strong but immature humoral response where failures in selection of the repertoire risk off-target effects.
Ascough S, Dayananda P, Kalyan M, et al., 2022, Divergent age-related humoral correlates of protection against RSV infection: a controlled human infection challenge model in older and young adults, The Lancet Healthy Longevity, ISSN: 2666-7568
Background:Respiratory viral infections are typically more severe in older adults. Although age-related changes in immune responses have been described, the causes of this enhanced respiratory disease in older adults remain poorly understood. We therefore performed volunteer challenge with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in groups of younger and older adult volunteers. The aim of this study was to establish the safety and tolerability of this model and define age-related clinical, virological andimmunological outcomes.Methods:Twelve healthy volunteers aged 60-75 and twenty-one aged 18-55 were inoculated intranasally with RSV Memphis-37. Symptoms were documented by self-completed diaries and viral load determined by qPCR of nasal lavage. Peripheral blood B cell frequencies were measured by enzyme-linked immunospot and antibodies against pre-and post-fusion F, NP, and G proteins in the blood and upper respiratory tract were measured.Findings:Nine of the 12 older volunteers became infected, developing mild-to-moderate upper respiratory tract symptoms that resolved without Serious Adverse Events or sequelae. Viral load peaked on Day 6 post-inoculation and symptoms between Days 6-8. Increases in circulating IgG+ and IgA+ antigen-specific plasmablasts, serum neutralising antibodies and pre-F specific IgG that were similar younger and older adults. However, in contrast to young participants, sIgA titres in older volunteers failed to increase during infection and, unlike serum IgG, did not correlate with protection.Interpretation:Our study shows the feasibility of volunteer challenge in older adult volunteers, revealing age-related differences in outcomes and in immune responses. We identify correlates of protection in older adults, revealing previously unrecognised factors that may partially explain ageing-related susceptibility to viral infections.Funding:Medical Research Council and GlaxoSmithKline EMINENT Consortium.
Killingley B, Mann AJ, Kalinova M, et al., 2022, Safety, tolerability and viral kinetics during SARS-CoV-2 human challenge in young adults, Nature Medicine, Vol: 28, Pages: 1031-1041, ISSN: 1078-8956
Since its emergence in 2019, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused hundreds of millions of cases and continues to circulate globally. To establish a novel SARS-CoV-2 human challenge model that enables controlled investigation of pathogenesis, correlates of protection and efficacy testing of forthcoming interventions, 36 volunteers aged 18–29 years without evidence of previous infection or vaccination were inoculated with 10 TCID50 of a wild-type virus (SARS-CoV-2/human/GBR/484861/2020) intranasally in an open-label, non-randomized study (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT04865237; funder, UK Vaccine Taskforce). After inoculation, participants were housed in a high-containment quarantine unit, with 24-hour close medical monitoring and full access to higher-level clinical care. The study’s primary objective was to identify an inoculum dose that induced well-tolerated infection in more than 50% of participants, with secondary objectives to assess virus and symptom kinetics during infection. All pre-specified primary and secondary objectives were met. Two participants were excluded from the per-protocol analysis owing to seroconversion between screening and inoculation, identified post hoc. Eighteen (~53%) participants became infected, with viral load (VL) rising steeply and peaking at ~5 days after inoculation. Virus was first detected in the throat but rose to significantly higher levels in the nose, peaking at ~8.87 log10 copies per milliliter (median, 95% confidence interval (8.41, 9.53)). Viable virus was recoverable from the nose up to ~10 days after inoculation, on average. There were no serious adverse events. Mild-to-moderate symptoms were reported by 16 (89%) infected participants, beginning 2–4 days after inoculation, whereas two (11%) participants remained asymptomatic (no reportable symptoms). Anosmia or dysosmia developed more slowly in 15 (83%) participants. No quantitative cor
McKendry R, Lemm N-M, Papargyris L, et al., 2022, Human Challenge Studies with Coronaviruses Old and New., Curr Top Microbiol Immunol, ISSN: 0070-217X
Coronavirus infections have been known to cause disease in animals since as early as the 1920s. However, only seven coronaviruses capable of causing human disease have been identified thus far. These Human Coronaviruses (HCoVs) include the causes of the common cold, but more recent coronaviruses that have emerged (i.e. SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2) are associated with much greater morbidity and mortality. HCoVs have been relatively under-studied compared to other common respiratory infections, as historically they have presented with mild symptoms. This has led to a relatively limited understanding of their animal reservoirs, transmission and determinants of immune protection. To address this, human infection challenge studies with HCoVs have been performed that enable a detailed clinical and immunological analysis of the host response at specific time points under controlled conditions with standardised viral inocula. Until recently, all such human challenge studies were conducted with common cold HCoVs, with the study of SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV unacceptable due to their greater pathogenicity. However, with the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 and the COVID-19 pandemic during which severe outcomes in young healthy adults have been rare, human challenge studies with SARS-CoV-2 are now being developed. Two SARS-CoV-2 human challenge studies in the UK studying individuals with and without pre-existing immunity are underway. As well as providing a platform for testing of antivirals and vaccines, such studies will be critical for understanding the factors associated with susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection and thus developing improved strategies to tackle the current as well as future HCoV pandemics. Here, we summarise the major questions about protection and pathogenesis in HCoV infection that human infection challenge studies have attempted to answer historically, as well as the knowledge gaps that aim to be addressed with contemporary models.
Cable J, Rappuoli R, Klemm EJ, et al., 2022, Innovative vaccine approaches-a Keystone Symposia report, ANNALS OF THE NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, Vol: 1511, Pages: 59-86, ISSN: 0077-8923
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Cuthbertson L, James P, Habibi MS, et al., 2022, Resilience of the respiratory microbiome in controlled adult RSV challenge study, European Respiratory Journal, Vol: 59, ISSN: 0903-1936
Barker C, Collet K, Gbesemete D, et al., 2022, Public attitudes to a human challenge study with SARS-CoV-2: a mixed-methods study., Wellcome Open Res, Vol: 7, ISSN: 2398-502X
Background: Human challenge studies involve the deliberate exposure of healthy volunteers to an infectious micro-organism in a highly controlled and monitored way. They are used to understand infectious diseases and have contributed to the development of vaccines. In early 2020, the UK started exploring the feasibility of establishing a human challenge study with SARS-CoV-2. Given the significant public interest and the complexity of the potential risks and benefits, it is vital that public views are considered in the design and approval of any such study and that investigators and ethics boards remain accountable to the public. Methods: Mixed methods study comprising online surveys conducted with 2,441 UK adults and in-depth virtual focus groups with 57 UK adults during October 2020 to explore the public's attitudes to a human challenge study with SARS-CoV-2 taking place in the UK. Results: There was overall agreement across the surveys and focus groups that a human challenge study with SARS-CoV-2 should take place in the UK. Transparency of information, trust and the necessity to provide clear information on potential risks to study human challenge study participants were important. The perceived risks of taking part included the risk of developing long-term effects from COVID, impact on personal commitments and mental health implications of isolation. There were a number of practical realities to taking part that would influence a volunteer's ability to participate (e.g. Wi-Fi, access to exercise, outside space and work, family and pet commitments). Conclusions: The results identified practical considerations for teams designing human challenge studies. Recommendations were grouped: 1) messaging to potential study participants, 2) review of the protocol and organisation of the study, and 3) more broadly, making the study more inclusive and relevant. This study highlights the value of public consultation in research, particularly in fields attracting public intere
Rapeport G, Chiu C, McShane H, 2021, SARS-CoV-2 Human Challenge Studies. Reply., N Engl J Med, Vol: 385
Grzesiak E, Bent B, McClain MT, et al., 2021, Assessment of the Feasibility of Using Noninvasive Wearable Biometric Monitoring Sensors to Detect Influenza and the Common Cold Before Symptom Onset, JAMA NETWORK OPEN, Vol: 4, ISSN: 2574-3805
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- Citations: 7
She X, Zhai Y, Henao R, et al., 2021, Adaptive multi-channel event segmentation and feature extraction for monitoring health outcomes, IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, Vol: 68, Pages: 2377-2388, ISSN: 0018-9294
Objective: To develop a multi-channel device event segmentation and feature extraction algorithm that is robust to changes in data distribution. Methods: We introduce an adaptive transfer learning algorithm to classify and segment events from non-stationary multi-channel temporal data. Using a multivariate hidden Markov model (HMM) and Fisher's linear discriminant analysis (FLDA) the algorithm adaptively adjusts to shifts in distribution over time. The proposed algorithm is unsupervised and learns to label events without requiring a priori information about true event states. The procedure is illustrated on experimental data collected from a cohort in a human viral challenge (HVC) study, where certain subjects have disrupted wake and sleep patterns after exposure to an H1N1 influenza pathogen. Results: Simulations establish that the proposed adaptive algorithm significantly outperforms other event classification methods. When applied to early time points in the HVC data, the algorithm extracts sleep/wake features that are predictive of both infection and infection onset time. Conclusion: The proposed transfer learning event segmentation method is robust to temporal shifts in data distribution and can be used to produce highly discriminative event-labeled features for health monitoring. Significance: Our integrated multisensor signal processing and transfer learning method is applicable to many ambulatory monitoring applications.
Rapeport G, Smith E, Gilbert A, et al., 2021, SARS-CoV-2 human challenge studies - establishing the model during an evolving pandemic, New England Journal of Medicine, Vol: 385, Pages: 961-964, ISSN: 0028-4793
Paterson S, Kar S, Ung SK, et al., 2021, Innate-like gene expression of lung-resident memory CD8+ T-cells during experimental human influenza, American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Vol: 204, Pages: 826-841, ISSN: 1073-449X
Rationale: Suboptimal vaccine immunogenicity and antigenic mismatch, compounded by poor uptake, means that influenza remains a major global disease. T cells recognizing peptides derived from conserved viral proteins could enhance vaccine-induced cross-strain protection.Objectives: To investigate the kinetics, phenotypes, and function of influenza virus–specific CD8+ resident memory T (Trm) cells in the lower airway and infer the molecular pathways associated with their response to infection in vivo.Methods: Healthy volunteers, aged 18–55, were inoculated intranasally with influenza A/California/4/09(H1N1). Blood, upper airway, and (in a subgroup) lower airway samples were obtained throughout infection. Symptoms were assessed by using self-reported diaries, and the nasal viral load was assessed by using quantitative PCR. T-cell responses were analyzed by using a three-color FluoroSpot assay, flow cytometry with MHC I–peptide tetramers, and RNA sequencing, with candidate markers being confirmed by using the immunohistochemistry results for endobronchial biopsy specimens.Measurements and Main Results: After challenge, 57% of participants became infected. Preexisting influenza-specific CD8+ T cells in blood correlated strongly with a reduced viral load, which peaked at Day 3. Influenza-specific CD8+ T cells in BAL fluid were highly enriched and predominantly expressed the Trm markers CD69 and CD103. Comparison between preinfection CD8+ T cells in BAL fluid and blood by using RNA sequencing revealed 3,928 differentially expressed genes, including all major Trm-cell markers. However, gene set enrichment analysis of BAL-fluid CD8+ T cells showed primarily innate cell–related pathways and, during infection, included upregulation of innate chemokines (Cxcl1, Cxcl10, and Cxcl16) that were also expressed by CD8+ cells in bronchial tissues.Conclusions: CD8+ Trm cells in the human lung display innate-like gene and protein expression that demonstrates blur
Felt SA, Sun Y, Jozwik A, et al., 2021, Detection of respiratory syncytial virus defective genomes in nasal secretions is associated with distinct clinical outcomes, Nature Microbiology, Vol: 6, Pages: 672-681, ISSN: 2058-5276
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes respiratory illness in children, immunosuppressed individuals and the elderly. However, the viral factors influencing the clinical outcome of RSV infections remain poorly defined. Defective viral genomes (DVGs) can suppress virus replication by competing for viral proteins and by stimulating antiviral immunity. We studied the association between detection of DVGs of the copy-back type and disease severity in three RSV A-confirmed cohorts. In hospitalized children, detection of DVGs in respiratory samples at or around the time of admission associated strongly with more severe disease, higher viral load and a stronger pro-inflammatory response. Interestingly, in experimentally infected adults, the presence of DVGs in respiratory secretions differentially associated with RSV disease severity depending on when DVGs were detected. Detection of DVGs early after infection associated with low viral loads and mild disease, whereas detection of DVGs late after infection, especially if DVGs were present for prolonged periods, associated with high viral loads and severe disease. Taken together, we demonstrate that the kinetics of DVG accumulation and duration could predict clinical outcome of RSV A infection in humans, and thus could be used as a prognostic tool to identify patients at risk of worse clinical disease.
Thwaites RS, Sanchez Sevilla Uruchurtu A, Siggins MK, et al., 2021, Inflammatory profiles across the spectrum of disease reveal a distinct role for GM-CSF in severe COVID-19, Science Immunology, Vol: 6, Pages: 1-17, ISSN: 2470-9468
While it is now widely accepted that host inflammatory responses contribute to lung injury, the pathways that drive severity and distinguish coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) from other viral lung diseases remain poorly characterized. We analyzed plasma samples from 471 hospitalized patients recruited through the prospective multicenter ISARIC4C study and 39 outpatients with mild disease, enabling extensive characterization of responses across a full spectrum of COVID-19 severity. Progressive elevation of levels of numerous inflammatory cytokines and chemokines (including IL-6, CXCL10, and GM-CSF) were associated with severity and accompanied by elevated markers of endothelial injury and thrombosis. Principal component and network analyses demonstrated central roles for IL-6 and GM-CSF in COVID-19 pathogenesis. Comparing these profiles to archived samples from patients with fatal influenza, IL-6 was equally elevated in both conditions whereas GM-CSF was prominent only in COVID-19. These findings further identify the key inflammatory, thrombotic, and vascular factors that characterize and distinguish severe and fatal COVID-19.
Habibi MS, Thwaites RS, Chang M, et al., 2020, Neutrophilic inflammation in the respiratory mucosa predisposes to RSV infection., Science, Vol: 370
The variable outcome of viral exposure is only partially explained by known factors. We administered respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) to 58 volunteers, of whom 57% became infected. Mucosal neutrophil activation before exposure was highly predictive of symptomatic RSV disease. This was associated with a rapid, presymptomatic decline in mucosal interleukin-17A (IL-17A) and other mediators. Conversely, those who resisted infection showed presymptomatic activation of IL-17- and tumor necrosis factor-related pathways. Vulnerability to infection was not associated with baseline microbiome but was reproduced in mice by preinfection chemokine-driven airway recruitment of neutrophils, which caused enhanced disease mediated by pulmonary CD8+ T cell infiltration. Thus, mucosal neutrophilic inflammation at the time of RSV exposure enhances susceptibility, revealing dynamic, time-dependent local immune responses before symptom onset and explaining the as-yet unpredictable outcomes of pathogen exposure.
Guvenel A, Jozwik A, Ascough S, et al., 2020, Epitope-specific airway-resident CD4+ T-cell dynamics during experimental human RSV infection, Journal of Clinical Investigation, Vol: 130, Pages: 523-538, ISSN: 0021-9738
Background: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is an important cause of acute pulmonary disease and one of the last remaining major infections of childhood for which there is no vaccine. CD4+ T-cells play a key role in antiviral immunity, but they have been little studied in the human lung. Methods: Healthy adult volunteers were inoculated intranasally with RSV A Memphis 37. CD4+ T-cells in blood and lower airway were analysed by flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry. Bronchial soluble mediators were measured using quantitative PCR and MesoScale Discovery. Epitope mapping was performed by IFN-γ ELISpot screening, confirmed by in vitro MHC binding. Results: Activated CD4+ T-cell frequencies in bronchoalveolar lavage correlated strongly with local CXCL10 levels. Thirty-nine epitopes were identified, predominantly towards the 3’ end of the viral genome. Five novel MHC-II tetramers were made using an immunodominant F-EFY epitope restricted to HLA-DR4, -DR9 and -DR11 (combined allelic frequency: 15% in Europeans) and G- DDF restricted to HLA-DPA1*01:03/DPB1*02:01 and -DPA1*01:03/DPB1*04:01 (allelic frequency: 55%). Tetramer labelling revealed enrichment of resident memory CD4+ T-cells (TRM) cells in the lower airway; these TRM displayed progressive differentiation, down-regulation of co- stimulatory molecules and elevated CXCR3 expression as infection evolved. Conclusion: Human infection challenge provides a unique opportunity to study the breadth of specificity and dynamics of RSV-specific T-cell responses in the target organ, allowing the precise investigation of TRM recognising novel viral antigens over time. The new tools that we describe enable precise tracking of RSV-specific CD4+ cells, potentially accelerating the development of effective vaccines.
Holzer B, Morgan SB, Martini V, et al., 2019, Immunogenicity and protective efficacy of seasonal human live attenuated cold-adapted influenza virus vaccine in pigs, Frontiers in Immunology, Vol: 10, Pages: 1-13, ISSN: 1664-3224
Influenza A virus infection is a global health threat to livestock and humans, causing substantial mortality and morbidity. As both pigs and humans are readily infected with influenza viruses of similar subtype, the pig is a robust and appropriate model for investigating swine and human disease. We evaluated the efficacy of the human cold-adapted 2017–2018 quadrivalent seasonal LAIV in pigs against H1N1pdm09 challenge. LAIV immunized animals showed significantly reduced viral load in nasal swabs. There was limited replication of the H1N1 component of the vaccine in the nose, a limited response to H1N1 in the lung lymph nodes and a low H1N1 serum neutralizing titer. In contrast there was better replication of the H3N2 component of the LAIV, accompanied by a stronger response to H3N2 in the tracheobronchial lymph nodes (TBLN). Our data demonstrates that a single administration of human quadrivalent LAIV shows limited replication in the nose and induces detectable responses to the H1N1 and H3N2 components. These data suggest that pigs may be a useful model for assessing LAIV against influenza A viruses.
Ascough S, Vlachantoni I, Kalyan M, et al., 2019, Local and systemic immunity against RSV induced by a novel intranasal vaccine: A randomised, double- blind, placebo-controlled trial, American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Vol: 200, Pages: 481-492, ISSN: 1073-449X
RATIONALE: Needle-free intranasal vaccines offer major potential advantages, especially against pathogens entering via mucosal surfaces. As yet, there is no effective vaccine against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a ubiquitous pathogen of global importance that preferentially infects respiratory epithelial cells; new strategies are urgently required. OBJECTIVES: Here, we report the safety and immunogenicity of a novel mucosal RSV F protein vaccine linked to an immunostimulatory bacterium-like particle (BLP). METHODS: In this phase I, randomised, double-blind placebo-controlled trial, 48 healthy volunteers aged 18-49 years were randomly assigned to receive placebo or SynGEM (low- or high-dose) intranasally by prime-boost administration. The primary outcome was safety and tolerability, with secondary objectives assessing virus-specific immunogenicity. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: There were no significant differences in adverse events between placebo and vaccinated groups. SynGEM induced systemic plasmablast responses and significant, durable increases in RSV-specific serum antibody in healthy seropositive adults. Volunteers given low-dose SynGEM (140 µg F, 2mg BLP) required a boost at day 28 to achieve plateau responses with a maximum fold-change of 2.4, whereas high-dose recipients (350 µg F, 5mg BLP) achieved plateau responses with a fold-change of 1.5 after first vaccination that remained elevated up to 180 days post-vaccination irrespective of further boosting. Palivizumab-like antibodies were consistently induced, but F protein site Ø-specific antibodies were not detected and virus-specific nasal IgA responses were heterogeneous, with strongest responses in individuals with lower pre-existing antibody levels. CONCLUSIONS: SynGEM is thus the first non-replicating intranasal RSV subunit vaccine to induce persistent antibody responses in human volunteers. Clinical trial registration available at www.clinicaltrials.gov, ID NCT02958540.
Fourati S, Taa A, Mahmoudian M, et al., 2018, A crowdsourced analysis to identify ab initio molecular signatures predictive of susceptibility to viral infection, Nature Communications, Vol: 9, Pages: 1-11, ISSN: 2041-1723
The response to respiratory viruses varies substantially between individuals, and there are currently no known molecular predictors from the early stages of infection. Here we conduct a community-based analysis to determine whether pre- or early post-exposure molecular factors could predict physiologic responses to viral exposure. Using peripheral blood gene expression profiles collected from healthy subjects prior to exposure to one of four respiratory viruses (H1N1, H3N2, Rhinovirus, and RSV), as well as up to 24 h following exposure, we find that it is possible to construct models predictive of symptomatic response using profiles even prior to viral exposure. Analysis of predictive gene features reveal little overlap among models; however, in aggregate, these genes are enriched for common pathways. Heme metabolism, the most significantly enriched pathway, is associated with a higher risk of developing symptoms following viral exposure. This study demonstrates that pre-exposure molecular predictors can be identified and improves our understanding of the mechanisms of response to respiratory viruses.
Ascough SC, Paterson S, Chiu C, 2018, Induction and subversion of human protective immunity: contrasting influenza and respiratory syncytial virus, Frontiers in Immunology, Vol: 9, ISSN: 1664-3224
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza are among the most important causes of severe respiratory disease worldwide. Despite the clinical need, barriers to developing reliably effective vaccines against these viruses have remained firmly in place for decades. Overcoming these hurdles requires better understanding of human immunity and the strategies by which these pathogens evade it. Although superficially similar, the virology and host response to RSV and influenza are strikingly distinct. Influenza induces robust strain-specific immunity following natural infection, although protection by current vaccines is short-lived. In contrast, even strain-specific protection is incomplete after RSV and there are currently no licensed RSV vaccines. Although animal models have been critical for developing a fundamental understanding of antiviral immunity, extrapolating to human disease has been problematic. It is only with recent translational advances (such as controlled human infection models and high-dimensional technologies) that the mechanisms responsible for differences in protection against RSV compared to influenza have begun to be elucidated in the human context. Influenza infection elicits high-affinity IgA in the respiratory tract and virus-specific IgG, which correlates with protection. Long-lived influenza-specific T cells have also been shown to ameliorate disease. This robust immunity promotes rapid emergence of antigenic variants leading to immune escape. RSV differs markedly, as reinfection with similar strains occurs despite natural infection inducing high levels of antibody against conserved antigens. The immunomodulatory mechanisms of RSV are thus highly effective in inhibiting long-term protection, with disturbance of type I interferon signaling, antigen presentation and chemokine-induced inflammation possibly all contributing. These lead to widespread effects on adaptive immunity with impaired B cell memory and reduced T cell generation and funct
Vlachantoni I, Ascough S, Grimaldi R, et al., 2017, PHASE 1 TRIAL OF AN INTRANASAL RESPIRATORY SYNCYTIAL VIRUS (RSV) SUBUNIT CANDIDATE VACCINE: SAFETY RESULTS FROM THE MUC-SYNGEM STUDY, Winter Meeting of the British-Thoracic-Society, Publisher: BMJ PUBLISHING GROUP, Pages: A43-A44, ISSN: 0040-6376
Turner RD, Chiu C, Churchyard GJ, et al., 2017, Tuberculosis Infectiousness and Host Susceptibility, Journal of Infectious Disease, Vol: 216, Pages: S636-S643, ISSN: 1537-6613
The transmission of tuberculosis is complex. Necessary factors include a source case with respiratory disease that has developed sufficiently for Mycobacterium tuberculosis to be present in the airways. Viable bacilli must then be released as an aerosol via the respiratory tract of the source case. This is presumed to occur predominantly by coughing but may also happen by other means. Airborne bacilli must be capable of surviving in the external environment before inhalation into a new potential host—steps influenced by ambient conditions and crowding and by M. tuberculosis itself. Innate and adaptive host defenses will then influence whether new infection results; a process that is difficult to study owing to a paucity of animal models and an inability to measure infection directly. This review offers an overview of these steps and highlights the many gaps in knowledge that remain.
Li S, Sullivan NL, Rouphael N, et al., 2017, Metabolic Phenotypes of response to vaccination in humans., Cell, Vol: 169, Pages: 862-877.e17, ISSN: 0092-8674
Herpes zoster (shingles) causes significant morbidity in immune compromised hosts and older adults. Whereas a vaccine is available for prevention of shingles, its efficacy declines with age. To help to understand the mechanisms driving vaccinal responses, we constructed a multiscale, multifactorial response network (MMRN) of immunity in healthy young and older adults immunized with the live attenuated shingles vaccine Zostavax. Vaccination induces robust antigen-specific antibody, plasmablasts, and CD4(+) T cells yet limited CD8(+) T cell and antiviral responses. The MMRN reveals striking associations between orthogonal datasets, such as transcriptomic and metabolomics signatures, cell populations, and cytokine levels, and identifies immune and metabolic correlates of vaccine immunity. Networks associated with inositol phosphate, glycerophospholipids, and sterol metabolism are tightly coupled with immunity. Critically, the sterol regulatory binding protein 1 and its targets are key integrators of antibody and T follicular cell responses. Our approach is broadly applicable to study human immunity and can help to identify predictors of efficacy as well as mechanisms controlling immunity to vaccination.
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