Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus M-segment nucleic acid vaccine and methods of use and production

Abstract

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) is a tick-borne virus that causes severe hemorrhagic fever disease in humans. Currently, no licensed CCHF vaccines exist, and the protective epitopes remain unclear. Here, we tested a DNA vaccine expressing the M-segment glycoprotein precursor gene (GPC) of the laboratory CCHFV strain CCHFV-IbAr 10200 (CCHFV-M10200). Increasing the dose of CCHFV-M 10200 provides complete protection from homologous CCHFV challenge in mice, and significant (80%) protection from challenge with the clinically relevant, heterologous CCHFV-Afg09-2990 strain. We also report complete protection from CCHFV-Afg09-2990 challenge following vaccination with a CCHFV-Afg09-2990 GPC expressing DNA vaccine (CCHFV-M Afgog). Finally, we show that the non-structural M-segment protein, GP38, influences CCHF vaccine immunogenicity and provides significant protection from homologous CCHFV challenge. Our results demonstrate that M-segment DNA vaccines elicit protective CCHF immunity and further illustrate the immunorelevance of GP38.

CPC Classifications