A novel influenza subunit vaccine composed of liposome-encapsulated haemagglutinin/neuraminidase and IL-2 or GM-CSF. I. Vaccine characterization and efficacy studies in mice

Abstract The aim of this study was to improve the potency of the currently used influenza subunit vaccines, which are of relatively low efficiency in high-risk groups. Influenza A virus (Shangdong/9/93) haemagglutinin/neuraminidase (H3N2), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and interleukin-2 (IL-2) were encapsulated, each separately or combined, in multilamellar vesicles composed of dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine. BALB/c mice were immunized once, i.p. or s.c., with 0.05–2.0 μg HN administered either as free antigen (F-HN), adsorbed to aluminum hydroxide (Al-HN), or encapsulated in liposomes (Lip-HN), separately or together with 1×10 2 –4.5×10 4 units of free or encapsulated cytokines. Serum antibodies were assayed on days 11–360 by the haemagglutination-inhibition (HI) test and ELISA. Protective immunity against intranasal virus challenge was determined at 9–14 months post-vaccination. The following results were obtained: (1) The efficiency of encapsulation in liposomes was 95, 90 and 38% for HN, IL-2 and GM-CSF, respectively, and the liposomal preparations were highly stable as an aqueous dispersion for >2 months at 4°C. (2) Following immunization with 0.5 μg Lip-HN, there was an earlier, up to 50-fold stronger, and 3–5 times longer response than that obtained with nonliposomal HN. (3) Coimmunization with free cytokines further increased the response 2–20 times and the two cytokines had an additive effect. (4) Liposomal cytokines were 2–20 times more effective than the free cytokines and their stimulatory effect was more durable. (5) A 100% seroconversion (HI titer ≥40) was achieved with only 10–25% of the routinely used antigen dose, by encapsulating either antigen or cytokine. (6) The level of protection following vaccination with the combined liposomal vaccines was 70–100% versus 0–25% in mice immunized with Al-HN alone, and no toxicity was observed. In conclusion, our animal experiments show that the liposomal vaccines are superior to the currently used influenza vaccines, increasing the response by 2–3 orders of magnitude in mice. This approach may also prove valuable for subunit vaccines against other microorganisms.