Miller, D.Finnie, J.Bowden, T.Scholz, A.Oh, S.Kok, T.Burrell, C.Trinidad, L.Boyle, D.Li, P.2011-10-072011-10-072011Journal of General Virology, 2011; 92(5):1152-11610022-13171465-2099http://hdl.handle.net/2440/66553A universal influenza vaccine that does not require annual reformulation would have clear advantages over the currently approved seasonal vaccine. In this study, we combined the mucosal adjuvant alpha-galactosylceramide (αGalCer) and peptides designed across the highly conserved influenza precursor haemagglutinin (HA0) cleavage loop as a vaccine. Peptides designed across the HA0 of influenza A/H3N2 viruses, delivered to mice via the intranasal route with αGalCer as an adjuvant, provided 100 % protection following H3N2 virus challenge. Similarly, intranasal inoculation of peptides across the HA0 of influenza A/H5N1 with αGalCer completely protected mice against heterotypic challenge with H3N2 virus. Our data suggest that these peptide vaccines effectively inhibited subsequent influenza A/H3N2 virus replication. In contrast, only 20 % of mice vaccinated with αGalCer-adjuvanted peptides spanning the HA0 of H5N1 survived homologous viral challenge, possibly because the HA0 of this virus subtype is cleaved by intracellular furin-like enzymes. Results of these studies demonstrated that HA0 peptides adjuvanted with αGalCer have the potential to form the basis of a synthetic, intranasal influenza vaccine.en© 2011 SA PathologyLungAnimalsMice, Inbred BALB CMiceOrthomyxoviridae InfectionsBody WeightGalactosylceramidesProtein PrecursorsHemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza VirusVaccines, SubunitInfluenza VaccinesAdjuvants, ImmunologicMicroscopyHistocytochemistryViral LoadFemaleInfluenza A Virus, H3N2 SubtypeInfluenza A Virus, H5N1 SubtypeCross ProtectionPreclinical efficacy studies of Influenza A haemagglutinin precursor cleavage loop peptides as a potential vaccineJournal article002010456310.1099/vir.0.028985-00002910837000152-s2.0-7995558765731546Finnie, J. [0000-0003-2277-1693]Burrell, C. [0000-0002-4020-349X]