Enhanced protective responses to a serotype independent pneumococcal vaccine when combined with an inactivated influenza vaccine

In this study we co-immunised C57BL/6 mice intranasally with a mixture of -PN (whole inactivated cells) and -FLU (whole inactivated virions) and examined protective efficacy. Co-immunisation enhanced -PN vaccine efficacy against virulent pneumococcal challenge, which was dependent on CD4+ T cell responses. In contrast to vaccination with -PN alone, co-immunisation enhanced pneumococcal-specific effector Th17 and Th1 memory cells, promoted development of CD4+ tissue-resident memory cells, and enhanced pneumococcus-specific antibody responses. Furthermore, co-immunisation elicited significant protection against lethal influenza challenge, as well as against co-infection with both influenza and S. pneumoniae. This is the first report showing the synergistic effect of combining whole cell and whole virion vaccines to both S. pneumoniae and influenza as a single vaccine to protect against individual and co-infection, without compromising pathogen-specific immunity.

Source: Clinical Science - November 23, 2016 Category: Biomedical Science Authors: Babb, R., Chen, A., Ogunniyi, A. D., Hirst, T. R., Kara, E. E., McColl, S. R., Alsharifi, M., Paton, J. C. Tags: PublishAheadOfPrint Source Type: research