Scientific Publications by FDA Staff

J Infect Dis 2013 Aug;208(3):413-7

DNA priming prior to H5N1 inactivated influenza vaccination expands antibody epitope repertoire and increases affinity maturation in a boost-interval-dependent manner in adults.

Khurana S, Wu J, Dimitrova M, King LR, Manischewitz J, Graham BS, Ledgerwood JE, Golding H

DNA priming improves response to inactivated H5N1 vaccination. We assessed the immunogenicity of H5 DNA (A/Indonesia/5/2005) followed by H5N1 monovalent inactivated vaccine (MIV) boost at 4, 8, 12, 16, and 24 weeks compared to two-doses of H5N1 MIV in adults. Antibody epitope repertoires were elucidated by Genome-Fragment-Phage-Display-Library, and antibody avidities for HA1 and HA2 domains were measured by Surface Plasmon Resonance. H5 DNA priming expanded H5-specific antibody epitope repertoire and enhanced antibody avidity to the HA1 (but not HA2) domain, in interval-dependent manner. Enhanced HA1-binding and avidity (=12 wk interval) correlated with improved neutralization of homologous and heterologous H5N1 strains.