An intranasal subunit vaccine induces protective systemic and mucosal antibody immunity against respiratory viruses in mouse models

Aina Karen Anthi, Anette Kolderup, Eline Benno Vaage, Malin Bern, Sopisa Benjakul, Elias Tjärnhage, Fulgencio Ruso-Julve, Kjell-Rune Jensen, Heidrun Elisabeth Lode, Marina Vaysburd, Jeannette Nilsen, Marie Leangen Herigstad, Siri Aastedatter Sakya, Lisa Tietze, Diego Pilati, Mari Nyquist-Andersen, Mirjam Dürkoop, Torleif Tollefsrud Gjølberg, Linghang Peng, Stian Foss, Morten C. Moe, Benjamin E. Low, Michael V. Wiles, David Nemazee, Frode L. Jahnsen, John Torgils Vaage, Kenneth A. Howard, Inger Sandlie, Leo C. James, Gunnveig Grødeland, Fridtjof Lund-Johansen and Jan Terje Andersen ()
Additional contact information
Aina Karen Anthi: Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet
Anette Kolderup: Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet
Eline Benno Vaage: Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet
Malin Bern: Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet
Sopisa Benjakul: Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet
Elias Tjärnhage: Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet
Fulgencio Ruso-Julve: Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet
Kjell-Rune Jensen: Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet
Heidrun Elisabeth Lode: Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet
Marina Vaysburd: Laboratory of Molecular Biology
Jeannette Nilsen: Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet
Marie Leangen Herigstad: Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet
Siri Aastedatter Sakya: Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet
Lisa Tietze: Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet
Diego Pilati: Aarhus University
Mari Nyquist-Andersen: Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet
Mirjam Dürkoop: Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet
Torleif Tollefsrud Gjølberg: Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet
Linghang Peng: The Scripps Research Institute
Stian Foss: Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet
Morten C. Moe: Oslo University Hospital Ullevål and University of Oslo
Benjamin E. Low: The Jackson Laboratory
Michael V. Wiles: The Jackson Laboratory
David Nemazee: The Scripps Research Institute
Frode L. Jahnsen: University of Oslo
John Torgils Vaage: Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet
Kenneth A. Howard: Aarhus University
Inger Sandlie: University of Oslo
Leo C. James: Laboratory of Molecular Biology
Gunnveig Grødeland: Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet
Fridtjof Lund-Johansen: Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet
Jan Terje Andersen: Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-16

Abstract: Abstract Although vaccines are usually given intramuscularly, the intranasal delivery route may lead to better mucosal protection and limit the spread of respiratory virus while easing administration and improving vaccine acceptance. The challenge, however, is to achieve delivery across the selective epithelial cell barrier. Here we report on a subunit vaccine platform, in which the antigen is genetically fused to albumin to facilitate FcRn-mediated transport across the mucosal barrier in the presence of adjuvant. Intranasal delivery in conventional and transgenic mouse models induces both systemic and mucosal antigen-specific antibody responses that protect against challenge with SARS-CoV-2 or influenza A. When benchmarked against an intramuscularly administered mRNA vaccine or an intranasally administered antigen fused to an alternative carrier of similar size, only the albumin-based intranasal vaccine yields robust mucosal IgA antibody responses. Our results thus suggest that this needle-free, albumin-based vaccine platform may be suited for vaccination against respiratory pathogens.

Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-59353-6 Abstract (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-59353-6

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://www.nature.com/ncomms/

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-59353-6

Access Statistics for this article

Nature Communications is currently edited by Nathalie Le Bot, Enda Bergin and Fiona Gillespie

More articles in Nature Communications from Nature
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().