Stabilizing effects of excipients on dissociation of intact (146S) foot-and-mouth disease virions into 12S particles during storage as oil-emulsion vaccine.

Most conventional foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) vaccines contain oil-adjuvant. Their potency decreases upon prolonged storage. Intact (146S) FMDV particles can dissociate into 12S degradation products with a concomitant decrease in immunogenicity. We therefore measured virion stability in vaccines using two previously developed ELISAs to separately quantify 12S and 146S particles. Virions completely dissociated into 12S particles within 3 months after oil-emulsification. Dissociation occurred at a much lower rate in a comparable aqueous solution that was not oil-emulsified. Thus, oil-emulsification stimulates virion dissociation, presumably due to the protein denaturing effect of the oil-water interface. In real-time stability studies the stability of oil-adjuvanted virions of four different FMDV strains was significantly increased by addition of sucrose and BSA in a synergistic manner. Contrary to BSA addition, the effect of sucrose addition was concentration dependent. This study illustrates the importance of analysing antigen integrity after oil-emulsification and provides methods for FMDV vaccine stabilization.

Effect of thiomersal on dissociation of intact (146S) foot-and-mouth disease virions into 12S particles as assessed by novel ELISAs specific for either 146S or 12S particles.

Intact (146S) foot-and-mouth disease virions (FMDVs) can dissociate into specific (12S) viral capsid degradation products. Using two single-domain antibody fragments that bind specifically to either 146S or 12S particles we developed two ELISAs for the quantification of these particles in FMDV antigen preparations used for vaccine manufacturing. Only O serotype strains are detected in the 146S specific ELISA whereas strains of most serotypes are detected in the 12S specific ELISA. However, the 146S concentration of A and Asia 1 serotype strains could be measured indirectly using the 12S specific ELISA by prior conversion of 146S into 12S particles by heat treatment. This allowed us to demonstrate that addition of the preservative thiomersal to FMDV antigens stimulates the dissociation into 12S particles of O, A and Asia 1 serotype strains upon prolonged storage at 4°C. FMDV dissociation is known to result in a strongly reduced immunogenicity, which was experimentally confirmed here. Therefore, we recommend to omit thiomersal from FMD vaccines to increase its shelf life.

Enhancement of toxin- and virus-neutralizing capacity of single-domain antibody fragments by N-glycosylation.

Single-domain antibody fragments (VHHs) have several beneficial properties as compared to conventional antibody fragments. However, their small size complicates their toxin- and virus-neutralizing capacity. We isolated 27 VHHs binding Escherichia coli heat-labile toxin and expressed these in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The most potent neutralizing VHH (LT109) was N-glycosylated, resulting in a large increase in molecular mass. This suggests that N-glycosylation of LT109 improves its neutralizing capacity. Indeed, deglycosylation of LT109 decreased its neutralizing capacity three- to fivefold. We also studied the effect of glycosylation of two previously isolated VHHs on their ability to neutralize foot-and-mouth disease virus. For this purpose, these VHHs that lacked potential N-glycosylation sites were genetically fused to another VHH that was known to be glycosylated. The resulting fusion proteins were also N-glycosylated. They neutralized the virus at at least fourfold-lower VHH concentrations as compared to the single, non-glycosylated VHHs and at at least 50-fold-lower VHH concentrations as compared to their deglycosylated counterparts. Thus, we have shown that N-glycosylation of VHHs contributes to toxin- and virus-neutralizing capacity.

Passive immunization with llama single-domain antibody fragments reduces foot-and-mouth disease transmission between pigs.

We aim to develop a method that confers rapid protection against foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) by passive immunization with recombinant llama single-domain antibody fragments (VHHs). Previously constructed genetic fusions of two VHHs (VHH2s) that either neutralizes FMDV or binds to porcine immunoglobulin to increase the serum half-life, conferred only limited protection to pigs. We therefore now generated VHH3s containing an additional FMDV binding VHH. Two VHH3s neutralized FMDV more potently than single VHHs and were highly produced by yeast cells. Injection of a mixture of these two VHH3s 24h before FMD challenge infection of pigs reduced and delayed the development of clinical disease, viraemia and viral shedding. Furthermore, it significantly (P=0.023) delayed FMD transmission. Thus, we have shown a proof of concept of passive FMD immunoprophylaxis using VHHs.

Passive immunization of pigs with bispecific llama single-domain antibody fragments against foot-and-mouth disease and porcine immunoglobulin.

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a contagious viral disease of cloven-hoofed animals that occasionally causes outbreaks in Europe. We aim to develop an immunotherapy that confers rapid protection against FMD in outbreak situations. For this purpose, we previously isolated llama single-domain antibody fragments (VHHs) binding to FMDV or porcine immunoglobulin (pIg). The pIg binding VHHs can be genetically fused to other VHHs, resulting in so-called VHH2s. As compared to non-pIg binding VHHs such VHH2s have a 100-fold increased serum half-life which is essential for effective immunotherapy. We have now produced three bispecific VHH2s by fusion of three FMDV binding VHHs (clones M3, M8 and M23) to a pIg binding VHH (VI-4). The resulting yeast-produced VHH2s bound FMDV and pIg with high affinity (K(D) about 1nM) and neutralized FMDV in vitro as efficiently as their monovalent counterparts. To evaluate their therapeutic potential all three VHH2s were intramuscularly injected into pigs that were challenge infected with FMDV 24h later. Administration of one of these VHH2s (M23ggsVI-4) reduced the viremia significantly (P=0.0034) and reduced viral shedding almost significantly (P=0.11). However, it did not prevent development of clinical signs or transmission of FMDV. These results suggest that immunotherapy using bispecific VHH2s binding to FMDV and pIg is possible in principle, but should be improved by increasing VHH2 dosage or using more potent VHH2s.

Passive immunization of guinea pigs with llama single-domain antibody fragments against foot-and-mouth disease.

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a highly contagious disease that occasionally causes outbreaks in Europe. There is a need for therapies that provide rapid protection against FMD in outbreak situations. We aim to provide such rapid protection by passive immunization with llama single-domain antibody fragments (VHHs). Twenty-four VHHs binding serotype O FMDV in vitro were isolated from immunized llamas by phage display and expressed in bakers yeast for further characterization. They recognized four functionally independent antigenic sites. Six strongly FMDV neutralizing VHHs bound to a peptide representing the GH-loop of viral protein 1 known to be involved in binding to the cellular receptor of FMDV. Clone M8, recognizing this antigenic site, and clone M23, recognizing another antigenic site, showed synergistic in vitro virus neutralization. Three FMDV specific VHHs were PEGylated in order to decrease their rapid blood clearance and thus enable in vivo guinea pig protection experiments. Passive immunization with individual VHHs showed no protection, but a mixture of M8 and M23 showed partial transient protection. The protection afforded by these VHHs was however low as compared to the complete protection afforded by convalescent guinea pig serum. In contrast, these VHHs showed far more efficient in vitro FMDV neutralization than convalescent guinea pig serum. This lack of correlation between in vitro neutralization and in vivo protection lends further credence to the notion that opsonophagocytosis of FMDV is important for protection in vivo.