AUTHOR=Kubinski Mareike , Beicht Jana , Zdora Isabel , Biermann Jeannine , Puff Christina , Gerlach Thomas , Tscherne Alina , Baumgärtner Wolfgang , Osterhaus Albert D. M. E. , Sutter Gerd , Prajeeth Chittappen Kandiyil , Rimmelzwaan Guus F. 

TITLE=A recombinant Modified Vaccinia virus Ankara expressing prME of tick-borne encephalitis virus affords mice full protection against TBEV infection

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Immunology

VOLUME=14

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2023.1182963

DOI=10.3389/fimmu.2023.1182963

ISSN=1664-3224

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Introduction</title><p>Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is an important human pathogen that can cause a serious disease involving the central nervous system (tick-borne encephalitis, TBE). Although approved inactivated vaccines are available, the number of TBE cases is rising, and breakthrough infections in fully vaccinated subjects have been reported in recent years.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>In the present study, we generated and characterized a recombinant Modified Vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) for the delivery of the pre-membrane (prM) and envelope (E) proteins of TBEV (MVA-prME).</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>MVA-prME was tested in mice in comparison with a licensed vaccine FSME-IMMUN® and proved to be highly immunogenic and afforded full protection against challenge infection with TBEV.</p></sec><sec><title>Discussion</title><p>Our data indicate that MVA-prME holds promise as an improved next-generation vaccine for the prevention of TBE.</p></sec>