Recombinant herpesvirus glycoprotein G improves the protective immune response to Helicobacter pylori vaccination in a mouse model of disease.
Authors: Baker Louise, Chitas Andre M L, Hartley Carol A, Coppo Mauricio J C, Vaz Paola K, Stent Andrew, Gilkerson James R, Devlin Joanne M, Every Alison L
Journal: PloS one
Summary
# Editorial Summary Alphaherpesviruses have evolved sophisticated immune-evasion strategies over millions of years, including expression of glycoprotein G (gG)—a chemokine decoy receptor that disrupts the host's chemokine signalling network. Rather than viewing this as purely detrimental, Baker and colleagues explored whether this immunomodulatory property could be repurposed to enhance vaccine efficacy, using a mouse model vaccinated against *Helicobacter pylori* with the antigen catalase (KatA). When KatA was combined with equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) gG, mice developed significantly higher anti-KatA antibody levels and, crucially, showed substantially reduced *H. pylori* colonisation following challenge compared to KatA-vaccinated controls—with the subcutaneous route proving most effective. Notably, glycoprotein G derived from infectious laryngotracheitis virus produced no such benefit, suggesting that the spectrum of chemokines each viral protein binds determines its immunomodulatory potential. For equine practitioners, whilst this research uses a non-equine pathogen model, it demonstrates a novel principle: harnessing species-specific viral immune-evasion molecules could enhance vaccination protocols and potentially improve protection against challenging infections in horses.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •EHV-1 glycoprotein G may have applications as a vaccine adjuvant to enhance immune responses, though this research is preliminary mouse model work
- •Species-specific differences in viral proteins matter—EHV-1 gG and ILTV gG showed different efficacy despite similar function, suggesting tailored approaches needed
- •This is fundamental research with distant practical application; equine practitioners should monitor developments in viral immunomodulation but cannot implement these findings clinically yet
Key Findings
- •EHV-1 glycoprotein G (gG) significantly improved anti-KatA IgG response when combined with H. pylori vaccine antigen in mice
- •Subcutaneous immunisation with KatA and EHV-1 gG resulted in significantly lower H. pylori colonization levels compared to KatA alone
- •EHV-1 gG was therapeutically effective while ILTV gG was not, suggesting species-specific differences in chemokine binding
- •Viral glycoprotein G immunomodulatory properties show potential as vaccine adjuvants for improving protective immune responses