DEVELOPMENT AND IMMUNOGENICITY EVALUATION OF A DNA VACCINE AGAINST A DISEASE CAUSED BY THE AVIAN INFLUENZA VIRUS SUBTYPE A/H9

Vladimir A. Yakovlev; Яковлев Владимир Андреевич; Maria B. Borgoyakova; Боргоякова Мария Борисовна; Elena V. Yakovleva; Яковлева Елена Витальевна; Nadezhda B. Rudometova; Рудометова Надежда Борисовна; Kristina P. Makarova; Макарова Кристина Петровна; Ekaterina V. Starostina; Старостина Екатерина Владимировна; Danil I. Vahitov; Вахитов Данил Игоревич; Victoria R. Litvinova; Литвинова Виктория Руслановна; Denis N. Kisakov; Кисаков Денис Николаевич; Larisa I. Karpenko; Карпенко Лариса Ивановна; Alexander A. Ilyichev; Ильичев Александр Алексеевич; Andrey P. Rudometov; Рудометов Андрей Павлович

doi:10.46235/1028-7221-17539-DAI

DEVELOPMENT AND IMMUNOGENICITY EVALUATION OF A DNA VACCINE AGAINST A DISEASE CAUSED BY THE AVIAN INFLUENZA VIRUS SUBTYPE A/H9

Authors: Yakovlev V.A.¹, Borgoyakova M.B.¹, Yakovleva E.V.¹, Rudometova N.B.¹, Makarova K.P.¹, Starostina E.V.¹, Vahitov D.I.¹, Litvinova V.R.¹, Kisakov D.N.¹, Karpenko L.I.¹, Ilyichev A.A.¹, Rudometov A.P.¹
Affiliations:
1. FBIS SSC VB "Vector" of Rospotrebnadzor, Department of Bioengineering, Russia
Section: SHORT COMMUNICATIONS
Submitted: 01.05.2026
Accepted: 01.08.2026
URL: https://rusimmun.ru/jour/article/view/17539
DOI: https://doi.org/10.46235/1028-7221-17539-DAI
ID: 17539

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Abstract

The A/H9 avian influenza virus subtype is classified as low-pathogenic. However, this subtype remains a concern for the WHO due to its ability to undergo rapid genetic evolution and active reassortment with highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses. In this regard, there is a clear need to develop effective vaccines against this virus subtype. It is evident that nucleic acid-based vaccines possess numerous significant advantages in comparison to other vaccine types. These vaccines have the capacity to stimulate both humoral and T-cell immune responses and can be rapidly developed; their large-scale production is relatively straightforward and versatile, requiring neither work with dangerous pathogens nor high economic costs. The aim of this study was to develop a DNA vaccine against the disease caused by avian influenza virus subtype A/H9 and to evaluate its immunogenicity in a BALB/c mouse model. Materials and methods. In the present study, an immunogen encoding the hemagglutinin of the avian influenza virus subtype A/H9 was designed and produced. The transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains were excised from the native sequence, and a number of mutations were introduced to stabilize the protein. In order to obtain an immunogen structure corresponding to the native one, a T4 bacteriophage trimerization domain was added to the C-terminus. The H9 gene, which is responsible for encoding the developed immunogen, was then cloned into the pVAX1 vector. The resulting construct was named pVAX-H9. Results. Analysis of the immunogenicity of the construct demonstrated that the vaccine has the capacity to stimulate both humoral and T-cell immune responses when administered to BALB/c mice at a dose of 100 μg. Concurrently, the number of splenocytes producing IFN-γ in response to specific stimulation in the group immunized with pVAX-H9 was twice as high as in the group immunized with the recombinant protein. Conclusions. The results obtained in this study indicate the potential of the developed DNA vaccine and of the approach used for immunogen design. The pVAX-H9 DNA vaccine can be regarded as both a single vaccine and a component of combined immunization regimens.

Keywords

Influenza virus, subtype A/H9, DNA vaccine, hemagglutinin, immunogenicity, jet injection, T-cell immune response.

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