Vaccinia-Virus-Based Vaccines Are Expected to Elicit Highly Cross-Reactive Immunity to the 2022 Monkeypox Virus

Syed Faraz Ahmed; Muhammad Saqib Sohail; Ahmed Abdul Quadeer; Matthew R McKay

doi:10.3390/v14091960

Vaccinia-Virus-Based Vaccines Are Expected to Elicit Highly Cross-Reactive Immunity to the 2022 Monkeypox Virus

Viruses. 2022 Sep 3;14(9):1960. doi: 10.3390/v14091960.

Authors

Syed Faraz Ahmed¹, Muhammad Saqib Sohail², Ahmed Abdul Quadeer², Matthew R McKay^{1

3}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia.
² Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong SAR, China.
³ Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia.

Abstract

Beginning in May 2022, a novel cluster of monkeypox virus infections was detected in humans. This virus has spread rapidly to non-endemic countries, sparking global concern. Specific vaccines based on the vaccinia virus (VACV) have demonstrated high efficacy against monkeypox viruses in the past and are considered an important outbreak control measure. Viruses observed in the current outbreak carry distinct genetic variations that have the potential to affect vaccine-induced immune recognition. Here, by investigating genetic variation with respect to orthologous immunogenic vaccinia-virus proteins, we report data that anticipates immune responses induced by VACV-based vaccines, including the currently available MVA-BN and ACAM2000 vaccines, to remain highly cross-reactive against the newly observed monkeypox viruses.

Keywords: ACAM2000; Dryvax; MVA-BN; T cells; epitopes; genetic similarity; immunity; monkeypox; neutralizing antibodies; vaccines; vaccinia virus.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Cross Reactions
Humans
Monkeypox virus* / genetics
Vaccinia virus / genetics
Vaccinia* / prevention & control

Grants and funding

M.S.S. and A.A.Q. were supported by the General Research Fund of the Hong Kong Research Grants Council (RGC), grant no. 16213121. M.R.M. is the recipient of an Australian Research Council Future Fellowship, project no. FT200100928, funded by the Australian Government.