Safety Profile of a Virus-Like Particle-Based Vaccine Targeting Self-Protein Interleukin-5 in Horses

Background: Insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) is an eosinophilic allergic dermatitis of horses caused by type I/IVb reactions against mainly Culicoides bites. The vaccination of IBH-affected horses with equine IL-5 coupled to the Cucumber mosaic virus-like particle (eIL-5-CuMV(TT)) induces IL-5-specific auto-antibodies, resulting in a significant reduction in eosinophil levels in blood and clinical signs. Objective: the preclinical and clinical safety of the eIL-5-CuMV(TT) vaccine. Methods: The B cell responses were assessed by longitudinal measurement of IL-5- and CuMV(TT)-specific IgG in the serum and plasma of vaccinated and unvaccinated horses. Further, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from the same horses were re-stimulated in vitro for the proliferation and IFN-γ production of specific T cells. In addition, we evaluated longitudinal kidney and liver parameters and the general blood status. An endogenous protein challenge was performed in murine IL-5-vaccinated mice. Results: The vaccine was well tolerated as assessed by serum and cellular biomarkers and also induced reversible and neutralizing antibody titers in horses and mice. Endogenous IL-5 stimulation was unable to re-induce anti-IL-5 production. The CD4(+) T cells of vaccinated horses produced significantly more IFN-γ and showed a stronger proliferation following stimulation with CuMV(TT) as compared to the unvaccinated controls. Re-stimulation using E. coli-derived proteins induced low levels of IFNγ(+)CD4(+) cells in vaccinated horses; however, no IFN-γ and proliferation were induced following the HEK-eIL-5 re-stimulation. Conclusions: Vaccination using eIL-5-CuMV(TT) induces a strong B-cell as well as CuMV(TT)-specific T cell response without the induction of IL-5-specific T cell responses. Hence, B-cell unresponsiveness against self-IL-5 can be bypassed by inducing CuMV(TT) carrier-specific T cells, making the vaccine a safe therapeutic option for IBH-affected horses.