University of Minnesota
https://twin-cities.umn.edu/
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Milestone
2.2.d

Host factors in immune response

In progress

Characterize human immune responses to influenza vaccines in diverse populations, according to a range of host factors, including age, sex, pregnancy, obesity, presence of coinfections or other comorbidities, concurrent use of immunotherapies, geographic region, and socioeconomic factors.

Progress Highlights

Honce 2024 used a mouse model of diet-induced obesity to assess the systemic and specific effects of diet on influenza vaccine immunogenicity; results demonstrated that (1) the systemic meta-inflammation generated by high-fat diet exposure limited T-cell maturation to the memory compartment at the time of vaccination and (2) that the metabolic dysfunction of T-cells was reversed if weight loss occurred 4 weeks before vaccination, restoring a functional recall response. While this study involved mice, the model can be used to inform studies in humans of the effects of diet on influenza immunogenicity.

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King 2024 analyzed data from the US influenza vaccine effectiveness (Flu VE) network over seven seasons to evaluate the relationship between obesity and influenza VE in the outpatient setting and found that elevated BMI was not associated with reduced VE against laboratory-confirmed, outpatient influenza illness. 

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Abd Alhadi 2023 analyzed influenza-specific IgG and IgA Ab repertoires among individuals with healthy weights and obesity prior to and 30 days after vaccination with TIV and found that obesity may impair immune history and cannot be overcome by seasonal vaccination, especially in younger individuals with decreased lifetime exposure to infections and seasonal vaccines. 

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Tadount 2024 conducted meta-analyses using data from phase 3 RCTs to assess sex differences in the immunogenicity and efficacy of influenza vaccines in healthy adults. Results suggested a higher immunogenicity and VE in females compared to males in older adults.

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Sánchez-de Prada 2023 examined the induction of HA stalk-specific antibodies after seasonal influenza vaccination, considering the age of the cohorts; found that seasonal influenza vaccines can induce cross-reactive anti-stalk Abs against group 1 and group 2 HAs, but that low responses were observed in older groups, highlighting the impact of immunosenescence in adequate humoral immune responses.

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Chou 2022 used a multi-omics approach to identify age-related metabolomic signatures associated with influenza vaccine responses.

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Zhang 2023 assessed immune responses to IIV at cellular and humoral levels in a cohort of immunocompromised hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients, at least 1 year post-transplantation, and found that IIV significantly increased HAI titers in HSCT recipients, similar to healthy controls. 

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Fourati 2022 identified a common pre-vaccination peripheral blood transcriptional signature is predictive of antibody responses across 13 different vaccines, including live and inactivated influenza vaccine. Results demonstrated that wide variations in the transcriptional state of the immune system can be a key determinant of responsiveness to vaccination.

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