PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - J. Edlmayr
AU  - K. Niespodziana
AU  - T. Popow-Kraupp
AU  - V. Krzyzanek
AU  - M. Focke-Tejkl
AU  - D. Blaas
AU  - M. Grote
AU  - R. Valenta
TI  - Antibodies induced with recombinant VP1 from human rhinovirus exhibit cross-neutralisation
AID  - 10.1183/09031936.00149109
DP  - 2011 Jan 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - 44--52
VI  - 37
IP  - 1
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/37/1/44.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/37/1/44.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2011 Jan 01; 37
AB  - Human rhinoviruses (HRVs) are the major cause of the common cold and account for 30–50% of all acute respiratory illnesses. Although HRV infections are usually harmless and invade only the upper respiratory tract, several studies demonstrate that HRV is involved in the exacerbation of asthma. VP1 is one of the surface-exposed proteins of the viral capsid that is important for the binding of rhinoviruses to the corresponding receptors on human cells. Here we investigated its potential usefulness for vaccination against the common cold. We expressed VP1 proteins from two distantly related HRV strains, HRV89 and HRV14, in Escherichia coli. Mice and rabbits were immunised with the purified recombinant proteins. The induced antibodies reacted with natural VP1 and with whole virus particles as shown by immunoblotting and immunogold electron microscopy. They exhibited strong cross-neutralising activity for different HRV strains. Therefore, recombinant VP1 may be considered a candidate HRV vaccine to prevent HRV-induced asthma exacerbations.