Transcriptomic and proteomic signatures following AS03-adjuvanted Influenza A/H7N9 vaccine.

INTRODUCTION

Vaccines targeting avian influenza virus A/H7N9 are poorly immunogenic. While the immune responses can be improved with oil-in-water emulsion adjuvants such as Adjuvant System 03 (AS03), the cellular mechanisms underpinning the adjuvant effect are incompletely characterized and poorly understood.

METHODS

We enrolled 30 healthy adult participants and used RNA sequencing and quantitative proteomics to characterize the response to two doses of the influenza A/H7N9 vaccine, with and without AS03, in six immune cell types. These responses were compared to those seen after administration of an unadjuvanted seasonal in uenza A/H3N2 variant vaccine to identify signatures unique to adjuvanted influenza vaccines and correlated with later antibody responses. Transcriptomic and proteomic analyses revealed that.

RESULTS

AS03-adjuvanted vaccine was associated with upregulation of immune pathways in innate immune cells within 24h following vaccination for phagocytosis, antigen presentation and processing, inflammasome activation, NK-cell mediated cytotoxicity, IgA production, and interferon-response pathways. Moreover, while major histocompatibility complex (MHC I and II) upregulation was observed across multiple immune cell types, MHCII gene transcription was also increased in the neutrophil compartment, generating the hypothesis that neutrophils may play a more important role in antigen presentation than previously understood.

DISCUSSION

Taken together, these data provide a more complete mechanistic understanding of oil-in-water adjuvants and their role in enhancing the immune response for pandemic influenza preparedness.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT02921997?term=NCT02921997&viewType, idientifier NCT02921997.

Copyright © 2026 Creech, Steenbergen, Gelber, Howard, Schey, Rose, Yoder, Edwards and Goll.