Evaluating the protective immunity of subunit vaccine candidates against monkeypox virus (MPXV) infection in mice

Background: Monkeypox virus (MPXV) is the virus that causes mpox disease and is closely related to smallpox. Historically, this virus was confined to regions in Africa, but recently, this virus spread across the world, impacting about 100,000 people in over 100 countries in 2022. Currently, a repurposed smallpox vaccine is approved for use against MPXV, however, this vaccine has issues such as limited protection, cold-chain storage requirements, and adverse reactions. These issues highlight the need for a new vaccine against MPXV. Subunit vaccines use only a part of a pathogen, like protein, to generate an immune response. Protein vaccines offer better safety and storage conditions, since they are not infectious and can be stored at room temperature. A vaccine that uses MPXV proteins can teach the immune system to effectively recognize the virus, leaving people protected from future MPXV infection. Objective: The goal of my project is to develop a new protein-based MPXV vaccine and compare its efficacy against the currently used smallpox vaccine. Methods: I will vaccinate mice with seven individual MPXV proteins to examine the immune response following vaccination with each protein. Protective antibodies and immune cells will be analyzed to determine which proteins are most effective as a vaccine. Additionally, vaccinated mice will be exposed to MPXV to determine which proteins provide protection from infection and disease. Lastly, proteins demonstrating protection will be combined to create a pooled protein vaccine which will be tested against MPXV in comparison with the currently used smallpox vaccine. Significance: This vaccine will provide better protection, improved storage, and enhanced safety, allowing it to help people across the world.