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winter season in South Korea, several outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian infl uenza virus (H5N1) were confi rmed among domestic poultry and in migratory bird habitats. Phylogenetic analysis showed that all isolates were closely related and that all belong to the A/ bar-headed goose/Qinghai/5/2005-like lineage rather than the A/chicken/Korea/ES/2003-like lineage.

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The membrane proximal external region (MPER) of HIV-1 gp41 is targeted by broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) 4E10 and 10E8. In this proof-of-concept study, we evaluated a novel multi-immunogen vaccine strategy referred to as Incremental, Phased Antigenic Stimulation for Rapid Antibody Maturation (IPAS-RAM) to induce 4E10/10E8-like bnAbs. Rabbits were immunized sequentially, but in a phased manner, with three immunogens that are progressively more native (gp41-28×3, gp41-54CT, and rVV-gp160DH12). Although nAbs were not induced, epitope-mapping analyses indicated that IPAS-RAM vaccination was better able to target antibodies towards the 4E10/10E8 epitopes than homologous prime-boost immunization using gp41-28×3 alone. MPER-specific rabbit monoclonal antibodies were generated, including 9F6. Although it lacked neutralizing activity, the target epitope profile of 9F6 closely resembled those of 4E10 and 10E8 (671NWFDITNWLWYIK683). B-cell repertoire analyses suggested the importance of co-immunizations for maturation of 9F6, which warrants further evaluation of our IPAS-RAM vaccine strategy using an improved priming immunogen.

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The antiviral activities of synthesized Kα2-helix peptide, which was derived from the viral FLICE-like inhibitor protein (vFLIP) of Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), against influenza A virus (IAV) were investigated in vitro and in vivo, and mechanisms of action were suggested. In addition to the robust autophagy activity of the Kα2-helix peptide, the present study showed that treatment with the Kα2 peptide fused with the TAT peptide significantly inhibited IAV replication and transmission. Moreover, TAT-Kα2 peptide protected the mice, that were challenged with lethal doses of highly pathogenic influenza A H5N1 or H1N1 viruses. Mechanistically, we found that TAT-Kα2 peptide destabilized the viral membranes, depending on their lipid composition of the viral envelop. In addition to IAV, the Kα2 peptide inhibited infections with enveloped viruses, such as Vesicular Stomatitis Virus (VSV) and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), without cytotoxicity. These results suggest that TAT-Kα2 peptide is a potential antiviral agent for controlling emerging or re-emerging enveloped viruses, particularly diverse subtypes of IAVs.