Targeting Langerhans cells via skin delivery of HIV Envelope enhances the antibody response to vaccination

Abstract Targeting dendritic cells (DCs) with antigens is a promising approach to modulating T follicular helper (Tfh) cells and germinal center (GC) reactions, enhancing vaccine-induced adaptive immune responses, with preclinical studies highlighting a key role of Langerhans cells (LCs) in generati...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Juliane S. Lanza, Adele Hammoudi, Joanna De Chiara, Mathieu Surenaud, Anaïs Kembou, Michela Esposito, Sandra Zurawski, Gerard Zurawski, Mireille Centlivre, Bernard Malissen, Véronique Godot, Yves Lévy, Sandrine Henri, Sylvain Cardinaud
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-07-01
Series:npj Vaccines
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41541-025-01214-w
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849767032201936896
author Juliane S. Lanza
Adele Hammoudi
Joanna De Chiara
Mathieu Surenaud
Anaïs Kembou
Michela Esposito
Sandra Zurawski
Gerard Zurawski
Mireille Centlivre
Bernard Malissen
Véronique Godot
Yves Lévy
Sandrine Henri
Sylvain Cardinaud
author_facet Juliane S. Lanza
Adele Hammoudi
Joanna De Chiara
Mathieu Surenaud
Anaïs Kembou
Michela Esposito
Sandra Zurawski
Gerard Zurawski
Mireille Centlivre
Bernard Malissen
Véronique Godot
Yves Lévy
Sandrine Henri
Sylvain Cardinaud
author_sort Juliane S. Lanza
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Targeting dendritic cells (DCs) with antigens is a promising approach to modulating T follicular helper (Tfh) cells and germinal center (GC) reactions, enhancing vaccine-induced adaptive immune responses, with preclinical studies highlighting a key role of Langerhans cells (LCs) in generating HIV-1-specific antibody responses. This study evaluated the immunogenicity of a Langerin-targeting vaccine (αLang.Env), comprising an anti-mouse Langerin mAb fused to HIV-1 Envelope 96ZM651 gp140 (Env), delivered through various skin immunization routes in mice, and explored the roles of epidermal LCs and dermal cDC1s in adaptive immune responses. Lymph nodes draining the immunization sites were analyzed using ovalbumin (OVA) as a surrogate antigen after topical (top.), subcutaneous (s.c.), intradermal (i.d.), or transcutaneous (t.c.) delivery via laser-guided microporation, with αLang.Env administered without adjuvant in a Prime-Boost scheme. All methods primed T cells in draining lymph nodes (dLN), as shown by OVA-specific CD8+ and CD4+ T cell proliferation, while αLang.Env induced GC B cells regardless of the route. However, topical delivery did not elicit Tfh cells or Env-specific GC B cells, whereas i.d. and s.c. routes produced systemic Env-specific IgG responses, with i.d. immunization yielding the highest titers and strongest Tfh responses. In the Xcr1 DTA mouse model, where cDC1s were depleted, the i.d. route confirmed that epidermal LCs were the primary drivers of GC/Tfh reactions and humoral responses, while cDC1s mediated CD8+ T cell effector responses. These findings highlight that i.d. administration of the HIV-1 Env antigen targeted to Langerin, without the use of an adjuvant, is an effective vaccine strategy for eliciting GC reactions in LN and generating robust antibody responses, primarily through the activation of LC.
format Article
id doaj-art-ecc74518ae2241e0923affc23b97be88
institution DOAJ
issn 2059-0105
language English
publishDate 2025-07-01
publisher Nature Portfolio
record_format Article
series npj Vaccines
spelling doaj-art-ecc74518ae2241e0923affc23b97be882025-08-20T03:04:22ZengNature Portfolionpj Vaccines2059-01052025-07-0110111110.1038/s41541-025-01214-wTargeting Langerhans cells via skin delivery of HIV Envelope enhances the antibody response to vaccinationJuliane S. Lanza0Adele Hammoudi1Joanna De Chiara2Mathieu Surenaud3Anaïs Kembou4Michela Esposito5Sandra Zurawski6Gerard Zurawski7Mireille Centlivre8Bernard Malissen9Véronique Godot10Yves Lévy11Sandrine Henri12Sylvain Cardinaud13Vaccine Research Institute (VRI), INSERM-U955 (IMRB) Équipe 16, Université Paris-Est Créteil (UPEC)Vaccine Research Institute (VRI), INSERM-U955 (IMRB) Équipe 16, Université Paris-Est Créteil (UPEC)Centre d’Immunologie de Marseille-Luminy (CIML), Aix Marseille Université, INSERM, CNRS, Parc Scientifique et Technologique de LuminyVaccine Research Institute (VRI), INSERM-U955 (IMRB) Équipe 16, Université Paris-Est Créteil (UPEC)Vaccine Research Institute (VRI), INSERM-U955 (IMRB) Équipe 16, Université Paris-Est Créteil (UPEC)Vaccine Research Institute (VRI), INSERM-U955 (IMRB) Équipe 16, Université Paris-Est Créteil (UPEC)Vaccine Research Institute (VRI), INSERM-U955 (IMRB) Équipe 16, Université Paris-Est Créteil (UPEC)Vaccine Research Institute (VRI), INSERM-U955 (IMRB) Équipe 16, Université Paris-Est Créteil (UPEC)Vaccine Research Institute (VRI), INSERM-U955 (IMRB) Équipe 16, Université Paris-Est Créteil (UPEC)Centre d’Immunologie de Marseille-Luminy (CIML), Aix Marseille Université, INSERM, CNRS, Parc Scientifique et Technologique de LuminyVaccine Research Institute (VRI), INSERM-U955 (IMRB) Équipe 16, Université Paris-Est Créteil (UPEC)Vaccine Research Institute (VRI), INSERM-U955 (IMRB) Équipe 16, Université Paris-Est Créteil (UPEC)Centre d’Immunologie de Marseille-Luminy (CIML), Aix Marseille Université, INSERM, CNRS, Parc Scientifique et Technologique de LuminyVaccine Research Institute (VRI), INSERM-U955 (IMRB) Équipe 16, Université Paris-Est Créteil (UPEC)Abstract Targeting dendritic cells (DCs) with antigens is a promising approach to modulating T follicular helper (Tfh) cells and germinal center (GC) reactions, enhancing vaccine-induced adaptive immune responses, with preclinical studies highlighting a key role of Langerhans cells (LCs) in generating HIV-1-specific antibody responses. This study evaluated the immunogenicity of a Langerin-targeting vaccine (αLang.Env), comprising an anti-mouse Langerin mAb fused to HIV-1 Envelope 96ZM651 gp140 (Env), delivered through various skin immunization routes in mice, and explored the roles of epidermal LCs and dermal cDC1s in adaptive immune responses. Lymph nodes draining the immunization sites were analyzed using ovalbumin (OVA) as a surrogate antigen after topical (top.), subcutaneous (s.c.), intradermal (i.d.), or transcutaneous (t.c.) delivery via laser-guided microporation, with αLang.Env administered without adjuvant in a Prime-Boost scheme. All methods primed T cells in draining lymph nodes (dLN), as shown by OVA-specific CD8+ and CD4+ T cell proliferation, while αLang.Env induced GC B cells regardless of the route. However, topical delivery did not elicit Tfh cells or Env-specific GC B cells, whereas i.d. and s.c. routes produced systemic Env-specific IgG responses, with i.d. immunization yielding the highest titers and strongest Tfh responses. In the Xcr1 DTA mouse model, where cDC1s were depleted, the i.d. route confirmed that epidermal LCs were the primary drivers of GC/Tfh reactions and humoral responses, while cDC1s mediated CD8+ T cell effector responses. These findings highlight that i.d. administration of the HIV-1 Env antigen targeted to Langerin, without the use of an adjuvant, is an effective vaccine strategy for eliciting GC reactions in LN and generating robust antibody responses, primarily through the activation of LC.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41541-025-01214-w
spellingShingle Juliane S. Lanza
Adele Hammoudi
Joanna De Chiara
Mathieu Surenaud
Anaïs Kembou
Michela Esposito
Sandra Zurawski
Gerard Zurawski
Mireille Centlivre
Bernard Malissen
Véronique Godot
Yves Lévy
Sandrine Henri
Sylvain Cardinaud
Targeting Langerhans cells via skin delivery of HIV Envelope enhances the antibody response to vaccination
npj Vaccines
title Targeting Langerhans cells via skin delivery of HIV Envelope enhances the antibody response to vaccination
title_full Targeting Langerhans cells via skin delivery of HIV Envelope enhances the antibody response to vaccination
title_fullStr Targeting Langerhans cells via skin delivery of HIV Envelope enhances the antibody response to vaccination
title_full_unstemmed Targeting Langerhans cells via skin delivery of HIV Envelope enhances the antibody response to vaccination
title_short Targeting Langerhans cells via skin delivery of HIV Envelope enhances the antibody response to vaccination
title_sort targeting langerhans cells via skin delivery of hiv envelope enhances the antibody response to vaccination
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41541-025-01214-w
work_keys_str_mv AT julianeslanza targetinglangerhanscellsviaskindeliveryofhivenvelopeenhancestheantibodyresponsetovaccination
AT adelehammoudi targetinglangerhanscellsviaskindeliveryofhivenvelopeenhancestheantibodyresponsetovaccination
AT joannadechiara targetinglangerhanscellsviaskindeliveryofhivenvelopeenhancestheantibodyresponsetovaccination
AT mathieusurenaud targetinglangerhanscellsviaskindeliveryofhivenvelopeenhancestheantibodyresponsetovaccination
AT anaiskembou targetinglangerhanscellsviaskindeliveryofhivenvelopeenhancestheantibodyresponsetovaccination
AT michelaesposito targetinglangerhanscellsviaskindeliveryofhivenvelopeenhancestheantibodyresponsetovaccination
AT sandrazurawski targetinglangerhanscellsviaskindeliveryofhivenvelopeenhancestheantibodyresponsetovaccination
AT gerardzurawski targetinglangerhanscellsviaskindeliveryofhivenvelopeenhancestheantibodyresponsetovaccination
AT mireillecentlivre targetinglangerhanscellsviaskindeliveryofhivenvelopeenhancestheantibodyresponsetovaccination
AT bernardmalissen targetinglangerhanscellsviaskindeliveryofhivenvelopeenhancestheantibodyresponsetovaccination
AT veroniquegodot targetinglangerhanscellsviaskindeliveryofhivenvelopeenhancestheantibodyresponsetovaccination
AT yveslevy targetinglangerhanscellsviaskindeliveryofhivenvelopeenhancestheantibodyresponsetovaccination
AT sandrinehenri targetinglangerhanscellsviaskindeliveryofhivenvelopeenhancestheantibodyresponsetovaccination
AT sylvaincardinaud targetinglangerhanscellsviaskindeliveryofhivenvelopeenhancestheantibodyresponsetovaccination