@article{mbs:/content/journal/jgv/10.1099/jgv.0.000646, author = "Zhang, Yajing and Zhou, Ming and Wang, Zhao and Yang, Jie and Li, Mingming and Wang, Kunlun and Cui, Min and Chen, Huanchun and Fu, Zhen F. and Zhao, Ling", title = "Recombinant rabies virus expressing IL-21 enhances immunogenicity through activation of T follicular helper cells and germinal centre B cells", journal= "Journal of General Virology", year = "2016", volume = "97", number = "12", pages = "3154-3160", doi = "https://doi.org/10.1099/jgv.0.000646", url = "https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/jgv/10.1099/jgv.0.000646", publisher = "Microbiology Society", issn = "1465-2099", type = "Journal Article", keywords = "germinal center B cells", keywords = "immunogenicity", keywords = "T follicular helper cells", keywords = "IL-21", keywords = "rabies virus", abstract = "Previous studies have demonstrated that the lack of interleukin-21 (IL-21) signalling could affect specific antibody induction after rabies vaccination. Here, to further investigate the over-expression of IL-21 on the immunogenicity of rabies virus (RABV), a recombinant RABV expressing murine IL-21, designated LBNSE-IL21, was constructed and evaluated in a mouse model. It was found that in mice immunized with LBNSE-IL21, there was a substantial increase in the number of T follicular helper cells and germinal centre B cells but no enhancement of dendritic cell activation. Furthermore, significantly higher rabies virus-neutralizing antibody (VNA) titres were produced in mice immunized with LBNSE-IL21 than in mice immunized with the parent virus LBNSE in the first six weeks, resulting in higher protection. Together, these results suggest that LBNSE-IL21 can induce a rapid and robust VNA titre, and it has the potential to be developed as a promising rabies vaccine.", }