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Interferon-λ (IFN-λ) acts on epithelial cells and mediates innate antiviral protection of mucosal surfaces. Here we report that IFN-λ can also enhance adaptive immunity following infection of the respiratory tract. Mice deficient in IFN-λ signaling showed an impaired antibody response after influenza virus infection. We further found that subunit vaccines enriched with IFN-λ induced strongly enhanced IgG1 and IgA antibody responses in wild-type mice compared with IFN-λ-free vaccines if administrated by the intranasal route. No such adjuvant effect of IFN-λ was observed if the vaccines were administrated by the subcutaneous or intraperitoneal routes. IFN-λ triggered the synthesis of thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) in epithelial cells of the upper airways which targeted migratory dendritic cells and boosted antigen-dependent germinal center reactions in draining lymph nodes and spleen. The IFN-λ/TSLP axis not only induced strongly increased responses to influenza subunit vaccines but also enhanced survival after lethal virus challenge. Thus, IFN-λ plays an important role in potentiating adaptive immune responses which initiate in the upper airways and it has great potential to increase the effectiveness of mucosal vaccines.
| Choose primary session | Vaccines and antivirals |
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| Choose secondary Session | Vaccines and antivirals |
