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Vaccines
Volume 14
Issue 1
10.3390/vaccines14010076
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Maternal Immunization with VP8* mRNA Vaccine Yields Superior Passive Transfer of Rotavirus-Neutralizing Antibodies to Foals

by
Karin E. R. Borba
1,
Rebecca M. Legere
1,
Nathan M. Canaday
2,
Jill W. Skrobarczyk
3,
Zachary W. T. Arnold
2,
Elena Cotton-Betteridge
1,
Cristina Poveda
4,
Michael F. Criscitiello
5,
Angela I. Bordin
1,
Luc R. Berghman
3,5,
Jeroen B. K. Pollet
4,* and
Noah D. Cohen
1,*
1
Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-4475, USA
2
6666 Ranch, Guthrie, TX 79236, USA
3
Department of Poultry Science, College of Agriculture & Life Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-2472, USA
4
Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
5
Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-4467, USA
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Vaccines 2026, 14(1), 76; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines14010076 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 2 December 2025 / Revised: 30 December 2025 / Accepted: 8 January 2026 / Published: 9 January 2026
(This article belongs to the Section Veterinary Vaccines)
Versions Notes

Abstract

Background: Despite the availability of a killed whole-virus (KV) vaccine, diarrhea caused by equine rotavirus group A (ERVA) remains a significant health concern for foals in the United States. The vaccine is administered to pregnant mares, with foals protected by passive transfer of colostral antibodies. However, KV-induced immunity is only partially protective and maternal antibody levels in foals are often low and wane rapidly. To address these limitations, we developed a mRNA-based ERVA vaccine encoding the highly conserved VP8* protein to evaluate whether it can provide improved immune protection. Methods: Pregnant mares (n=12 per group) were immunized either at months 8 and 10 of gestation with the VP8* mRNA or at months 8, 9, and 10 of gestation with the KV. Serum samples were collected from mares before and after immunization and from their foals at ages 1, 35, and 49 days. Serum samples were tested by indirect ELISA for VP8*-specific relative antibody concentrations and relative concentrations were compared for effects of study group and sample-time using linear mixed-effects regression. To detect functional antibodies against ERVA, a virus neutralization titer assay was performed to compare titers between mares vaccinated with the mRNA vaccine (and their foals) and unvaccinated control mares (and their foals). Results: Mares vaccinated with VP8* mRNA had significantly (P < 0.05) higher antibody concentrations after foaling than mares in the KV group, and foals of VP8* mRNA-vaccinated mares had significantly (P < 0.05) higher concentrations through age 49 days than foals in the KV group. In addition, the VP8* mRNA vaccine elicited higher titers of ERVA-neutralizing antibodies against both G3 and G14 strains. Conclusion: Longer-lasting, higher concentrations of virus-neutralizing antibodies might provide superior duration of immunity to ERVA in foals from mares vaccinated with VP8* mRNA.
Keywords: mRNA; VP8*; Rotavirus; Vaccine; ELISA; Foal mRNA; VP8*; Rotavirus; Vaccine; ELISA; Foal

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MDPI and ACS Style

Borba, K.E.R.; Legere, R.M.; Canaday, N.M.; Skrobarczyk, J.W.; Arnold, Z.W.T.; Cotton-Betteridge, E.; Poveda, C.; Criscitiello, M.F.; Bordin, A.I.; Berghman, L.R.; et al. Maternal Immunization with VP8* mRNA Vaccine Yields Superior Passive Transfer of Rotavirus-Neutralizing Antibodies to Foals. Vaccines 2026, 14, 76. https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines14010076

AMA Style

Borba KER, Legere RM, Canaday NM, Skrobarczyk JW, Arnold ZWT, Cotton-Betteridge E, Poveda C, Criscitiello MF, Bordin AI, Berghman LR, et al. Maternal Immunization with VP8* mRNA Vaccine Yields Superior Passive Transfer of Rotavirus-Neutralizing Antibodies to Foals. Vaccines. 2026; 14(1):76. https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines14010076

Chicago/Turabian Style

Borba, Karin E. R., Rebecca M. Legere, Nathan M. Canaday, Jill W. Skrobarczyk, Zachary W. T. Arnold, Elena Cotton-Betteridge, Cristina Poveda, Michael F. Criscitiello, Angela I. Bordin, Luc R. Berghman, and et al. 2026. "Maternal Immunization with VP8* mRNA Vaccine Yields Superior Passive Transfer of Rotavirus-Neutralizing Antibodies to Foals" Vaccines 14, no. 1: 76. https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines14010076

APA Style

Borba, K. E. R., Legere, R. M., Canaday, N. M., Skrobarczyk, J. W., Arnold, Z. W. T., Cotton-Betteridge, E., Poveda, C., Criscitiello, M. F., Bordin, A. I., Berghman, L. R., Pollet, J. B. K., & Cohen, N. D. (2026). Maternal Immunization with VP8* mRNA Vaccine Yields Superior Passive Transfer of Rotavirus-Neutralizing Antibodies to Foals. Vaccines, 14(1), 76. https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines14010076

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