Jumpei Ito, etc.,al. [preprint]Integrative modeling of seasonal influenza evolution via AI-powered antigenic cartography. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.08.04.668423
Seasonal influenza viruses evade host immunity through rapid antigenic evolution. Antigenicity is assessed by serological assays and typically visualized as antigenic maps, which represent antigenic differences among virus strains. However, conventional maps cannot directly infer the antigenicity of unexamined variants from their genotypes. Here, we present PLANT, a protein language model that projects influenza A/H3N2 viruses onto an antigenic map using HA protein sequences. Using PLANT-based cartography, we show that (i) H3N2 antigenic evolution accelerates during periods of disrupted global circulation, (ii) antigenic novelty accounts for a substantial portion of viral fitness advantage, and (iii) vaccine strains are often antigenically distant from circulating viruses. We further propose a PLANT-based framework for selecting vaccine strains with improved antigenic match than the WHO-recommended strains. This study provides a statistical foundation for integrated modeling of viral genotype, antigenicity, and fitness, offering quantitative insights into influenza virus evolution and supporting rational vaccine design.
See Also:
Latest articles in those days:
- [preprint]The mammalian-adaptive PB2-E627K substitution preserves viral fitness of clade 2.3.4.4b H5N1 HPAIV in birds 9 hours ago
- Mallard super-shedders of avian influenza exhibit distinct cloacal microbial abundance profiles 13 hours ago
- A digitally immune-optimized influenza vaccine broadly neutralizes swine and human H1N1 influenza viruses and protects from heterologous challenge 13 hours ago
- Associations between vaccine misinformation and influenza vaccine uptake: a population-based interrupted time-series study in China 13 hours ago
- Infection and transmission dynamics of bovine and human influenza A H5N1 viruses in mouse and hamster models 14 hours ago
[Go Top] [Close Window]


