1
|
Oelkrug C. Analysis of physical and biological delivery systems for DNA cancer vaccines and their translation to clinical development. Clin Exp Vaccine Res 2024; 13:73-82. [PMID: 38752006 PMCID: PMC11091436 DOI: 10.7774/cevr.2024.13.2.73] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
DNA cancer vaccines as an approach in tumor immunotherapy are still being investigated in preclinical and clinical settings. Nevertheless, only a small number of clinical studies have been published so far and are still active. The investigated vaccines show a relatively stable expression in in-vitro transfected cells and may be favorable for developing an immunologic memory in patients. Therefore, DNA vaccines could be suitable as a prophylactic or therapeutic approach against cancer. Due to the low efficiency of these vaccines, the administration technique plays an important role in the vaccine design and its efficacy. These DNA cancer vaccine delivery systems include physical, biological, and non-biological techniques. Although the pre-clinical studies show promising results in the application of the different delivery systems, further studies in clinical trials have not yet been successfully proven.
Collapse
|
2
|
Triantafyllou N, Sarkis M, Krassakopoulou A, Shah N, Papathanasiou MM, Kontoravdi C. Uncertainty quantification for gene delivery methods: A roadmap for pDNA manufacturing from phase I clinical trials to commercialization. Biotechnol J 2024; 19:e2300103. [PMID: 37797343 DOI: 10.1002/biot.202300103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 07/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023]
Abstract
The fast-growing interest in cell and gene therapy (C>) products has led to a growing demand for the production of plasmid DNA (pDNA) and viral vectors for clinical and commercial use. Manufacturers, regulators, and suppliers need to develop strategies for establishing robust and agile supply chains in the otherwise empirical field of C>. A model-based methodology that has great potential to support the wider adoption of C> is presented, by ensuring efficient timelines, scalability, and cost-effectiveness in the production of key raw materials. Specifically, key process and economic parameters are identified for (1) the production of pDNA for the forward-looking scenario of non-viral-based Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies from clinical (200 doses) to commercial (40,000 doses) scale and (2) the commercial (40,000 doses) production of pDNA and lentiviral vectors for the current state-of-the-art viral vector-based CAR T-cell therapies. By applying a systematic global sensitivity analysis, we quantify uncertainty in the manufacturing process and apportion it to key process and economic parameters, highlighting cost drivers and limitations that steer decision-making. The results underline the cost-efficiency and operational flexibility of non-viral-based therapies in the overall C> supply chain, as well as the importance of economies-of-scale in the production of pDNA.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Niki Triantafyllou
- The Sargent Centre for Process Systems Engineering, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Miriam Sarkis
- The Sargent Centre for Process Systems Engineering, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | | | - Nilay Shah
- The Sargent Centre for Process Systems Engineering, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Maria M Papathanasiou
- The Sargent Centre for Process Systems Engineering, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Cleo Kontoravdi
- The Sargent Centre for Process Systems Engineering, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London, London, UK
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Verma C, Pawar VA, Srivastava S, Tyagi A, Kaushik G, Shukla SK, Kumar V. Cancer Vaccines in the Immunotherapy Era: Promise and Potential. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:1783. [PMID: 38140187 PMCID: PMC10747700 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11121783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Therapeutic vaccines are a promising alternative for active immunotherapy for different types of cancers. Therapeutic cancer vaccines aim to prevent immune system responses that are not targeted at the tumors only, but also boost the anti-tumor immunity and promote regression or eradication of the malignancy without, or with minimal, adverse events. Clinical trial data have pushed the development of cancer vaccines forward, and the US Food and Drug Administration authorized the first therapeutic cancer vaccine. In the present review, we discuss the various types of cancer vaccines and different approaches for the development of therapeutic cancer vaccines, along with the current state of knowledge and future prospects. We also discuss how tumor-induced immune suppression limits the effectiveness of therapeutic vaccinations, and strategies to overcome this barrier to design efficacious, long-lasting anti-tumor immune responses in the generation of vaccines.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chaitenya Verma
- Department of Pathology, Wexner Medical Center, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA;
| | | | - Shivani Srivastava
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA;
| | - Anuradha Tyagi
- Department of cBRN, Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Science, Delhi 110054, India;
| | - Gaurav Kaushik
- School of Allied Health Sciences, Sharda University, Greater Noida 201310, India;
| | - Surendra Kumar Shukla
- Department of Oncology Science, OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Vinay Kumar
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43201, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Bakker NAM, Rotman J, van Beurden M, Zijlmans HJM, van Ruiten M, Samuels S, Nuijen B, Beijnen J, De Visser K, Haanen J, Schumacher T, de Gruijl TD, Jordanova ES, Kenter GG, van den Berg JH, van Trommel NE. HPV-16 E6/E7 DNA tattoo vaccination using genetically optimized vaccines elicit clinical and immunological responses in patients with usual vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (uVIN): a phase I/II clinical trial. J Immunother Cancer 2021; 9:jitc-2021-002547. [PMID: 34341131 PMCID: PMC8330588 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2021-002547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Usual vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (uVIN) is a premalignancy caused by persistent infection with high-risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV), mainly type 16. Even though different treatment modalities are available (eg, surgical excision, laser evaporation or topical application of imiquimod), these treatments can be mutilating, patients often have recurrences and 2%–8% of patients develop vulvar carcinoma. Therefore, immunotherapeutic strategies targeting the pivotal oncogenic HPV proteins E6 and E7 are being explored to repress carcinogenesis. Method In this phase I/II clinical trial, 14 patients with HPV16+ uVIN were treated with a genetically enhanced DNA vaccine targeting E6 and E7. Safety, clinical responses and immunogenicity were assessed. Patients received four intradermal HPV-16 E6/E7 DNA tattoo vaccinations, with a 2-week interval, alternating between both upper legs. Biopsies of the uVIN lesions were taken at screening and +3 months after last vaccination. Digital photography of the vulva was performed at every check-up until 12 months of follow-up for measurement of the lesions. HPV16-specific T-cell responses were measured in blood over time in ex vivo reactivity assays. Results Vaccinations were well tolerated, although one grade 3 suspected unexpected serious adverse reaction was observed. Clinical responses were observed in 6/14 (43%) patients, with 2 complete responses and 4 partial responses (PR). 5/14 patients showed HPV-specific T-cell responses in blood, measured in ex vivo reactivity assays. Notably, all five patients with HPV-specific T-cell responses had a clinical response. Conclusions Our results indicate that HPV-16 E6/E7 DNA tattoo vaccination is a biologically active and safe treatment strategy in patients with uVIN, and suggest that T-cell reactivity against the HPV oncogenes is associated with clinical benefit. Trial registration number NTR4607.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Noor Alida Maria Bakker
- Division of Molecular Oncology & Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute - Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Division of Tumor Biology and Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute - Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Oncode Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Jossie Rotman
- Center for Gynecologic Oncology Amsterdam (CGOA), The Netherlands Cancer Institute - Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Center for Gynecological Oncology Amsterdam (CGOA), Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marc van Beurden
- Center for Gynecologic Oncology Amsterdam (CGOA), The Netherlands Cancer Institute - Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Henry J Maa Zijlmans
- Center for Gynecologic Oncology Amsterdam (CGOA), The Netherlands Cancer Institute - Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Maartje van Ruiten
- Center for Gynecologic Oncology Amsterdam (CGOA), The Netherlands Cancer Institute - Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Sanne Samuels
- Center for Gynecologic Oncology Amsterdam (CGOA), The Netherlands Cancer Institute - Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Center for Gynecological Oncology Amsterdam (CGOA), Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Bastiaan Nuijen
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute - Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jos Beijnen
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute - Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Karin De Visser
- Division of Tumor Biology and Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute - Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Oncode Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - John Haanen
- Division of Molecular Oncology & Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute - Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Medical Oncology, Netherlands Cancer Institute-Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ton Schumacher
- Division of Molecular Oncology & Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute - Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Oncode Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Tanja D de Gruijl
- Department of Medical Oncology, -Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC-Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ekaterina S Jordanova
- Center for Gynecological Oncology Amsterdam (CGOA), Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Gemma G Kenter
- Center for Gynecologic Oncology Amsterdam (CGOA), The Netherlands Cancer Institute - Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Center for Gynecological Oncology Amsterdam (CGOA), Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Joost H van den Berg
- Division of Molecular Oncology & Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute - Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute - Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Nienke E van Trommel
- Center for Gynecologic Oncology Amsterdam (CGOA), The Netherlands Cancer Institute - Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Hocharoen L, Noppiboon S, Kitsubun P. Toward QbD Process Understanding on DNA Vaccine Purification Using Design of Experiment. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2021; 9:657201. [PMID: 34055759 PMCID: PMC8153680 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2021.657201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA vaccines, the third generation of vaccines, are a promising therapeutic option for many diseases as they offer the customization of their ability on protection and treatment with high stability. The production of DNA vaccines is considered rapid and less complicated compared to others such as mRNA vaccines, viral vaccines, or subunit protein vaccines. However, the main issue for DNA vaccines is how to produce the active DNA, a supercoiled isoform, to comply with the regulations. Our work therefore focuses on gaining a process understanding of the purification step which processes parameters that have impacts on the critical quality attribute (CQA), supercoiled DNA and performance attribute (PA), and step yield. Herein, pVax1/lacZ was used as a model. The process parameters of interest were sample application flow rates and salt concentration at washing step and at elution step in the hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC). Using a Design of Experiment (DoE) with central composite face centered (CCF) approach, 14 experiments plus four additional runs at the center points were created. The response data was used to establish regression predictive models and simulation was conducted in 10,000 runs to provide tolerance intervals of these CQA and PA. The approach of this process understanding can be applied for Quality by Design (QbD) on other DNA vaccines and on a larger production scale as well.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lalintip Hocharoen
- Bioprocess Research and Innovation Centre (BRIC), National Biopharmaceutical Facility (NBF), King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT), Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Sarawuth Noppiboon
- Bioprocess Research and Innovation Centre (BRIC), National Biopharmaceutical Facility (NBF), King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT), Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Panit Kitsubun
- Biochemical Engineering and System Biology Research Group (IBEG), National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Bangkok, Thailand
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Palazzo A, Marsano RM. Transposable elements: a jump toward the future of expression vectors. Crit Rev Biotechnol 2021; 41:792-808. [PMID: 33622117 DOI: 10.1080/07388551.2021.1888067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Expression vectors (EVs) are artificial nucleic acid molecules with a modular structure that allows for the transcription of DNA sequences of interest in either cellular or cell-free environments. These vectors have emerged as cross-disciplinary tools with multiple applications in an expanding Life Sciences market. The cis-regulatory sequences (CRSs) that control the transcription in EVs are typically sourced from either viruses or from characterized genes. However, the recent advancement in transposable elements (TEs) technology provides attractive alternatives that may enable a significant improvement in the design of EVs. Commonly known as "jumping genes," due to their ability to move between genetic loci, TEs are constitutive components of both eukaryotic and prokaryotic genomes. TEs harbor native CRSs that allow the regulated transcription of transposition-related genes. However, some TE-related CRSs display striking characteristics, which provides the opportunity to reconsider TEs as lead actors in the design of EVs. In this article, we provide a synopsis of the transcriptional control elements commonly found in EVs together with an extensive discussion of their advantages and limitations. We also highlight the latest findings that may allow for the implementation of TE-derived sequences in the EVs feasible, possibly improving existing vectors. By introducing this new concept of TEs as a source of regulatory sequences, we aim to stimulate a profitable discussion of the potential advantages and benefits of developing a new generation of EVs based on the use of TE-derived control sequences.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Palazzo
- Laboratory of Translational Nanotechnology, "Istituto Tumori Giovanni Paolo II" I.R.C.C.S, Bari, Italy
| | | |
Collapse
|
7
|
Alves CPA, Prazeres DMF, Monteiro GA. Minicircle Biopharmaceuticals–An Overview of Purification Strategies. FRONTIERS IN CHEMICAL ENGINEERING 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fceng.2020.612594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Minicircles are non-viral delivery vectors with promising features for biopharmaceutical applications. These vectors are plasmid-derived circular DNA molecules that are obtained in vivo in Escherichia coli by the intramolecular recombination of a parental plasmid, which generates a minicircle containing the eukaryotic therapeutic cassette of interest and a miniplasmid containing the prokaryotic backbone. The production process results thus in a complex mixture, which hinders the isolation of minicircle molecules from other DNA molecules. Several strategies have been proposed over the years to meet the challenge of purifying and obtaining high quality minicircles in compliance with the regulatory guidelines for therapeutic use. In minicircle purification, the characteristics of the strain and parental plasmid used have a high impact and strongly affect the purification strategy that can be applied. This review summarizes the different methods developed so far, focusing not only on the purification method itself but also on its dependence on the upstream production strategy used.
Collapse
|
8
|
Small-scale GMP production of plasmid DNA using a simplified and fully disposable production method. J Biotechnol 2019; 306S:100007. [DOI: 10.1016/j.btecx.2019.100007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Revised: 03/18/2019] [Accepted: 05/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
|
9
|
Samuels S, Marijne Heeren A, Zijlmans HJMAA, Welters MJP, van den Berg JH, Philips D, Kvistborg P, Ehsan I, Scholl SME, Nuijen B, Schumacher TNM, van Beurden M, Jordanova ES, Haanen JBAG, van der Burg SH, Kenter GG. HPV16 E7 DNA tattooing: safety, immunogenicity, and clinical response in patients with HPV-positive vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2017; 66:1163-1173. [PMID: 28451790 PMCID: PMC11028457 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-017-2006-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2016] [Accepted: 04/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Usual type vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (uVIN) is caused by HPV, predominantly type 16. Several forms of HPV immunotherapy have been studied, however, clinical results could be improved. A novel intradermal administration route, termed DNA tattooing, is superior in animal models, and was tested for the first time in humans with a HPV16 E7 DNA vaccine (TTFC-E7SH). METHODS The trial was designed to test safety, immunogenicity, and clinical response of TTFC-E7SH in twelve HPV16+ uVIN patients. Patients received six vaccinations via DNA tattooing. The first six patients received 0.2 mg TTFC-E7SH and the next six 2 mg TTFC-E7SH. Vaccine-specific T-cell immunity was evaluated by IFNγ-ELISPOT and multiparametric flow cytometry. RESULTS Only grade I-II adverse events were observed upon TTFC-E7SH vaccination. The ELISPOT analysis showed in 4/12 patients a response to the peptide pool containing shuffled E7 peptides. Multiparametric flow cytometry showed low CD4+ and/or CD8+ T-cell responses as measured by increased expression of PD-1 (4/12 in both), CTLA-4 (2/12 and 3/12), CD107a (5/12 and 4/12), or the production of IFNγ (2/12 and 1/12), IL-2 (3/12 and 4/12), TNFα (2/12 and 1/12), and MIP1β (3/12 and 6/12). At 3 months follow-up, no clinical response was observed in any of the twelve vaccinated patients. CONCLUSION DNA tattoo vaccination was shown to be safe. A low vaccine-induced immune response and no clinical response were observed in uVIN patients after TTFC-E7SH DNA tattoo vaccination. Therefore, a new phase I/II trial with an improved DNA vaccine format is currently in development for patients with uVIN.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sanne Samuels
- Department of Gynecology, Center for Gynecologic Oncology Amsterdam, P.O. Box 90203, 1006 BE, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - A Marijne Heeren
- Department of Medical Oncology, VU University Medical Center-Cancer Center Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Henry J M A A Zijlmans
- Department of Gynecology, Center for Gynecologic Oncology Amsterdam, P.O. Box 90203, 1006 BE, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marij J P Welters
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, P.O. Box 9600, 2300 RC, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Joost H van den Berg
- Amsterdam Biotherapeutics Unit (AmBTU), Louwesweg 6, 1066 EC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Daisy Philips
- Department of Immunology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, P.O. Box 90203, 1006 BE, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Pia Kvistborg
- Department of Immunology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, P.O. Box 90203, 1006 BE, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ilina Ehsan
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, P.O. Box 9600, 2300 RC, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Suzy M E Scholl
- Department of Medical Oncology, Institut Curie, 25 Rue d'Ulm, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Bastiaan Nuijen
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, P.O. Box 90203, 1006 BE, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ton N M Schumacher
- Department of Immunology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, P.O. Box 90203, 1006 BE, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marc van Beurden
- Department of Gynecology, Center for Gynecologic Oncology Amsterdam, P.O. Box 90203, 1006 BE, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ekaterina S Jordanova
- Department of Gynecology, Center for Gynecologic Oncology Amsterdam, P.O. Box 90203, 1006 BE, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - John B A G Haanen
- Department of Immunology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, P.O. Box 90203, 1006 BE, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Medical Oncology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, P.O. Box 90203, 1006 BE, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Sjoerd H van der Burg
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, P.O. Box 9600, 2300 RC, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Gemma G Kenter
- Department of Gynecology, Center for Gynecologic Oncology Amsterdam, P.O. Box 90203, 1006 BE, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Silva-Santos AR, Alves CP, Prazeres DMF, Azevedo AM. A process for supercoiled plasmid DNA purification based on multimodal chromatography. Sep Purif Technol 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.seppur.2017.03.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
|
11
|
Lee SH, Danishmalik SN, Sin JI. DNA vaccines, electroporation and their applications in cancer treatment. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2016; 11:1889-900. [PMID: 25984993 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2015.1035502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Numerous animal studies and recent clinical studies have shown that electroporation-delivered DNA vaccines can elicit robust Ag-specific CTL responses and reduce disease severity. However, cancer antigens are generally poorly immunogenic, requiring special conditions for immune response induction. To date, many different approaches have been used to elicit Ag-specific CTL and anti-neoplastic responses to DNA vaccines against cancer. In vivo electroporation is one example, whereas others include DNA manipulation, xenogeneic antigen use, immune stimulatory molecule and immune response regulator application, DNA prime-boost immunization strategy use and different DNA delivery methods. These strategies likely increase the immunogenicity of cancer DNA vaccines, thereby contributing to cancer eradication. However, cancer cells are heterogeneous and might become CTL-resistant. Thus, understanding the CTL resistance mechanism(s) employed by cancer cells is critical to develop counter-measures for this immune escape. In this review, the use of electroporation as a DNA delivery method, the strategies used to enhance the immune responses, the cancer antigens that have been tested, and the escape mechanism(s) used by tumor cells are discussed, with a focus on the progress of clinical trials using cancer DNA vaccines.
Collapse
Key Words
- AFP, α-fetoprotein
- APCs, antigen presenting cells
- CEA, carcinoembryonic antigen
- CTLA-4, cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen-4
- DCs, dendritic cells
- DNA vaccine
- EP, electroporation
- GITR, glucocorticoid-induced tumor necrosis factor receptor family-related gene
- HPV, human papillomavirus
- HSP, heat shock protein
- HSV, herpes simplex virus
- ID, intradermal
- IM, intramuscular
- MAGE, melanoma-associated antigen
- MART, melanoma antigen recognized by T cells
- PAP, prostatic acid phosphatase
- PD, programmed death
- PRAME, preferentially expressed antigen in melanoma
- PSA, prostate-specific antigen
- PSMA, prostate-specific membrane antigen
- WT1, Wilm's tumor
- anti-tumor immunity
- cancer
- hTERT, human telomerase reverse transcriptase
- tumor immune evasion
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Si-Hyeong Lee
- a BK21 Plus Graduate Program; Department of Microbiology ; School of Medicine; Kangwon National University ; Chuncheon , Gangwon-do , Korea
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
12
|
Xenopoulos A, Pattnaik P. Production and purification of plasmid DNA vaccines: is there scope for further innovation? Expert Rev Vaccines 2014; 13:1537-51. [DOI: 10.1586/14760584.2014.968556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
|
13
|
Abstract
Recent developments in DNA vaccine research provide a new momentum for this rather young and potentially disruptive technology. Gene-based vaccines are capable of eliciting protective immunity in humans to persistent intracellular pathogens, such as HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis, for which the conventional vaccine technologies have failed so far. The recent identification and characterization of genes coding for tumor antigens has stimulated the development of DNA-based antigen-specific cancer vaccines. Although most academic researchers consider the production of reasonable amounts of plasmid DNA (pDNA) for immunological studies relatively easy to solve, problems often arise during this first phase of production. In this chapter we review the current state of the art of pDNA production at small (shake flasks) and mid-scales (lab-scale bioreactor fermentations) and address new trends in vector design and strain engineering. We will guide the reader through the different stages of process design starting from choosing the most appropriate plasmid backbone, choosing the right Escherichia coli (E. coli) strain for production, and cultivation media and scale-up issues. In addition, we will address some points concerning the safety and potency of the produced plasmids, with special focus on producing antibiotic resistance-free plasmids. The main goal of this chapter is to make immunologists aware of the fact that production of the pDNA vaccine has to be performed with as much as attention and care as the rest of their research.
Collapse
|
14
|
De La Vega J, Braak BT, Azzoni AR, Monteiro GA, Prazeres DMF. Impact of plasmid quality on lipoplex-mediated transfection. J Pharm Sci 2013; 102:3932-41. [PMID: 23996350 DOI: 10.1002/jps.23709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2013] [Revised: 07/22/2013] [Accepted: 07/29/2013] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
This work investigates the impact of quality attributes (impurity content, plasmid charge, and compactness) of plasmid DNA isolated with different purification methodologies on the characteristics of lipoplexes prepared thereof (size, zeta potential, stability) and on their ability to transfect mammalian cells. A 3.7 kb plasmid with a green fluorescence protein (GFP) reporter gene, Lipofectamine®-based liposomes, and Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells were used as models. The plasmid was purified by hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC)/gel filtration, and with three commercial kits, which combine the use of chaotropic salts with silica membranes/glass fiber fleeces. The HIC-based protocol delivered a plasmid with the smallest hydrodynamic diameter (144 nm) and zeta potential (-46.5 mV), which is virtually free from impurities. When formulated with Lipofectamine®, this plasmid originated the smallest (146 nm), most charged (+13 mV), and most stable lipoplexes. In vitro transfection experiments further showed that these lipoplexes performed better in terms of plasmid uptake (∼500,000 vs. ∼100,000-200,000 copy number/cell), transfection efficiency (50% vs. 20%-40%), and GFP expression levels (twofold higher) when compared with lipoplexes prepared with plasmids isolated using commercial kits. Overall our observations highlight the potential impact that plasmid purification methodologies can have on the outcome of gene transfer experiments and trials.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan De La Vega
- IBB-Institute for Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Centre for Biological and Chemical Engineering, Department of Bioengineering, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade Técnica de Lisboa, Lisboa, 1049-001, Portugal
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
15
|
van der Heijden I, Beijnen JH, Nuijen B. Long term stability of lyophilized plasmid DNA pDERMATT. Int J Pharm 2013; 453:648-50. [PMID: 23792100 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2013.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2013] [Revised: 06/10/2013] [Accepted: 06/10/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
In this short note we report on the shelf-life stability of pDERMATT (plasmid DNA encoding recombinant MART-1 and tetanus toxin fragment-c) 2mg lyophilized powder for reconstitution for intradermal administration, used in an in-house, investigator-initiated clinical phase I study. pDERMATT was stored at 25°C/60% relative humidity (6 months), 2-8°C (24 months), and -20°C (66 months) in the dark and analyzed at several timepoints during the conduct of the clinical study for appearance, identity, purity (plasmid topology), content and residual water content. pDERMATT appeared stable at all storage conditions for the periods tested which, although patient inclusion in the study was significantly delayed, ensured the clinical supply needs. This study shows that lyophilization is an useful tool to preserve the quality of the pDNA and can prevent the need for costly and time-consuming additional manufacture of drug product in case of study delays, not uncommon at the early stage of drug development. To our knowledge, this is the first study reporting shelf life stability of a pDNA formulation for more than 5 years.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Iris van der Heijden
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Slotervaart Hospital/The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
16
|
van der Heijden I, Gomez-Eerland R, van den Berg JH, Oosterhuis K, Schumacher TN, Haanen JBAG, Beijnen JH, Nuijen B. Transposon leads to contamination of clinical pDNA vaccine. Vaccine 2013; 31:3274-80. [PMID: 23707695 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2013.05.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2013] [Revised: 05/02/2013] [Accepted: 05/08/2013] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
We report an unexpected contamination during clinical manufacture of a Human Papilomavirus (HPV) 16 E6 encoding plasmid DNA (pDNA) vaccine, with a transposon originating from the Escherichia coli DH5 host cell genome. During processing, presence of this transposable element, insertion sequence 2 (IS2) in the plasmid vector was not noticed until quality control of the bulk pDNA vaccine when results of restriction digestion, sequencing, and CGE analysis were clearly indicative for the presence of a contaminant. Due to the very low level of contamination, only an insert-specific PCR method was capable of tracing back the presence of the transposon in the source pDNA and master cell bank (MCB). Based on the presence of an uncontrolled contamination with unknown clinical relevance, the product was rejected for clinical use. In order to prevent costly rejection of clinical material, both in-process controls and quality control methods must be sensitive enough to detect such a contamination as early as possible, i.e. preferably during plasmid DNA source generation, MCB production and ultimately during upstream processing. However, as we have shown that contamination early in the process development pipeline (source pDNA, MCB) can be present below limits of detection of generally applied analytical methods, the introduction of "engineered" or transposon-free host cells seems the only 100% effective solution to avoid contamination with movable elements and should be considered when searching for a suitable host cell-vector combination.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- I van der Heijden
- Department of Pharmacy & Pharmacology, Slotervaart Hospital/The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
17
|
Betker J, Smyth T, Wang W, Anchordoquy TJ. Application of a ultra performance liquid chromatography method in the determination of DNA quality and stability. J Pharm Sci 2011; 101:987-97. [PMID: 22113832 DOI: 10.1002/jps.22830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2011] [Revised: 10/31/2011] [Accepted: 11/03/2011] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
The development of plasmid DNA as a pharmaceutical requires that integrity (i.e., supercoil content) be monitored as part of quality control. The standard method of determining supercoil content is gel electrophoresis followed by staining and imaging, which is complicated by a variety of factors. Previously described chromatographic methods used to quantify supercoil content have had difficulty obtaining reliable separation of the different isoforms. Using ultra performance liquid chromatography, we have optimized buffer conditions, and utilized increased column temperatures in developing a method that allows accurate quantification of each isoform by ultraviolet detection. We found that increasing the column temperature to 55°C improved separation of the isoform peaks as well as increased the resolution of each peak. We demonstrate the utility of this method by quantifying supercoil content of samples subjected to sonication, acidification or lyophilization, and storage. Our results demonstrate that this method allows for a precise quantification of individual DNA isoforms within a heterogeneous sample.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jamie Betker
- University of Colorado School of Pharmacy, Aurora, Colorado 80045, USA
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
18
|
Oosterhuis K, Öhlschläger P, van den Berg JH, Toebes M, Gomez R, Schumacher TN, Haanen JB. Preclinical development of highly effective and safe DNA vaccines directed against HPV 16 E6 and E7. Int J Cancer 2011; 129:397-406. [DOI: 10.1002/ijc.25894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2010] [Accepted: 11/30/2010] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
|
19
|
Abstract
Intradermal (ID) vaccination can offer improved immunity and simpler logistics of delivery, but its use in medicine is limited by the need for simple, reliable methods of ID delivery. ID injection by the Mantoux technique requires special training and may not reliably target skin, but is nonetheless used currently for BCG and rabies vaccination. Scarification using a bifurcated needle was extensively used for smallpox eradication, but provides variable and inefficient delivery into the skin. Recently, ID vaccination has been simplified by introduction of a simple-to-use hollow microneedle that has been approved for ID injection of influenza vaccine in Europe. Various designs of hollow microneedles have been studied preclinically and in humans. Vaccines can also be injected into skin using needle-free devices, such as jet injection, which is receiving renewed clinical attention for ID vaccination. Projectile delivery using powder and gold particles (i.e., gene gun) have also been used clinically for ID vaccination. Building off the scarification approach, a number of preclinical studies have examined solid microneedle patches for use with vaccine coated onto metal microneedles, encapsulated within dissolving microneedles or added topically to skin after microneedle pretreatment, as well as adapting tattoo guns for ID vaccination. Finally, technologies designed to increase skin permeability in combination with a vaccine patch have been studied through the use of skin abrasion, ultrasound, electroporation, chemical enhancers, and thermal ablation. The prospects for bringing ID vaccination into more widespread clinical practice are encouraging, given the large number of technologies for ID delivery under development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marcel B.M. Teunissen
- , Department of Dermatology, University of Amsterdam, Academic Medica, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
van den Berg JH, Nuijen B, Schumacher TN, Haanen JBAG, Storm G, Beijnen JH, Hennink WE. Synthetic vehicles for DNA vaccination. J Drug Target 2010; 18:1-14. [PMID: 19814658 DOI: 10.3109/10611860903278023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
DNA vaccination is an attractive immunization method able to induce robust cellular immune responses in pre-clinical models. However, clinical DNA vaccination trials performed thus far have resulted in marginal responses. Consequently, strategies are currently under development to improve the efficacy of DNA vaccines. A promising strategy is the use of synthetic particle formulations as carrier systems for DNA vaccines. This review discusses commonly used synthetic carriers for DNA vaccination and provides an overview of in vivo studies that use this strategy. Future recommendations on particle characteristics, target cell types and evaluation models are suggested for the potential improvement of current and novel particle delivery systems. Finally, hurdles which need to be tackled for clinical evaluation of these systems are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joost H van den Berg
- Department of Pharmacy & Pharmacology, Slotervaart Hospital, Louwesweg 6, 1066 EC Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
21
|
DNA vaccines: developing new strategies against cancer. J Biomed Biotechnol 2010; 2010:174378. [PMID: 20368780 PMCID: PMC2846346 DOI: 10.1155/2010/174378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2009] [Accepted: 02/05/2010] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Due to their rapid and widespread development, DNA vaccines have entered into a variety of human clinical trials for vaccines against various diseases including cancer. Evidence that DNA vaccines are well tolerated and have an excellent safety profile proved to be of advantage as many clinical trials combines the first phase with the second, saving both time and money. It is clear from the results obtained in clinical trials that such DNA vaccines require much improvement in antigen expression and delivery methods to make them sufficiently effective in the clinic. Similarly, it is clear that additional strategies are required to activate effective immunity against poorly immunogenic tumor antigens. Engineering vaccine design for manipulating antigen presentation and processing pathways is one of the most important aspects that can be easily handled in the DNA vaccine technology. Several approaches have been investigated including DNA vaccine engineering, co-delivery of immunomodulatory molecules, safe routes of administration, prime-boost regimen and strategies to break the immunosuppressive networks mechanisms adopted by malignant cells to prevent immune cell function. Combined or single strategies to enhance the efficacy and immunogenicity of DNA vaccines are applied in completed and ongoing clinical trials, where the safety and tolerability of the DNA platform are substantiated.
In this review on DNA vaccines, salient aspects on this topic going from basic research to the clinic are evaluated. Some representative DNA cancer vaccine studies are also discussed.
Collapse
|
22
|
Quaak SGL, Haanen JBAG, Beijnen JH, Nuijen B. Naked plasmid DNA formulation: effect of different disaccharides on stability after lyophilisation. AAPS PharmSciTech 2010; 11:344-50. [PMID: 20204715 PMCID: PMC2850488 DOI: 10.1208/s12249-010-9391-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2009] [Accepted: 02/01/2010] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Since plasmid DNA (pDNA) is unstable in solution, lyophilisation can be used to increase product shelf life. To prevent stress on pDNA molecules during lyophilisation, cryo- and lyoprotectants have to be added to the formulation. This study assessed the effect of disaccharides on naked pDNA stability after lyophilisation using accelerated stability studies. Naked pDNA was lyophilised with sucrose, trehalose, maltose or lactose in an excipient/DNA w/w ratio of 20. To one part of the vials extra residual moisture was introduced by placing the vials half opened in a 25°C/60% RH climate chamber, before placing all vials in climate chambers (25°C/60% RH and 40°C/75% RH) for stability studies. An ex vivo human skin model was used to assess the effect of disaccharides on transfection efficiency. Lyophilisation resulted in amorphous cakes for all disaccharides with a residual water content of 0.8% w/w. Storage at 40°C/75% RH resulted in decreasing supercoiled (SC) purity levels (sucrose and trehalose maintained approximately 80% SC purity), but not in physical collapse. The addition of residual moisture (values between 7.5% and 10% w/w) resulted in rapid collapse except for trehalose and decreasing SC purity for all formulations. In a separate experiment disaccharide formulation solutions show a slight but significant reduction (<3% with sucrose and maltose) in transfection efficiency when compared to pDNA dissolved in water. We demonstrate that disaccharides, like sucrose and trehalose, are effective lyoprotectants for naked pDNA.
Collapse
|
23
|
Oosterhuis K, van den Berg JH, Schumacher TN, Haanen JBAG. DNA vaccines and intradermal vaccination by DNA tattooing. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 2010; 351:221-50. [PMID: 21107792 DOI: 10.1007/82_2010_117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Over the past two decades, DNA vaccination has been developed as a method for the induction of immune responses. However, in spite of high expectations based on their efficacy in preclinical models, immunogenicity of first generation DNA vaccines in clinical trials was shown to be poor, and no DNA vaccines have yet been licensed for human use. In recent years significant progress has been made in the development of second generation DNA vaccines and DNA vaccine delivery methods. Here we review the key characteristics of DNA vaccines as compared to other vaccine platforms, and recent insights into the prerequisites for induction of immune responses by DNA vaccines will be discussed. We illustrate the development of second generation DNA vaccines with the description of DNA tattooing as a novel DNA delivery method. This technique has shown great promise both in a small animal model and in non-human primates and is currently under clinical evaluation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- K Oosterhuis
- Division of Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
24
|
van den Berg JH, Oosterhuis K, Hennink WE, Storm G, van der Aa LJ, Engbersen JF, Haanen JB, Beijnen JH, Schumacher TN, Nuijen B. Shielding the cationic charge of nanoparticle-formulated dermal DNA vaccines is essential for antigen expression and immunogenicity. J Control Release 2010; 141:234-40. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2009.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2009] [Revised: 09/01/2009] [Accepted: 09/04/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
|
25
|
Cai Y, Rodriguez S, Rameswaran R, Draghia-Akli R, Juba RJ, Hebel H. Production of pharmaceutical-grade plasmids at high concentration and high supercoiled percentage. Vaccine 2009; 28:2046-52. [PMID: 19896448 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2009.10.057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The increased use of plasmid-based vaccines to replace their more challenging viral counterparts has increased the demand for high purity and high concentration plasmids. Here we report the production of plasmids encoding different transgenes for DNA vaccine candidates at gram scale with an integrated process consisting of batch fermentation and limited steps of purification. Plasmid products encoding for eight smallpox antigens that were combined into a bioterrorism DNA vaccine exhibited high purity with undetectable RNA, protein and endotoxin, concentration of up to 13.6mg/mL and supercoiled percentage of 94.5+/-1.1% after storage at -80 degrees C for over 1 year. The process has been scaled up for the cGMP manufacture of pharmaceutical-grade human papillomavirus and influenza DNA vaccines up to a 50g scale, also demonstrating high purity and high concentration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ying Cai
- VGX Pharmaceuticals, Inc., The Woodlands, TX 77381, United States
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
26
|
Good Manufacturing Practices production and analysis of a DNA vaccine against dental caries. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2009; 30:1513-21. [PMID: 19890359 DOI: 10.1038/aps.2009.152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
AIM To prepare a clinical-grade anti-caries DNA vaccine pGJA-P/VAX and explore its immune effect and protective efficacy against a cariogenic bacterial challenge. METHODS A large-scale industrial production process was developed under Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) by combining and optimizing common unit operations such as alkaline lysis, precipitation, endotoxin removal and column chromatography. Quality controls of the purified bulk and final lyophilized vaccine were conducted according to authoritative guidelines. Mice and gnotobiotic rats were intranasally immunized with clinical-grade pGJA-P/VAX with chitosan. Antibody levels of serum IgG and salivary SIgA were assessed by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and caries activity was evaluated by the Keyes method. pGJA-P/VAX and pVAX1 prepared by a laboratory-scale commercial kit were used as controls. RESULTS The production process proved to be scalable and reproducible. Impurities including host protein, residual RNA, genomic DNA and endotoxin in the purified plasmid were all under the limits of set specifications. Intranasal vaccination with clinical-grade pGJA-P/VAX induced higher serum IgG and salivary SIgA in both mice and gnotobiotic rats. While in the experimental caries model, the enamel (E), dentinal slight (Ds), and dentinal moderate (Dm) caries lesions were reduced by 21.1%, 33.0%, and 40.9%, respectively. CONCLUSION The production process under GMP was efficient in preparing clinical-grade pGJA-P/VAX with high purity and intended effectiveness, thus facilitating future clinical trials for the anti-caries DNA vaccine.
Collapse
|
27
|
Abstract
The demand for plasmid DNA in large quantities at high purity and concentration is expected to escalate as more DNA vaccines are entering clinical trial status and becoming closer to market approval. This review outlines different methods for DNA vaccine manufacture and discusses the challenges that hinder large-scale production. Current technologies are summarized, focusing on novel approaches that have the potential to address downstream bottlenecks and adaptability for large-scale application. Product quality in terms of supercoiled percentage and impurity levels are compared at the different production levels.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ying Cai
- VGX Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Suite 180, The Woodlands, TX 77381, USA.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
28
|
Quaak SGL, van den Berg JH, Oosterhuis K, Beijnen JH, Haanen JBAG, Nuijen B. DNA tattoo vaccination: effect on plasmid purity and transfection efficiency of different topoisoforms. J Control Release 2009; 139:153-9. [PMID: 19580829 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2009.06.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2009] [Revised: 06/24/2009] [Accepted: 06/29/2009] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Recently, DNA tattooing was introduced as novel intradermal administration technique for plasmid DNA (pDNA) vaccines. The aim of this study was to determine if tattooing affects the integrity of pDNA (reduction in supercoiled (SC) content) and whether a change in pDNA topology would affect antigen expression and immune response. We show that 1.) in vitro tattooing of pDNA solutions results in minor damage to pDNA (<or=3% SC pDNA reduction) and only open circular (OC) pDNA formation, 2.) antigen expression and T-cell responses upon tattoo administration of SC and OC pDNA are equal in a murine model, 3.) SC pDNA gives a significantly higher antigen expression than OC and linear pDNA in ex vivo human skin, 4.) pDNA topology does not influence antigen expression when formulated as PEGylated polyplexes. We conclude that a 3% reduction in SC purity most likely will have little or no effect on clinical antigen expression and T-cell responses. For intradermal tattoo administration the ex vivo skin model might be more suitable than the standard murine model for distinguishing subtle alterations in antigen expression of clinical pDNA formulations. The results from this study enable justification of release and shelf-life specifications of pDNA products applied by this specific route of administration, as requested by the regulatory authorities (>or=80% SC).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- S G L Quaak
- Department of Pharmacy & Pharmacology, Slotervaart Hospital/The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Louwesweg 6, 1066 EC Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
29
|
van den Berg JH, Quaak SGL, Beijnen JH, Hennink WE, Storm G, Schumacher TN, Haanen JBAG, Nuijen B. Lipopolysaccharide contamination in intradermal DNA vaccination: toxic impurity or adjuvant? Int J Pharm 2009; 390:32-6. [PMID: 19576975 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2009.06.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2009] [Revised: 06/22/2009] [Accepted: 06/23/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) are known both as potential adjuvants for vaccines and as toxic impurity in pharmaceutical preparations. The aim of this study was to assess the role of LPS in intradermal DNA vaccination administered by DNA tattooing. METHOD Mice were vaccinated with a model DNA vaccine (Luc-NP) with an increasing content of residual LPS. The effect of LPS on systemic toxicity, antigen expression and cellular immunity was studied. RESULTS The presence of LPS in the DNA vaccine neither induced systemic toxicity (as reflected by IL-6 concentration in serum), nor influenced antigen expression (measured by intravital imaging). Higher LPS contents however, appeared to be associated with an elevated cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) response but without reaching statistical significance. Interestingly, the DNA tattoo procedure by itself was shown to induce a serum cytokine response that was at least as potent as that induced by parenteral LPS administration. CONCLUSION LPS does not show toxicity in mice vaccinated by DNA tattooing at dose levels well above those encountered in GMP-grade DNA preparations. Thus, residual LPS levels in the pharmaceutical range are not expected to adversely affect clinical outcome of vaccination trials and may in fact have some beneficial adjuvant effect. The observed pro-inflammatory effects of DNA tattoo may help explain the high immunogenicity of this procedure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joost H van den Berg
- Department of Pharmacy & Pharmacology, Slotervaart Hospital/the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Louwesweg 6, 1066 EC Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
30
|
van den Berg JH, Nujien B, Beijnen JH, Vincent A, van Tinteren H, Kluge J, Woerdeman LAE, Hennink WE, Storm G, Schumacher TN, Haanen JBAG. Optimization of intradermal vaccination by DNA tattooing in human skin. Hum Gene Ther 2009; 20:181-9. [PMID: 19301471 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2008.073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The intradermal administration of DNA vaccines by tattooing is a promising delivery technique for genetic immunization, with proven high immunogenicity in mice and in nonhuman primates. However, the parameters that result in optimal expression of DNA vaccines that are applied by this strategy to human skin are currently unknown. To address this issue we set up an ex vivo human skin model in which DNA vaccine-induced expression of reporter proteins could be monitored longitudinally. Using this model we demonstrate the following: First, the vast majority of cells that express DNA vaccine-encoded antigen in human skin are formed by epidermal keratinocytes, with only a small fraction (about 1%) of antigen-positive epidermal Langerhans cells. Second, using full randomization of DNA tattoo variables we show that an increase in DNA concentration,needle depth, and tattoo time all significantly increase antigen expression ( p < 0.001), with DNA concentration forming the most critical variable influencing the level of antigen expression. Finally, in spite of the marked immunogenicity of this vaccination method in animal models, transfection efficiency of the technique is shown to be extremely low, estimated at approximately 2 to 2000 out of 1 x 10(10) copies of plasmid applied. This finding, coupled with the observed dependency of antigen expression on DNA concentration, suggests that the development of strategies that can enhance in vivo transfection efficacy would be highly valuable. Collectively, this study shows that an ex vivo human skin model can be used to determine the factors that control vaccine-induced antigen expression and define the optimal parameters for the evaluation of DNA tattoo or other dermal delivery techniques in phase 1 clinical trials.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joost H van den Berg
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Slotervaart Hospital, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
31
|
van den Berg JH, Nujien B, Beijnen JH, Vincent A, van Tinteren H, Kluge J, Woerdeman LAE, Hennink WE, Storm G, Schumacher TN, Haanen JBAG. Optimization of intradermal vaccination by DNA tattooing in human skin. Hum Gene Ther 2009. [PMID: 19301471 DOI: 10.1089/hgt.2008.073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The intradermal administration of DNA vaccines by tattooing is a promising delivery technique for genetic immunization, with proven high immunogenicity in mice and in nonhuman primates. However, the parameters that result in optimal expression of DNA vaccines that are applied by this strategy to human skin are currently unknown. To address this issue we set up an ex vivo human skin model in which DNA vaccine-induced expression of reporter proteins could be monitored longitudinally. Using this model we demonstrate the following: First, the vast majority of cells that express DNA vaccine-encoded antigen in human skin are formed by epidermal keratinocytes, with only a small fraction (about 1%) of antigen-positive epidermal Langerhans cells. Second, using full randomization of DNA tattoo variables we show that an increase in DNA concentration,needle depth, and tattoo time all significantly increase antigen expression ( p < 0.001), with DNA concentration forming the most critical variable influencing the level of antigen expression. Finally, in spite of the marked immunogenicity of this vaccination method in animal models, transfection efficiency of the technique is shown to be extremely low, estimated at approximately 2 to 2000 out of 1 x 10(10) copies of plasmid applied. This finding, coupled with the observed dependency of antigen expression on DNA concentration, suggests that the development of strategies that can enhance in vivo transfection efficacy would be highly valuable. Collectively, this study shows that an ex vivo human skin model can be used to determine the factors that control vaccine-induced antigen expression and define the optimal parameters for the evaluation of DNA tattoo or other dermal delivery techniques in phase 1 clinical trials.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joost H van den Berg
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Slotervaart Hospital, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
32
|
Quaak S, Nuijen B, Haanen J, Beijnen J. Development and validation of an anion-exchange LC-UV method for the quantification and purity determination of the DNA plasmid pDERMATT. J Pharm Biomed Anal 2009; 49:282-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2008.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2008] [Revised: 11/06/2008] [Accepted: 11/10/2008] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
|