Biosecurity risks associated with vaccine platform technologies

Assessment of heat-killed E. coli expressing Chikungunya virus E2 protein as a candidate vaccine for dual protection against Chikungunya virus and E. coli

The Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a mosquito-borne virus with a long history of recurring epidemics transmitted through Aedes mosquitoes. The rapid spread of CHIKV has intensified the need for potent vaccines. Escherichia coli (E.coli), a vital part of human gut microbiota, is utilized in recombinant DNA technology for cloning. However, its high adaptability can lead to severe infections in humans. This study aimed to develop the candidate dual vaccine against CHIKV and E. coli. For this, we expressed the CHIKV E2 protein in the E. coli Rosetta Bl21 cells and the protein expression was confirmed by western blotting. The IgG immune response of the candidate vaccine was determined against CHIKV and E. coli by ELISA. Further, the potential of antibodies to neutralize CHIKV was evaluated via Tissue Culture Infectious Dose 50 (TCID50). We observed that cells expressing E2 protein with alum immunized mice serum showed a five-fold higher IgG immune response against CHIKV, compared to control cells. The CHIKV neutralization assay results showed a two-fold decrease in CHIKV TCID50 value after 12 hours and a three-fold reduction after 120 hours. Similarly, the vaccine formulation also elicited a significantly higher IgG immune response against E. coli. The results suggested that expressing CHIKV E2 protein in E. coli is a potential approach for generating an IgG immune response against CHIKV and E. coli both. This study proposes a faster, safer, and cost-effective recombinant protein-based vaccine development.

Raman laser intensity and sample clarification on biochemical monitoring over Zika-VLP upstream stages

In the current biopharmaceutical scenario, constant bioprocess monitoring is crucial for the quality and integrity of final products. Thus, process analytical techniques, such as those based on Raman spectroscopy, have been used as multiparameter tracking methods in pharma bioprocesses, which can be combined with chemometric tools, like Partial Least Squares (PLS) and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN). In some cases, applying spectra pre-processing techniques before modeling can improve the accuracy of chemometric model fittings to observed values. One of the biological applications of these techniques could have as a target the virus-like particles (VLP), a vaccine production platform for viral diseases. A disease that has drawn attention in recent years is Zika, with large-scale production sometimes challenging without an appropriate monitoring approach. This work aimed to define global models for Zika VLP upstream production monitoring with Raman considering different laser intensities (200 mW and 495 mW), sample clarification (with or without cells), spectra pre-processing approaches, and PLS and ANN modeling techniques. Six experiments were performed in a benchtop bioreactor to collect the Raman spectral and biochemical datasets for modeling calibration. The best models generated presented a mean absolute error and mean relative error respectively of 3.46 × 105 cell/mL and 35 % for viable cell density (Xv); 4.1 % and 5 % for cell viability (CV); 0.245 g/L and 3 % for glucose (Glc); 0.006 g/L and 18 % for lactate (Lac); 0.115 g/L and 26 % for glutamine (Gln); 0.132 g/L and 18 % for glutamate (Glu); 0.0029 g/L and 3 % for ammonium (NH4+); and 0.0103 g/L and 2 % for potassium (K+). Sample without conditioning (with cells) improved the models' adequacy, except for Glutamine. ANN better predicted CV, Gln, Glu, and K+, while Xv, Glc, Lac, and NH4+ presented no statistical difference between the chemometric tools. For most of the assessed experimental parameters, there was no statistical need for spectra pre-filtering, for which the models based on the raw spectra were selected as the best ones. Laser intensity impacts quality model predictions in some parameters, Xv, Gln, and K+ had a better performance with 200 mW of intensity (for PLS, ANN, and ANN, respectively), for CV the 495 mW laser intensity was better (for PLS), and for the other biochemical variables, the use of 200 or 495 mW did not impact model fitting adequacy.

The Impact of COVID-19 on RNA Therapeutics: A Surge in Lipid Nanoparticles and Alternative Delivery Systems

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly accelerated progress in RNA-based therapeutics, particularly through the successful development and global rollout of mRNA vaccines. This review delves into the transformative impact of the pandemic on RNA therapeutics, with a strong focus on lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) as a pivotal delivery platform. LNPs have proven to be critical in enhancing the stability, bioavailability, and targeted delivery of mRNA, facilitating the unprecedented success of vaccines like those developed by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. Beyond vaccines, LNP technology is being explored for broader therapeutic applications, including treatments for cancer, rare genetic disorders, and infectious diseases. This review also discusses emerging RNA delivery systems, such as polymeric nanoparticles and viral vectors, which offer alternative strategies to overcome existing challenges related to stability, immune responses, and tissue-specific targeting. Additionally, we examine the pandemic's influence on regulatory processes, including the fast-tracked approvals for RNA therapies, and the surge in research funding that has spurred further innovation in the field. Public acceptance of RNA-based treatments has also grown, laying the groundwork for future developments in personalized medicine. By providing an in-depth analysis of these advancements, this review highlights the long-term impact of COVID-19 on the evolution of RNA therapeutics and the future of precision drug delivery technologies.

Vaccine Strategies to Elicit Mucosal Immunity

Vaccines are essential tools to prevent infection and control transmission of infectious diseases that threaten public health. Most infectious agents enter their hosts across mucosal surfaces, which make up key first lines of host defense against pathogens. Mucosal immune responses play critical roles in host immune defense to provide durable and better recall responses. Substantial attention has been focused on developing effective mucosal vaccines to elicit robust localized and systemic immune responses by administration via mucosal routes. Mucosal vaccines that elicit effective immune responses yield protection superior to parenterally delivered vaccines. Beyond their valuable immunogenicity, mucosal vaccines can be less expensive and easier to administer without a need for injection materials and more highly trained personnel. However, developing effective mucosal vaccines faces many challenges, and much effort has been directed at their development. In this article, we review the history of mucosal vaccine development and present an overview of mucosal compartment biology and the roles that mucosal immunity plays in defending against infection, knowledge that has helped inform mucosal vaccine development. We explore new progress in mucosal vaccine design and optimization and novel approaches created to improve the efficacy and safety of mucosal vaccines.

Biosecurity in an age of open science

The risk of accidental or deliberate misuse of biological research is increasing as biotechnology advances. As open science becomes widespread, we must consider its impact on those risks and develop solutions that ensure security while facilitating scientific progress. Here, we examine the interaction between open science practices and biosecurity and biosafety to identify risks and opportunities for risk mitigation. Increasing the availability of computational tools, datasets, and protocols could increase risks from research with misuse potential. For instance, in the context of viral engineering, open code, data, and materials may increase the risk of release of enhanced pathogens. For this dangerous subset of research, both open science and biosecurity goals may be achieved by using access-controlled repositories or application programming interfaces. While preprints accelerate dissemination of findings, their increased use could challenge strategies for risk mitigation at the publication stage. This highlights the importance of oversight earlier in the research lifecycle. Preregistration of research, a practice promoted by the open science community, provides an opportunity for achieving biosecurity risk assessment at the conception of research. Open science and biosecurity experts have an important role to play in enabling responsible research with maximal societal benefit.

Insidious Insights: Implications of viral vector engineering for pathogen enhancement

Optimizing viral vectors and their properties will be important for improving the effectiveness and safety of clinical gene therapy. However, such research may generate dual-use insights relevant to the enhancement of pandemic pathogens. In particular, reliable and generalizable methods of immune evasion could increase viral fitness sufficient to cause a new pandemic. High potential for misuse is associated with (1) the development of universal genetic elements for immune modulation, (2) specific insights on capsid engineering for antibody evasion applicable to viruses with pandemic potential, and (3) the development of computational methods to inform capsid engineering. These risks may be mitigated by prioritizing non-viral delivery systems, pharmacological immune modulation methods, non-genetic vector surface modifications, and engineering methods specific to AAV and other viruses incapable of unassisted human-to-human transmission. We recommend that computational vector engineering and the publication of associated code and data be limited to AAV until a technical solution for preventing malicious access to viral engineering tools has been established.

Rapid Proliferation of Pandemic Research: Implications for Dual-Use Risks

The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the world's vulnerability to biological catastrophe and elicited unprecedented scientific efforts. Some of this work and its derivatives, however, present dual-use risks (i.e., potential harm from misapplication of beneficial research) that have largely gone unaddressed. For instance, gain-of-function studies and reverse genetics protocols may facilitate the engineering of concerning SARS-CoV-2 variants and other pathogens. The risk of accidental or deliberate release of dangerous pathogens may be increased by large-scale collection and characterization of zoonotic viruses undertaken in an effort to understand what enables animal-to-human transmission. These concerns are exacerbated by the rise of preprint publishing that circumvents a late-stage opportunity for dual-use oversight. To prevent the next global health emergency, we must avoid inadvertently increasing the threat of future biological events. This requires a nuanced and proactive approach to dual-use evaluation throughout the research life cycle, including the conception, funding, conduct, and dissemination of research.

Virus Eradication and Synthetic Biology: Changes with SARS-CoV-2?

The eradication of infectious diseases has been achieved only once in history, in 1980, with smallpox. Since 1988, significant effort has been made to eliminate poliomyelitis viruses, but eradication is still just out of reach. As the goal of viral disease eradication approaches, the ability to recreate historically eradicated viruses using synthetic biology has the potential to jeopardize the long-term sustainability of eradication. However, the emergence of the severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus (SARS-CoV)-2 pandemic has highlighted our ability to swiftly and resolutely respond to a potential outbreak. This virus has been synthetized faster than any other in the past and is resulting in vaccines before most attenuated candidates reach clinical trials. Here, synthetic biology has the opportunity to demonstrate its truest potential to the public and solidify a footing in the world of vaccines.