1
|
Langowski MD, Francica JR, Roederer AL, Hurlburt NK, Rodarte JV, Da Silva Pereira L, Flynn BJ, Bonilla B, Dillon M, Kiyuka P, Ravichandran R, Weidle C, Carter L, Rao M, Matyas GR, Pepper M, Idris AH, Seder RA, Pancera M, King NP. Elicitation of liver-stage immunity by nanoparticle immunogens displaying P. falciparum CSP-derived antigens. NPJ Vaccines 2025; 10:87. [PMID: 40325041 PMCID: PMC12053698 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-025-01140-x] [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: 09/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2025] [Indexed: 05/07/2025] Open
Abstract
A vaccine that provides robust, durable protection against malaria remains a global health priority. Although a breakthrough in the fight against malaria has recently been achieved by the licensure of two vaccines based on the circumsporozoite protein (CSP), the effectiveness and durability of protection can still be improved. Both vaccines contain a portion of CSP that does not include epitopes targeted by recently identified, potently protective monoclonal antibodies, suggesting that newer immunogens can expand the breadth of immunity and potentially increase protection. Here we explored >100 alternative CSP-based immunogens and evaluated the immunogenicity and protection of a large number of candidates, comparing several to the licensed R21 vaccine. The data highlight several general features that improve the stability and immunogenicity of CSP-based vaccines, such as inclusion of the C-terminal domain and high-density display on protein nanoparticle scaffolds. We also identify antigen design strategies that do not warrant further exploration, such as synthetic repeat regions that include non-native repeat cadences. The benchmark R21 vaccine outperformed our best immunogen for immunogenicity and protection. Overall, our data provide valuable insights on the inclusion of junctional region epitopes that will guide the development of potent and durable vaccines against malaria.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mark D Langowski
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Graduate Program in Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Joseph R Francica
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Alex L Roederer
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Nicholas K Hurlburt
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Justas V Rodarte
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Lais Da Silva Pereira
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Barbara J Flynn
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Brian Bonilla
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Marlon Dillon
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Patience Kiyuka
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Rashmi Ravichandran
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Connor Weidle
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Lauren Carter
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Mangala Rao
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, MD, USA
- U.S. Military HIV Research Program, Center for Infectious Diseases Research, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Gary R Matyas
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, MD, USA
- U.S. Military HIV Research Program, Center for Infectious Diseases Research, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Marion Pepper
- Department of Immunology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Azza H Idris
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Robert A Seder
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Marie Pancera
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Neil P King
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Cossette BJ, Shen L, Bermudez A, Freire Haddad H, Shetty S, Sylvers J, Yuan F, Ke Y, Collier JH. Differential Sensitivity to Interepitope Spacing in Mast Cells and B Cells Enables Design of Hypoallergenic Allergen Vaccine Immunogens. ACS NANO 2025; 19:15371-15384. [PMID: 40253609 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.4c14507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/22/2025]
Abstract
Therapeutic allergen vaccine immunogens can trigger IgE-mediated mast cell activation, resulting in allergic reactions. Here, we report on a mode of hypoallergenic immunogen design that enables immunization against IgE-reactive peptide B cell epitopes by optimizing the distance between epitopes. Using DNA-based model immunogens, we show that mast cells and B cells exhibit idiosyncratic sensitivity to interepitope spacing, with mast cell activation being dampened by high interepitope spacing while B cells remain responsive to identical immunogen configurations. To exploit this finding, we construct hypoallergenic immunogens based on supramolecular peptide nanofibers with ultralow epitope density that, when used as an allergen vaccine, raise protective allergen-neutralizing IgG antibody responses. This study provides a proof-of-concept for a mode of hypoallergenic immunogen design based on nanoscale control of the distances between IgE-reactive epitopes, which may enable allergen vaccination against IgE-reactive epitope targets in the absence of allergic reactogenicity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin J Cossette
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
| | - Luyao Shen
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
| | - Andrés Bermudez
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
| | - Helena Freire Haddad
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
| | - Shamitha Shetty
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
| | - Justin Sylvers
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
| | - Fan Yuan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
| | - Yonggang Ke
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
| | | |
Collapse
|
3
|
Romanov A, Knappe GA, Ronsard L, Suh H, Omer M, Chapman AP, Lewis VR, Spivakovsky K, Canales J, Reizis B, Tingle RD, Cottrell CA, Schiffner T, Lingwood D, Bathe M, Irvine DJ. DNA origami vaccines program antigen-focused germinal centers. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2025:2025.02.21.639354. [PMID: 40060683 PMCID: PMC11888200 DOI: 10.1101/2025.02.21.639354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/18/2025]
Abstract
Recruitment and expansion of rare precursor B cells in germinal centers (GCs) is a central goal of vaccination to generate broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) against challenging pathogens such as HIV. Multivalent immunogen display is a well-established method to enhance vaccine-induced B cell responses, typically accomplished by using natural or engineered protein scaffolds. However, these scaffolds themselves are targets of antibody responses, with the potential to generate competitor scaffold-specific B cells that could theoretically limit expansion and maturation of "on-target" B cells in the GC response. Here, we rationally designed T-independent, DNA-origami based virus-like particles (VLPs) with optimal antigenic display of the germline targeting HIV Env immunogen, eOD-GT8, and appropriate T cell help to achieve a potent GC response. In preclinical mouse models, these DNA-VLPs expanded significantly higher frequencies of epitope-specific GC B cells compared with a state-of-the-art clinical protein nanoparticle. Optimized DNA-VLPs primed germinal centers focused on the target antigen and rapidly expanded subdominant broadly neutralizing antibody precursor B cells for HIV with a single immunization. Thus, avoiding scaffold-specific responses augments priming of bnAb precursor B cells, and DNA-VLPs are a promising platform for promoting B cell responses towards challenging subdominant epitopes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Romanov
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States
| | - Grant A Knappe
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States
| | - Larance Ronsard
- Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States
| | - Heikyung Suh
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, United States
| | - Marjan Omer
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States
| | - Asheley P Chapman
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, United States
| | - Vanessa R Lewis
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States
| | - Katie Spivakovsky
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States
| | - Josue Canales
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Boris Reizis
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Ryan D Tingle
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, United States
- Consortium for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Development (CHAVD), The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, United States
| | - Christopher A Cottrell
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, United States
- Consortium for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Development (CHAVD), The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, United States
| | - Torben Schiffner
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, United States
- Consortium for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Development (CHAVD), The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, United States
| | - Daniel Lingwood
- Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States
| | - Mark Bathe
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139 United States
- Harvard Medical School Initiative for RNA Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, United States
| | - Darrell J Irvine
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States
- Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, United States
- Consortium for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Development (CHAVD), The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, United States
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Gupta A, Rudra A, Reed K, Langer R, Anderson DG. Advanced technologies for the development of infectious disease vaccines. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2024; 23:914-938. [PMID: 39433939 DOI: 10.1038/s41573-024-01041-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/28/2024] [Indexed: 10/23/2024]
Abstract
Vaccines play a critical role in the prevention of life-threatening infectious disease. However, the development of effective vaccines against many immune-evading pathogens such as HIV has proven challenging, and existing vaccines against some diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria have limited efficacy. The historically slow rate of vaccine development and limited pan-variant immune responses also limit existing vaccine utility against rapidly emerging and mutating pathogens such as influenza and SARS-CoV-2. Additionally, reactogenic effects can contribute to vaccine hesitancy, further undermining the ability of vaccination campaigns to generate herd immunity. These limitations are fuelling the development of novel vaccine technologies to more effectively combat infectious diseases. Towards this end, advances in vaccine delivery systems, adjuvants, antigens and other technologies are paving the way for the next generation of vaccines. This Review focuses on recent advances in synthetic vaccine systems and their associated challenges, highlighting innovation in the field of nano- and nucleic acid-based vaccines.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Akash Gupta
- David H Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Arnab Rudra
- David H Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kaelan Reed
- David H Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Robert Langer
- David H Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Harvard and MIT Division of Health Science and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Daniel G Anderson
- David H Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Harvard and MIT Division of Health Science and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Brinkkemper M, Kerster G, Brouwer PJM, Tran AS, Torres JL, Ettema RA, Nijhuis H, Allen JD, Zhu W, Gao H, Lee WH, Bijl TPL, Snitselaar JL, Burger JA, Bontjer I, Olijhoek W, Ravichandran R, van Breemen MJ, Del Moral-Sánchez I, Derking R, Sliepen K, Ozorowski G, Crispin M, Montefiori DC, Claireaux M, Ward AB, van Gils MJ, King NP, Sanders RW. Mosaic and mixed HIV-1 glycoprotein nanoparticles elicit antibody responses to broadly neutralizing epitopes. PLoS Pathog 2024; 20:e1012558. [PMID: 39361585 PMCID: PMC11449375 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1012558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 09/02/2024] [Indexed: 10/05/2024] Open
Abstract
An effective human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) vaccine will most likely have to elicit broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) to overcome the sequence diversity of the envelope glycoprotein (Env). So far, stabilized versions of Env, such as SOSIP trimers, have been able to induce neutralizing antibody (NAb) responses, but those responses are mainly strain-specific. Here we attempted to broaden NAb responses by using a multivalent vaccine and applying a number of design improvements. First, we used highly stabilized SOSIP.v9 trimers. Second, we removed any holes in the glycan shields and optimized glycan occupancy to avoid strain-specific glycan hole responses. Third, we selected five sequences from the same clade (B), as we observed previously that combining Env trimers from clade A, B and C did not improve cross-reactive responses, as they might have been too diverse. Fourth, to improve antibody (Ab) responses, the Env trimers were displayed on two-component I53-50 nanoparticles (NPs). Fifth, to favor activation of cross-reactive B cells, the five Env trimers were co-displayed on mosaic NPs. Sixth, we immunized rabbits four times with long intervals between vaccinations. These efforts led to the induction of cross-reactive B cells and cross-reactive binding Ab responses, but we only sporadically detected cross-neutralizing responses. We conclude that stabilized HIV-1 Env trimers that are not modified specifically for priming naive B cells are unable to elicit strong bNAb responses, and infer that sequential immunization regimens, most likely starting with specific germline-targeting immunogens, will be necessary to overcome Env's defenses against the induction of NAbs. The antigens described here could be excellent boosting immunogens in a sequential immunization regimen, as responses to bNAb epitopes were induced.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mitch Brinkkemper
- Amsterdam UMC, location University of Amsterdam, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection prevention, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam institute for Infection and Immunity, Infectious diseases, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Gius Kerster
- Amsterdam UMC, location University of Amsterdam, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection prevention, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam institute for Infection and Immunity, Infectious diseases, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Philip J M Brouwer
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Andy S Tran
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Jonathan L Torres
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Roos A Ettema
- Amsterdam UMC, location University of Amsterdam, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection prevention, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam institute for Infection and Immunity, Infectious diseases, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Haye Nijhuis
- Amsterdam UMC, location University of Amsterdam, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection prevention, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam institute for Infection and Immunity, Infectious diseases, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Joel D Allen
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Wenwen Zhu
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Hongmei Gao
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute and Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Wen-Hsin Lee
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Tom P L Bijl
- Amsterdam UMC, location University of Amsterdam, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection prevention, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam institute for Infection and Immunity, Infectious diseases, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jonne L Snitselaar
- Amsterdam UMC, location University of Amsterdam, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection prevention, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam institute for Infection and Immunity, Infectious diseases, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Judith A Burger
- Amsterdam UMC, location University of Amsterdam, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection prevention, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam institute for Infection and Immunity, Infectious diseases, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ilja Bontjer
- Amsterdam UMC, location University of Amsterdam, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection prevention, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam institute for Infection and Immunity, Infectious diseases, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Wouter Olijhoek
- Amsterdam UMC, location University of Amsterdam, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection prevention, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam institute for Infection and Immunity, Infectious diseases, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Rashmi Ravichandran
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Marielle J van Breemen
- Amsterdam UMC, location University of Amsterdam, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection prevention, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam institute for Infection and Immunity, Infectious diseases, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Iván Del Moral-Sánchez
- Amsterdam UMC, location University of Amsterdam, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection prevention, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam institute for Infection and Immunity, Infectious diseases, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ronald Derking
- Amsterdam UMC, location University of Amsterdam, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection prevention, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam institute for Infection and Immunity, Infectious diseases, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Kwinten Sliepen
- Amsterdam UMC, location University of Amsterdam, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection prevention, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam institute for Infection and Immunity, Infectious diseases, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Gabriel Ozorowski
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Max Crispin
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - David C Montefiori
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute and Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Mathieu Claireaux
- Amsterdam UMC, location University of Amsterdam, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection prevention, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam institute for Infection and Immunity, Infectious diseases, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Andrew B Ward
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Marit J van Gils
- Amsterdam UMC, location University of Amsterdam, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection prevention, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam institute for Infection and Immunity, Infectious diseases, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Neil P King
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Rogier W Sanders
- Amsterdam UMC, location University of Amsterdam, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection prevention, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam institute for Infection and Immunity, Infectious diseases, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Malebo K, Woodward J, Ximba P, Mkhize Q, Cingo S, Moyo-Gwete T, Moore PL, Williamson AL, Chapman R. Development of a Two-Component Nanoparticle Vaccine Displaying an HIV-1 Envelope Glycoprotein that Elicits Tier 2 Neutralising Antibodies. Vaccines (Basel) 2024; 12:1063. [PMID: 39340093 PMCID: PMC11436023 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines12091063] [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: 07/15/2024] [Revised: 09/09/2024] [Accepted: 09/10/2024] [Indexed: 09/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite treatment and other interventions, an effective prophylactic HIV vaccine is still an essential goal in the control of HIV. Inducing robust and long-lasting antibody responses is one of the main targets of an HIV vaccine. The delivery of HIV envelope glycoproteins (Env) using nanoparticle (NP) platforms has been shown to elicit better immunogenicity than soluble HIV Env. In this paper, we describe the development of a nanoparticle-based vaccine decorated with HIV Env using the SpyCatcher/SpyTag system. The Env utilised in this study, CAP255, was derived from a transmitted founder virus isolated from a patient who developed broadly neutralising antibodies. Negative stain and cryo-electron microscopy analyses confirmed the assembly and stability of the mi3 into uniform icosahedral NPs surrounded by regularly spaced CAP255 gp140 Env trimers. A three-dimensional reconstruction of CAP255 gp140 SpyTag-SpyCatcher mi3 clearly showed Env trimers projecting from the centre of each of the pentagonal dodecahedral faces of the NP. To our knowledge, this is the first study to report the formation of SpyCatcher pentamers on the dodecahedral faces of mi3 NPs. To investigate the immunogenicity, rabbits were primed with two doses of DNA vaccines expressing the CAP255 gp150 and a mosaic subtype C Gag and boosted with three doses of the NP-developed autologous Tier 2 CAP255 neutralising antibodies (Nabs) and low levels of heterologous CAP256SU NAbs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kegomoditswe Malebo
- Division of Medical Virology, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
| | - Jeremy Woodward
- Electron Microscope Unit, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
| | - Phindile Ximba
- Division of Medical Virology, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
| | - Qiniso Mkhize
- MRC Antibody Immunity Research Unit, School of Pathology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2000, South Africa
- National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Services, Johannesburg 2192, South Africa
| | - Sanele Cingo
- Division of Medical Virology, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
| | - Thandeka Moyo-Gwete
- MRC Antibody Immunity Research Unit, School of Pathology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2000, South Africa
- National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Services, Johannesburg 2192, South Africa
| | - Penny L. Moore
- MRC Antibody Immunity Research Unit, School of Pathology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2000, South Africa
- National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Services, Johannesburg 2192, South Africa
- Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa, Durban 4001, South Africa
| | - Anna-Lise Williamson
- Division of Medical Virology, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
| | - Rosamund Chapman
- Division of Medical Virology, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Hills RA, Tan TK, Cohen AA, Keeffe JR, Keeble AH, Gnanapragasam PNP, Storm KN, Rorick AV, West AP, Hill ML, Liu S, Gilbert-Jaramillo J, Afzal M, Napier A, Admans G, James WS, Bjorkman PJ, Townsend AR, Howarth MR. Proactive vaccination using multiviral Quartet Nanocages to elicit broad anti-coronavirus responses. NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY 2024; 19:1216-1223. [PMID: 38710880 PMCID: PMC11329374 DOI: 10.1038/s41565-024-01655-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Defending against future pandemics requires vaccine platforms that protect across a range of related pathogens. Nanoscale patterning can be used to address this issue. Here, we produce quartets of linked receptor-binding domains (RBDs) from a panel of SARS-like betacoronaviruses, coupled to a computationally designed nanocage through SpyTag/SpyCatcher links. These Quartet Nanocages, possessing a branched morphology, induce a high level of neutralizing antibodies against several different coronaviruses, including against viruses not represented in the vaccine. Equivalent antibody responses are raised to RBDs close to the nanocage or at the tips of the nanoparticle's branches. In animals primed with SARS-CoV-2 Spike, boost immunizations with Quartet Nanocages increase the strength and breadth of an otherwise narrow immune response. A Quartet Nanocage including the Omicron XBB.1.5 'Kraken' RBD induced antibodies with binding to a broad range of sarbecoviruses, as well as neutralizing activity against this variant of concern. Quartet nanocages are a nanomedicine approach with potential to confer heterotypic protection against emergent zoonotic pathogens and facilitate proactive pandemic protection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rory A Hills
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Tiong Kit Tan
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Alexander A Cohen
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Jennifer R Keeffe
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Anthony H Keeble
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Kaya N Storm
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Annie V Rorick
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Anthony P West
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Michelle L Hill
- James & Lillian Martin Centre, Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Sai Liu
- James & Lillian Martin Centre, Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Javier Gilbert-Jaramillo
- James & Lillian Martin Centre, Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Madeeha Afzal
- James & Lillian Martin Centre, Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Amy Napier
- James & Lillian Martin Centre, Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Gabrielle Admans
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - William S James
- James & Lillian Martin Centre, Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Pamela J Bjorkman
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA.
| | - Alain R Townsend
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- Centre for Translational Immunology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Oxford Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Mark R Howarth
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Bhattacharya S, Jenkins MC, Keshavarz-Joud P, Bourque AR, White K, Alvarez Barkane AM, Bryksin AV, Hernandez C, Kopylov M, Finn M. Heterologous Prime-Boost with Immunologically Orthogonal Protein Nanoparticles for Peptide Immunofocusing. ACS NANO 2024; 18:20083-20100. [PMID: 39041587 PMCID: PMC11308774 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.4c00949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2024] [Revised: 06/27/2024] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/24/2024]
Abstract
Protein nanoparticles are effective platforms for antigen presentation and targeting effector immune cells in vaccine development. Encapsulins are a class of protein-based microbial nanocompartments that self-assemble into icosahedral structures with external diameters ranging from 24 to 42 nm. Encapsulins from Myxococcus xanthus were designed to package bacterial RNA when produced in E. coli and were shown to have immunogenic and self-adjuvanting properties enhanced by this RNA. We genetically incorporated a 20-mer peptide derived from a mutant strain of the SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain (RBD) into the encapsulin protomeric coat protein for presentation on the exterior surface of the particle, inducing the formation of several nonicosahedral structures that were characterized by cryogenic electron microscopy. This immunogen elicited conformationally relevant humoral responses to the SARS-CoV-2 RBD. Immunological recognition was enhanced when the same peptide was presented in a heterologous prime/boost vaccination strategy using the engineered encapsulin and a previously reported variant of the PP7 virus-like particle, leading to the development of a selective antibody response against a SARS-CoV-2 RBD point mutant. While generating epitope-focused antibody responses is an interplay between inherent vaccine properties and B/T cells, here we demonstrate the use of orthogonal nanoparticles to fine-tune the control of epitope focusing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Bhattacharya
- School
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute
of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Matthew C. Jenkins
- School
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute
of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Parisa Keshavarz-Joud
- School
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute
of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Alisyn Retos Bourque
- Parker
H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Keiyana White
- School
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute
of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Amina Maria Alvarez Barkane
- Parker
H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Anton V. Bryksin
- Parker
H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Carolina Hernandez
- New
York Structural Biology Center, New York, New York 10027, United States
| | - Mykhailo Kopylov
- New
York Structural Biology Center, New York, New York 10027, United States
| | - M.G. Finn
- School
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute
of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
- School
of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute
of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United
States
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Adolf-Bryfogle J, Labonte JW, Kraft JC, Shapovalov M, Raemisch S, Lütteke T, DiMaio F, Bahl CD, Pallesen J, King NP, Gray JJ, Kulp DW, Schief WR. Growing Glycans in Rosetta: Accurate de novo glycan modeling, density fitting, and rational sequon design. PLoS Comput Biol 2024; 20:e1011895. [PMID: 38913746 PMCID: PMC11288642 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 07/30/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Carbohydrates and glycoproteins modulate key biological functions. However, experimental structure determination of sugar polymers is notoriously difficult. Computational approaches can aid in carbohydrate structure prediction, structure determination, and design. In this work, we developed a glycan-modeling algorithm, GlycanTreeModeler, that computationally builds glycans layer-by-layer, using adaptive kernel density estimates (KDE) of common glycan conformations derived from data in the Protein Data Bank (PDB) and from quantum mechanics (QM) calculations. GlycanTreeModeler was benchmarked on a test set of glycan structures of varying lengths, or "trees". Structures predicted by GlycanTreeModeler agreed with native structures at high accuracy for both de novo modeling and experimental density-guided building. We employed these tools to design de novo glycan trees into a protein nanoparticle vaccine to shield regions of the scaffold from antibody recognition, and experimentally verified shielding. This work will inform glycoprotein model prediction, glycan masking, and further aid computational methods in experimental structure determination and refinement.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jared Adolf-Bryfogle
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, United States of America
- IAVI Neutralizing Antibody Center, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, United States of America
- Consortium for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Development, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, United States of America
- Institute for Protein Innovation, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Jason W. Labonte
- Department of Chemistry & Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - John C. Kraft
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Maxim Shapovalov
- Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Sebastian Raemisch
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, United States of America
- IAVI Neutralizing Antibody Center, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, United States of America
- Consortium for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Development, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Thomas Lütteke
- Institute of Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Frank DiMaio
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Christopher D. Bahl
- Institute for Protein Innovation, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Jesper Pallesen
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, United States of America
- Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Neil P. King
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Jeffrey J. Gray
- Department of Chemistry & Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Daniel W. Kulp
- Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - William R. Schief
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, United States of America
- IAVI Neutralizing Antibody Center, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, United States of America
- Consortium for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Development, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Pascha MN, Ballegeer M, Roelofs MC, Meuris L, Albulescu IC, van Kuppeveld FJM, Hurdiss DL, Bosch BJ, Zeev-Ben-Mordehai T, Saelens X, de Haan CAM. Nanoparticle display of neuraminidase elicits enhanced antibody responses and protection against influenza A virus challenge. NPJ Vaccines 2024; 9:97. [PMID: 38821988 PMCID: PMC11143307 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-024-00891-3] [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: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Current Influenza virus vaccines primarily induce antibody responses against variable epitopes in hemagglutinin (HA), necessitating frequent updates. However, antibodies against neuraminidase (NA) can also confer protection against influenza, making NA an attractive target for the development of novel vaccines. In this study, we aimed to enhance the immunogenicity of recombinant NA antigens by presenting them multivalently on a nanoparticle carrier. Soluble tetrameric NA antigens of the N1 and N2 subtypes, confirmed to be correctly folded by cryo-electron microscopy structural analysis, were conjugated to Mi3 self-assembling protein nanoparticles using the SpyTag-SpyCatcher system. Immunization of mice with NA-Mi3 nanoparticles induced higher titers of NA-binding and -inhibiting antibodies and improved protection against a lethal challenge compared to unconjugated NA. Additionally, we explored the co-presentation of N1 and N2 antigens on the same Mi3 particles to create a mosaic vaccine candidate. These mosaic nanoparticles elicited antibody titers that were similar or superior to the homotypic nanoparticles and effectively protected against H1N1 and H3N2 challenge viruses. The NA-Mi3 nanoparticles represent a promising vaccine candidate that could complement HA-directed approaches for enhanced potency and broadened protection against influenza A virus.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M N Pascha
- Section of Virology, Division of Infectious Diseases & Immunology, Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - M Ballegeer
- VIB Center for Medical Biotechnology, VIB, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
| | - M C Roelofs
- Structural Biochemistry, Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Research, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - L Meuris
- VIB Center for Medical Biotechnology, VIB, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
| | - I C Albulescu
- Section of Virology, Division of Infectious Diseases & Immunology, Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - F J M van Kuppeveld
- Section of Virology, Division of Infectious Diseases & Immunology, Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - D L Hurdiss
- Section of Virology, Division of Infectious Diseases & Immunology, Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - B J Bosch
- Section of Virology, Division of Infectious Diseases & Immunology, Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - T Zeev-Ben-Mordehai
- Structural Biochemistry, Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Research, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - X Saelens
- VIB Center for Medical Biotechnology, VIB, 9052, Ghent, Belgium.
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, 9052, Ghent, Belgium.
| | - C A M de Haan
- Section of Virology, Division of Infectious Diseases & Immunology, Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Koornneef A, Vanshylla K, Hardenberg G, Rutten L, Strokappe NM, Tolboom J, Vreugdenhil J, Boer KFD, Perkasa A, Blokland S, Burger JA, Huang WC, Lovell JF, van Manen D, Sanders RW, Zahn RC, Schuitemaker H, Langedijk JPM, Wegmann F. CoPoP liposomes displaying stabilized clade C HIV-1 Env elicit tier 2 multiclade neutralization in rabbits. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3128. [PMID: 38605096 PMCID: PMC11009251 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47492-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
One of the strategies towards an effective HIV-1 vaccine is to elicit broadly neutralizing antibody responses that target the high HIV-1 Env diversity. Here, we present an HIV-1 vaccine candidate that consists of cobalt porphyrin-phospholipid (CoPoP) liposomes decorated with repaired and stabilized clade C HIV-1 Env trimers in a prefusion conformation. These particles exhibit high HIV-1 Env trimer decoration, serum stability and bind broadly neutralizing antibodies. Three sequential immunizations of female rabbits with CoPoP liposomes displaying a different clade C HIV-1 gp140 trimer at each dosing generate high HIV-1 Env-specific antibody responses. Additionally, serum neutralization is detectable against 18 of 20 multiclade tier 2 HIV-1 strains. Furthermore, the peak antibody titers induced by CoPoP liposomes can be recalled by subsequent heterologous immunization with Ad26-encoded membrane-bound stabilized Env antigens. Hence, a CoPoP liposome-based HIV-1 vaccine that can generate cross-clade neutralizing antibody immunity could potentially be a component of an efficacious HIV-1 vaccine.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Lucy Rutten
- Janssen Vaccines & Prevention, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Sven Blokland
- Janssen Vaccines & Prevention, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Judith A Burger
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Wei-Chiao Huang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Jonathan F Lovell
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | | | - Rogier W Sanders
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Roland C Zahn
- Janssen Vaccines & Prevention, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | - Johannes P M Langedijk
- Janssen Vaccines & Prevention, Leiden, The Netherlands.
- ForgeBio, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Frank Wegmann
- Janssen Vaccines & Prevention, Leiden, The Netherlands.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Bhattacharya S, Jenkins MC, Keshavarz-Joud P, Bourque AR, White K, Alvarez Barkane AM, Bryksin AV, Hernandez C, Kopylov M, Finn MG. Heterologous Prime-Boost with Immunologically Orthogonal Protein Nanoparticles for Peptide Immunofocusing. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.24.581861. [PMID: 38464232 PMCID: PMC10925081 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.24.581861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Protein nanoparticles are effective platforms for antigen presentation and targeting effector immune cells in vaccine development. Encapsulins are a class of protein-based microbial nanocompartments that self-assemble into icosahedral structures with external diameters ranging from 24 to 42 nm. Encapsulins from Mxyococcus xanthus were designed to package bacterial RNA when produced in E. coli and were shown to have immunogenic and self-adjuvanting properties enhanced by this RNA. We genetically incorporated a 20-mer peptide derived from a mutant strain of the SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain (RBD) into the encapsulin protomeric coat protein for presentation on the exterior surface of the particle. This immunogen elicited conformationally-relevant humoral responses to the SARS-CoV-2 RBD. Immunological recognition was enhanced when the same peptide was presented in a heterologous prime/boost vaccination strategy using the engineered encapsulin and a previously reported variant of the PP7 virus-like particle, leading to the development of a selective antibody response against a SARS-CoV-2 RBD point mutant. While generating epitope-focused antibody responses is an interplay between inherent vaccine properties and B/T cells, here we demonstrate the use of orthogonal nanoparticles to fine-tune the control of epitope focusing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Bhattacharya
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Matthew C Jenkins
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Parisa Keshavarz-Joud
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Alisyn Retos Bourque
- Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Keiyana White
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Amina M Alvarez Barkane
- Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Anton V Bryksin
- Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | | | - Mykhailo Kopylov
- New York Structural Biology Center, New York, New York, 10027, USA
| | - M G Finn
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Wamhoff EC, Ronsard L, Feldman J, Knappe GA, Hauser BM, Romanov A, Case JB, Sanapala S, Lam EC, Denis KJS, Boucau J, Barczak AK, Balazs AB, Diamond MS, Schmidt AG, Lingwood D, Bathe M. Enhancing antibody responses by multivalent antigen display on thymus-independent DNA origami scaffolds. Nat Commun 2024; 15:795. [PMID: 38291019 PMCID: PMC10828404 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-44869-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Protein-based virus-like particles (P-VLPs) are commonly used to spatially organize antigens and enhance humoral immunity through multivalent antigen display. However, P-VLPs are thymus-dependent antigens that are themselves immunogenic and can induce B cell responses that may neutralize the platform. Here, we investigate thymus-independent DNA origami as an alternative material for multivalent antigen display using the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, the primary target of neutralizing antibody responses. Sequential immunization of mice with DNA-based VLPs (DNA-VLPs) elicits protective neutralizing antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in a manner that depends on the valency of the antigen displayed and on T cell help. Importantly, the immune sera do not contain boosted, class-switched antibodies against the DNA scaffold, in contrast to P-VLPs that elicit strong B cell memory against both the target antigen and the scaffold. Thus, DNA-VLPs enhance target antigen immunogenicity without generating scaffold-directed immunity and thereby offer an important alternative material for particulate vaccine design.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eike-Christian Wamhoff
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Larance Ronsard
- Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Jared Feldman
- Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Grant A Knappe
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Blake M Hauser
- Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Anna Romanov
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - James Brett Case
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Shilpa Sanapala
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Evan C Lam
- Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Kerri J St Denis
- Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Julie Boucau
- Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Amy K Barczak
- Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Alejandro B Balazs
- Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Michael S Diamond
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Aaron G Schmidt
- Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
| | - Daniel Lingwood
- Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
| | - Mark Bathe
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
- Harvard Medical School Initiative for RNA Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Chen K, Jiang M, Liu J, Huang D, Yang YR. DNA nanostructures as biomolecular scaffolds for antigen display. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. NANOMEDICINE AND NANOBIOTECHNOLOGY 2024; 16:e1921. [PMID: 37562787 DOI: 10.1002/wnan.1921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
Nanoparticle-based vaccines offer a multivalent approach for antigen display, efficiently activating T and B cells in the lymph nodes. Among various nanoparticle design strategies, DNA nanotechnology offers an innovative alternative platform, featuring high modularity, spatial addressing, nanoscale regulation, high functional group density, and lower self-antigenicity. This review delves into the potential of DNA nanostructures as biomolecular scaffolds for antigen display, addressing: (1) immunological mechanisms behind nanovaccines and commonly used nanoparticles in their design, (2) techniques for characterizing protein NP-antigen complexes, (3) advancements in DNA nanotechnology and DNA-protein assembly approach, (4) strategies for precise antigen presentation on DNA scaffolds, and (5) current applications and future possibilities of DNA scaffolds in antigen display. This analysis aims to highlight the transformative potential of DNA nanoscaffolds in immunology and vaccinology. This article is categorized under: Biology-Inspired Nanomaterials > Nucleic Acid-Based Structures Biology-Inspired Nanomaterials > Protein and Virus-Based Structures.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kun Chen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, China
- Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Ming Jiang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Jin Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, China
- Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Deli Huang
- Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yuhe R Yang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nanosystem and Hierarchical Fabrication, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Park J, Champion JA. Development of Self-Assembled Protein Nanocage Spatially Functionalized with HA Stalk as a Broadly Cross-Reactive Influenza Vaccine Platform. ACS NANO 2023; 17:25045-25060. [PMID: 38084728 PMCID: PMC10753887 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c07669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/27/2023]
Abstract
There remains a need for the development of a universal influenza vaccine, as current seasonal influenza vaccines exhibit limited protection against mismatched, mutated, or pandemic influenza viruses. A desirable approach to developing an effective universal influenza vaccine is the incorporation of highly conserved antigens in a multivalent scaffold that enhances their immunogenicity. Here, we develop a broadly cross-reactive influenza vaccine by functionalizing self-assembled protein nanocages (SAPNs) with multiple copies of the hemagglutinin stalk on the outer surface and matrix protein 2 ectodomain on the inner surface. SAPNs were generated by engineering short coiled coils, and the design was simulated by MD GROMACS. Due to the short sequences, off-target immune responses against empty SAPN scaffolds were not seen in immunized mice. Vaccination with the multivalent SAPNs induces high levels of broadly cross-reactive antibodies of only external antigens, demonstrating tight spatial control over the designed antigen placement. This work demonstrates the use of SAPNs as a potential influenza vaccine.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jaeyoung Park
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular
Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 950 Atlantic Dr. NW, Atlanta, Georgia 30332-2000, United States
| | - Julie A. Champion
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular
Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 950 Atlantic Dr. NW, Atlanta, Georgia 30332-2000, United States
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Park J, Pho T, Champion JA. Chemical and biological conjugation strategies for the development of multivalent protein vaccine nanoparticles. Biopolymers 2023; 114:e23563. [PMID: 37490564 PMCID: PMC10528127 DOI: 10.1002/bip.23563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2023] [Revised: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023]
Abstract
The development of subunit vaccine platforms has been of considerable interest due to their good safety profile and ability to be adapted to new antigens, compared to other vaccine typess. Nevertheless, subunit vaccines often lack sufficient immunogenicity to fully protect against infectious diseases. A wide variety of subunit vaccines have been developed to enhance antigen immunogenicity by increasing antigen multivalency, as well as stability and delivery properties, via presentation of antigens on protein nanoparticles. Increasing multivalency can be an effective approach to provide a potent humoral immune response by more strongly engaging and clustering B cell receptors (BCRs) to induce activation, as well as increased uptake by antigen presenting cells and their subsequent T cell activation. Proper orientation of antigen on protein nanoparticles is also considered a crucial factor for enhanced BCR engagement and subsequent immune responses. Therefore, various strategies have been reported to decorate highly repetitive surfaces of protein nanoparticle scaffolds with multiple copies of antigens, arrange antigens in proper orientation, or combinations thereof. In this review, we describe different chemical bioconjugation methods, approaches for genetic fusion of recombinant antigens, biological affinity tags, and enzymatic conjugation methods to effectively present antigens on the surface of protein nanoparticle vaccine scaffolds.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jaeyoung Park
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 950 Atlantic Dr. NW, Atlanta, GA, 30332-2000, USA
| | - Thomas Pho
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 950 Atlantic Dr. NW, Atlanta, GA, 30332-2000, USA
- BioEngineering Program
| | - Julie A. Champion
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 950 Atlantic Dr. NW, Atlanta, GA, 30332-2000, USA
- BioEngineering Program
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Mallik BB, Stanislaw J, Alawathurage TM, Khmelinskaia A. De Novo Design of Polyhedral Protein Assemblies: Before and After the AI Revolution. Chembiochem 2023; 24:e202300117. [PMID: 37014094 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202300117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023]
Abstract
Self-assembling polyhedral protein biomaterials have gained attention as engineering targets owing to their naturally evolved sophisticated functions, ranging from protecting macromolecules from the environment to spatially controlling biochemical reactions. Precise computational design of de novo protein polyhedra is possible through two main types of approaches: methods from first principles, using physical and geometrical rules, and more recent data-driven methods based on artificial intelligence (AI), including deep learning (DL). Here, we retrospect first principle- and AI-based approaches for designing finite polyhedral protein assemblies, as well as advances in the structure prediction of such assemblies. We further highlight the possible applications of these materials and explore how the presented approaches can be combined to overcome current challenges and to advance the design of functional protein-based biomaterials.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bhoomika Basu Mallik
- Transdisciplinary Research Area, "Building Blocks of Matter and Fundamental Interactions (TRA Matter)", University of Bonn, 53121, Bonn, Germany
- Life and Medical Sciences Institute, University of Bonn, 53115, Bonn, Germany
| | - Jenna Stanislaw
- Transdisciplinary Research Area, "Building Blocks of Matter and Fundamental Interactions (TRA Matter)", University of Bonn, 53121, Bonn, Germany
- Life and Medical Sciences Institute, University of Bonn, 53115, Bonn, Germany
| | - Tharindu Madhusankha Alawathurage
- Transdisciplinary Research Area, "Building Blocks of Matter and Fundamental Interactions (TRA Matter)", University of Bonn, 53121, Bonn, Germany
- Life and Medical Sciences Institute, University of Bonn, 53115, Bonn, Germany
| | - Alena Khmelinskaia
- Transdisciplinary Research Area, "Building Blocks of Matter and Fundamental Interactions (TRA Matter)", University of Bonn, 53121, Bonn, Germany
- Life and Medical Sciences Institute, University of Bonn, 53115, Bonn, Germany
- Current address: Department of Chemistry, Ludwig Maximillian University, 80539, Munich, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Ludwig J, Scally SW, Costa G, Hoffmann S, Murugan R, Lossin J, Prieto K, Obraztcova A, Lobeto N, Franke-Fayard B, Janse CJ, Lebas C, Collin N, Binter S, Kellam P, Levashina EA, Wardemann H, Julien JP. Glycosylated nanoparticle-based PfCSP vaccine confers long-lasting antibody responses and sterile protection in mouse malaria model. NPJ Vaccines 2023; 8:52. [PMID: 37029167 PMCID: PMC10080175 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-023-00653-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The development of an effective and durable vaccine remains a central goal in the fight against malaria. Circumsporozoite protein (CSP) is the major surface protein of sporozoites and the target of the only licensed Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) malaria vaccine, RTS,S/AS01. However, vaccine efficacy is low and short-lived, highlighting the need for a second-generation vaccine with superior efficacy and durability. Here, we report a Helicobacter pylori apoferritin-based nanoparticle immunogen that elicits strong B cell responses against PfCSP epitopes that are targeted by the most potent human monoclonal antibodies. Glycan engineering of the scaffold and fusion of an exogenous T cell epitope enhanced the anti-PfCSP B cell response eliciting strong, long-lived and protective humoral immunity in mice. Our study highlights the power of rational vaccine design to generate a highly efficacious second-generation anti-infective malaria vaccine candidate and provides the basis for its further development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julia Ludwig
- B Cell Immunology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Stephen W Scally
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Giulia Costa
- Vector Biology Unit, Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sandro Hoffmann
- B Cell Immunology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rajagopal Murugan
- B Cell Immunology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jana Lossin
- B Cell Immunology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Katherine Prieto
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Anna Obraztcova
- B Cell Immunology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Nina Lobeto
- B Cell Immunology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Blandine Franke-Fayard
- Malaria Research Group, Department of Parasitology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Chris J Janse
- Malaria Research Group, Department of Parasitology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Celia Lebas
- Vaccine Formulation Institute, Plan-les-Ouates, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Collin
- Vaccine Formulation Institute, Plan-les-Ouates, Switzerland
| | - Spela Binter
- Kymab a Sanofi Company, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge, UK
| | - Paul Kellam
- Kymab a Sanofi Company, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Elena A Levashina
- Vector Biology Unit, Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Hedda Wardemann
- B Cell Immunology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Jean-Philippe Julien
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada.
- Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Hendy DA, Haven A, Bachelder EM, Ainslie KM. Preclinical developments in the delivery of protein antigens for vaccination. Expert Opin Drug Deliv 2023; 20:367-384. [PMID: 36731824 PMCID: PMC9992317 DOI: 10.1080/17425247.2023.2176844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Vaccine technology has constantly advanced since its origin. One of these advancements is where purified parts of a pathogen are used rather than the whole pathogen. Subunit vaccines have no chance of causing disease; however, alone these antigens are often poorly immunogenic. Therefore, they can be paired with immune stimulating adjuvants. Further, subunits can be combined with delivery strategies such as nano/microparticles to enrich their delivery to organs and cells of interest as well as protect them from in vivo degradation. Here, we seek to highlight some of the more promising delivery strategies for protein antigens. AREAS COVERED We present a brief description of the different types of vaccines, clinically relevant examples, and their disadvantages when compared to subunit vaccines. Also, specific preclinical examples of delivery strategies for protein antigens. EXPERT OPINION Subunit vaccines provide optimal safety given that they have no risk of causing disease; however, they are often not immunogenic enough on their own to provide protection. Advanced delivery systems are a promising avenue to increase the immunogenicity of subunit vaccines, but scalability and stability can be improved. Further, more research is warranted on systems that promote a mucosal immune response to provide better protection against infection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dylan A. Hendy
- Division of Pharmacoengineering and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA
| | - Alex Haven
- Division of Pharmacoengineering and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA
| | - Eric M. Bachelder
- Division of Pharmacoengineering and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA
| | - Kristy M. Ainslie
- Division of Pharmacoengineering and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, UNC School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Hills RA, Kit Tan T, Cohen AA, Keeffe JR, Keeble AH, Gnanapragasam PN, Storm KN, Hill ML, Liu S, Gilbert-Jaramillo J, Afzal M, Napier A, James WS, Bjorkman PJ, Townsend AR, Howarth M. Multiviral Quartet Nanocages Elicit Broad Anti-Coronavirus Responses for Proactive Vaccinology. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.24.529520. [PMID: 36865256 PMCID: PMC9980174 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.24.529520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Defending against future pandemics may require vaccine platforms that protect across a range of related pathogens. The presentation of multiple receptor-binding domains (RBDs) from evolutionarily-related viruses on a nanoparticle scaffold elicits a strong antibody response to conserved regions. Here we produce quartets of tandemly-linked RBDs from SARS-like betacoronaviruses coupled to the mi3 nanocage through a SpyTag/SpyCatcher spontaneous reaction. These Quartet Nanocages induce a high level of neutralizing antibodies against several different coronaviruses, including against viruses not represented on the vaccine. In animals primed with SARS-CoV-2 Spike, boost immunizations with Quartet Nanocages increased the strength and breadth of an otherwise narrow immune response. Quartet Nanocages are a strategy with potential to confer heterotypic protection against emergent zoonotic coronavirus pathogens and facilitate proactive pandemic protection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rory A. Hills
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1PD, UK
| | - Tiong Kit Tan
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Alexander A. Cohen
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Jennifer R. Keeffe
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Anthony H. Keeble
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1PD, UK
| | | | - Kaya N. Storm
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Michelle L. Hill
- James & Lillian Martin Centre, Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3RE, UK
| | - Sai Liu
- James & Lillian Martin Centre, Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3RE, UK
| | - Javier Gilbert-Jaramillo
- James & Lillian Martin Centre, Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3RE, UK
| | - Madeeha Afzal
- James & Lillian Martin Centre, Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3RE, UK
| | - Amy Napier
- James & Lillian Martin Centre, Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3RE, UK
| | - William S. James
- James & Lillian Martin Centre, Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3RE, UK
| | - Pamela J. Bjorkman
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Alain R. Townsend
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
- Centre for Translational Immunology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Oxford Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Mark Howarth
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1PD, UK
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Hoffmann MAG, Yang Z, Huey-Tubman KE, Cohen AA, Gnanapragasam PNP, Nakatomi LM, Storm KN, Moon WJ, Lin PJ, Bjorkman PJ. ESCRT recruitment to mRNA-encoded SARS-CoV-2 spike induces virus-like particles and enhanced antibody responses. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2022:2022.12.26.521940. [PMID: 36597535 PMCID: PMC9810232 DOI: 10.1101/2022.12.26.521940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Prime-boost regimens for COVID-19 vaccines elicit poor antibody responses against Omicron-based variants and employ frequent boosters to maintain antibody levels. We present a natural infection-mimicking technology that combines features of mRNA- and protein nanoparticle-based vaccines through encoding self-assembling enveloped virus-like particles (eVLPs). eVLP assembly is achieved by inserting an ESCRT- and ALIX-binding region (EABR) into the SARS-CoV-2 spike cytoplasmic tail, which recruits ESCRT proteins to induce eVLP budding from cells. Purified spike-EABR eVLPs presented densely-arrayed spikes and elicited potent antibody responses in mice. Two immunizations with mRNA-LNP encoding spike-EABR elicited potent CD8+ T-cell responses and superior neutralizing antibody responses against original and variant SARS-CoV-2 compared to conventional spike-encoding mRNA-LNP and purified spike-EABR eVLPs, improving neutralizing titers >10-fold against Omicron-based variants for three months post-boost. Thus, EABR technology enhances potency and breadth of vaccine-induced responses through antigen presentation on cell surfaces and eVLPs, enabling longer-lasting protection against SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Magnus A. G. Hoffmann
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Zhi Yang
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Kathryn E. Huey-Tubman
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Alexander A. Cohen
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | | | - Leesa M. Nakatomi
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Kaya N. Storm
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | | | | | - Pamela J. Bjorkman
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Sliepen K, Radić L, Capella-Pujol J, Watanabe Y, Zon I, Chumbe A, Lee WH, de Gast M, Koopsen J, Koekkoek S, Del Moral-Sánchez I, Brouwer PJM, Ravichandran R, Ozorowski G, King NP, Ward AB, van Gils MJ, Crispin M, Schinkel J, Sanders RW. Induction of cross-neutralizing antibodies by a permuted hepatitis C virus glycoprotein nanoparticle vaccine candidate. Nat Commun 2022; 13:7271. [PMID: 36434005 PMCID: PMC9700739 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34961-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection affects approximately 58 million people and causes ~300,000 deaths yearly. The only target for HCV neutralizing antibodies is the highly sequence diverse E1E2 glycoprotein. Eliciting broadly neutralizing antibodies that recognize conserved cross-neutralizing epitopes is important for an effective HCV vaccine. However, most recombinant HCV glycoprotein vaccines, which usually include only E2, induce only weak neutralizing antibody responses. Here, we describe recombinant soluble E1E2 immunogens that were generated by permutation of the E1 and E2 subunits. We displayed the E2E1 immunogens on two-component nanoparticles and these nanoparticles induce significantly more potent neutralizing antibody responses than E2. Next, we generated mosaic nanoparticles co-displaying six different E2E1 immunogens. These mosaic E2E1 nanoparticles elicit significantly improved neutralization compared to monovalent E2E1 nanoparticles. These results provide a roadmap for the generation of an HCV vaccine that induces potent and broad neutralization.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kwinten Sliepen
- Amsterdam UMC, location University of Amsterdam, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Infectious Diseases, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Laura Radić
- Amsterdam UMC, location University of Amsterdam, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Infectious Diseases, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Joan Capella-Pujol
- Amsterdam UMC, location University of Amsterdam, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Infectious Diseases, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Yasunori Watanabe
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Ian Zon
- Amsterdam UMC, location University of Amsterdam, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Infectious Diseases, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ana Chumbe
- Amsterdam UMC, location University of Amsterdam, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Infectious Diseases, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Wen-Hsin Lee
- Department of Structural Biology and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Marlon de Gast
- Amsterdam UMC, location University of Amsterdam, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Infectious Diseases, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jelle Koopsen
- Amsterdam UMC, location University of Amsterdam, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Infectious Diseases, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Sylvie Koekkoek
- Amsterdam UMC, location University of Amsterdam, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Infectious Diseases, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Iván Del Moral-Sánchez
- Amsterdam UMC, location University of Amsterdam, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Infectious Diseases, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Philip J M Brouwer
- Amsterdam UMC, location University of Amsterdam, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Infectious Diseases, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Rashmi Ravichandran
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
| | - Gabriel Ozorowski
- Department of Structural Biology and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Neil P King
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
| | - Andrew B Ward
- Department of Structural Biology and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Marit J van Gils
- Amsterdam UMC, location University of Amsterdam, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Infectious Diseases, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Max Crispin
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Janke Schinkel
- Amsterdam UMC, location University of Amsterdam, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Infectious Diseases, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Rogier W Sanders
- Amsterdam UMC, location University of Amsterdam, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Infectious Diseases, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, USA.
| |
Collapse
|