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Thatte AS, Billingsley MM, Weissman D, Melamed JR, Mitchell MJ. Emerging strategies for nanomedicine in autoimmunity. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2024; 207:115194. [PMID: 38342243 PMCID: PMC11015430 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2024.115194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/13/2024]
Abstract
Autoimmune disorders have risen to be among the most prevalent chronic diseases across the globe, affecting approximately 5-7% of the population. As autoimmune diseases steadily rise in prevalence, so do the number of potential therapeutic strategies to combat them. In recent years, fundamental research investigating autoimmune pathologies has led to the emergence of several cellular targets that provide new therapeutic opportunities. However, key challenges persist in terms of accessing and specifically combating the dysregulated, self-reactive cells while avoiding systemic immune suppression and other off-target effects. Fortunately, the continued advancement of nanomedicines may provide strategies to address these challenges and bring innovative autoimmunity therapies to the clinic. Through precise engineering and rational design, nanomedicines can possess a variety of physicochemical properties, surface modifications, and cargoes, allowing for specific targeting of therapeutics to pathological cell and organ types. These advances in nanomedicine have been demonstrated in cancer therapies and have the broad potential to advance applications in autoimmunity therapies as well. In this review, we focus on leveraging the power of nanomedicine for prevalent autoimmune disorders throughout the body. We expand on three key areas for the development of autoimmunity therapies - avoiding systemic immunosuppression, balancing interactions with the immune system, and elevating current platforms for delivering complex cargoes - and emphasize how nanomedicine-based strategies can overcome these barriers and enable the development of next-generation, clinically relevant autoimmunity therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ajay S Thatte
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | | | - Drew Weissman
- Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Penn Institute for RNA Innovation, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Jilian R Melamed
- Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Penn Institute for RNA Innovation, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Michael J Mitchell
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Penn Institute for RNA Innovation, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Institute for Immunology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Cardiovascular Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Abramson Cancer Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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2
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Lu L, Kong WY, Zhang J, Firdaus F, Wells JW, Stephenson RJ, Toth I, Skwarczynski M, Cruz JLG. Utilizing murine dendritic cell line DC2.4 to evaluate the immunogenicity of subunit vaccines in vitro. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1298721. [PMID: 38469294 PMCID: PMC10925716 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1298721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Subunit vaccines hold substantial promise in controlling infectious diseases, due to their superior safety profile, specific immunogenicity, simplified manufacturing processes, and well-defined chemical compositions. One of the most important end-targets of vaccines is a subset of lymphocytes originating from the thymus, known as T cells, which possess the ability to mount an antigen-specific immune response. Furthermore, vaccines confer long-term immunity through the generation of memory T cell pools. Dendritic cells are essential for the activation of T cells and the induction of adaptive immunity, making them key for the in vitro evaluation of vaccine efficacy. Upon internalization by dendritic cells, vaccine-bearing antigens are processed, and suitable fragments are presented to T cells by major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules. In addition, DCs can secrete various cytokines to crosstalk with T cells to coordinate subsequent immune responses. Here, we generated an in vitro model using the immortalized murine dendritic cell line, DC2.4, to recapitulate the process of antigen uptake and DC maturation, measured as the elevation of CD40, MHC-II, CD80 and CD86 on the cell surface. The levels of key DC cytokines, tumor necrosis alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) were measured to better define DC activation. This information served as a cost-effective and rapid proxy for assessing the antigen presentation efficacy of various vaccine formulations, demonstrating a strong correlation with previously published in vivo study outcomes. Hence, our assay enables the selection of the lead vaccine candidates based on DC activation capacity prior to in vivo animal studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lantian Lu
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine, Frazer Institute, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD, Australia
| | - Wei Yang Kong
- Faculty of Medicine, Frazer Institute, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD, Australia
| | - Jiahui Zhang
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine, Frazer Institute, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD, Australia
| | - Farrhana Firdaus
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - James W. Wells
- Faculty of Medicine, Frazer Institute, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD, Australia
| | - Rachel J. Stephenson
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Istvan Toth
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, Australia
- Institute of Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, Australia
- School of Pharmacy, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD, Australia
| | - Mariusz Skwarczynski
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Jazmina L. Gonzalez Cruz
- Faculty of Medicine, Frazer Institute, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD, Australia
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Khazaei S, Varela-Calviño R, Rad-Malekshahi M, Quattrini F, Jokar S, Rezaei N, Balalaie S, Haririan I, Csaba N, Garcia-Fuentes M. Self-assembled peptide/polymer hybrid nanoplatform for cancer immunostimulating therapies. Drug Deliv Transl Res 2024; 14:455-473. [PMID: 37721693 PMCID: PMC10761384 DOI: 10.1007/s13346-023-01410-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
Integrating peptide epitopes in self-assembling materials is a successful strategy to obtain nanovaccines with high antigen density and improved efficacy. In this study, self-assembling peptides containing MAGE-A3/PADRE epitopes were designed to generate functional therapeutic nanovaccines. To achieve higher stability, peptide/polymer hybrid nanoparticles were formulated by controlled self-assembly of the engineered peptides. The nanoparticles showed good biocompatibility to both human red blood- and dendritic cells. Incubation of the nanoparticles with immature dendritic cells triggered immune effects that ultimately activated CD8 + cells. The antigen-specific and IgG antibody responses of healthy C57BL/6 mice vaccinated with the nanoparticles were analyzed. The in vivo results indicate a specific response to the nanovaccines, mainly mediated through a cellular pathway. This research indicates that the immunogenicity of peptide epitope vaccines can be effectively enhanced by developing self-assembled peptide-polymer hybrid nanostructures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saeedeh Khazaei
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biomaterials and Medical Biomaterials Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology, CiMUS Research Center and Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Ruben Varela-Calviño
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Pharmacy, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Mazda Rad-Malekshahi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biomaterials and Medical Biomaterials Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Federico Quattrini
- Department of Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology, CiMUS Research Center and Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Safura Jokar
- Department of Nuclear Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Nima Rezaei
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Saeed Balalaie
- Peptide Chemistry Research Center, K. N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ismaeil Haririan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biomaterials and Medical Biomaterials Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Noemi Csaba
- Department of Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology, CiMUS Research Center and Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Marcos Garcia-Fuentes
- Department of Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology, CiMUS Research Center and Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
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4
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Stepanova M, Nikiforov A, Tennikova T, Korzhikova-Vlakh E. Polypeptide-Based Systems: From Synthesis to Application in Drug Delivery. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:2641. [PMID: 38004619 PMCID: PMC10674432 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15112641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Synthetic polypeptides are biocompatible and biodegradable macromolecules whose composition and architecture can vary over a wide range. Their unique ability to form secondary structures, as well as different pathways of modification and biofunctionalization due to the diversity of amino acids, provide variation in the physicochemical and biological properties of polypeptide-containing materials. In this review article, we summarize the advances in the synthesis of polypeptides and their copolymers and the application of these systems for drug delivery in the form of (nano)particles or hydrogels. The issues, such as the diversity of polypeptide-containing (nano)particle types, the methods for their preparation and drug loading, as well as the influence of physicochemical characteristics on stability, degradability, cellular uptake, cytotoxicity, hemolysis, and immunogenicity of polypeptide-containing nanoparticles and their drug formulations, are comprehensively discussed. Finally, recent advances in the development of certain drug nanoformulations for peptides, proteins, gene delivery, cancer therapy, and antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory systems are summarized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariia Stepanova
- Institute of Macromolecular Compounds, Russian Academy of Sciences, Bolshoy pr. 31, 199004 St. Petersburg, Russia; (M.S.); (A.N.)
| | - Alexey Nikiforov
- Institute of Macromolecular Compounds, Russian Academy of Sciences, Bolshoy pr. 31, 199004 St. Petersburg, Russia; (M.S.); (A.N.)
| | - Tatiana Tennikova
- Institute of Chemistry, Saint-Petersburg State University, Universitetskiy pr. 26, Petergof, 198504 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Evgenia Korzhikova-Vlakh
- Institute of Macromolecular Compounds, Russian Academy of Sciences, Bolshoy pr. 31, 199004 St. Petersburg, Russia; (M.S.); (A.N.)
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5
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Wang J, Ma C, Li M, Gao X, Wu H, Dong W, Wei L. Streptococcus pyogenes: Pathogenesis and the Current Status of Vaccines. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:1510. [PMID: 37766186 PMCID: PMC10534548 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11091510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus pyogenes (group A Streptococcus; GAS), a Gram-positive coccal bacterium, poses a significant global disease burden, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Its manifestations can range from pharyngitis and skin infection to severe and aggressive diseases, such as necrotizing fasciitis and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome. At present, although GAS is still sensitive to penicillin, there are cases of treatment failure for GAS pharyngitis, and antibiotic therapy does not universally prevent subsequent disease. In addition to strengthening global molecular epidemiological surveillance and monitoring of antibiotic resistance, developing a safe and effective licensed vaccine against GAS would be the most effective way to broadly address GAS-related diseases. Over the past decades, the development of GAS vaccines has been stalled, mainly because of the wide genetic heterogeneity of GAS and the diverse autoimmune responses to GAS. With outbreaks of scarlet fever in various countries in recent years, accelerating the development of a safe and effective vaccine remains a high priority. When developing a GAS vaccine, many factors need to be considered, including the selection of antigen epitopes, avoidance of self-response, and vaccine coverage. Given the challenges in GAS vaccine development, this review describes the important virulence factors that induce disease by GAS infection and how this has influenced the progression of vaccine development efforts, focusing on several candidate vaccines that are further along in development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Lin Wei
- Key Laboratory of Immune Mechanism and Intervention on Serious Disease in Hebei Province, Department of Immunology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China
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Madge HYR, Alexander S, Azuar A, Zhang J, Koirala P, Burne TH, Toth I, Stephenson RJ. Synthetic Anti-Cocaine Nanoaccine Successfully Prevents Cocaine-Induced Hyperlocomotion. J Med Chem 2023; 66:12407-12419. [PMID: 37646732 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c00889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
Cocaine is one of the most widely used and increasingly popular illicit psychoactive drugs. Unlike other commonly used substances of abuse, cocaine has no pharmacological therapies to treat addiction or aid in rehabilitation. Immunopharmacology has long been touted as a possible avenue to develop effective anticocaine therapies; however, lack of efficacy and designs which are not consistent with simple large-scale production have hindered vaccine translation. We have designed and synthesized a peptide-based anti-cocaine immunogen which we have shown is capable of inducing physiologically relevant immune responses in mice as part of a self-adjuvanting delivery system or in combination with the human-approved commercial adjuvant MF59. We have demonstrated that immunization with the reported vaccine elicits high titers of anti-cocaine IgG and prevents cocaine-induced hyperlocomotion in an in vivo murine model. This peptide-hapten immunogen along with self-adjuvanting liposomal-based delivery system provides a platform for the development of effective anti-drug vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harrison Y R Madge
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia
| | - Suzy Alexander
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia
- Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, Wacol, Queensland, 4076, Australia
| | - Armira Azuar
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia
| | - Jiahui Zhang
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia
| | - Prashamsa Koirala
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia
| | - Thomas H Burne
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia
- Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, Wacol, Queensland, 4076, Australia
| | - Istvan Toth
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
- School of Pharmacy, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia
| | - Rachel J Stephenson
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia
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Jin S, Zhang J, Nahar UJ, Huang W, Alharbi NA, Shalash AO, Koirala P, Yang J, Kiong JJE, Khalil ZG, Capon RJ, Stephenson RJ, Skwarczynski M, Toth I, Hussein WM. Activity Relationship of Poly(ethylenimine)-Based Liposomes as Group A Streptococcus Vaccine Delivery Systems. ACS Infect Dis 2023; 9:1570-1581. [PMID: 37489053 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.3c00159] [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] [Indexed: 07/26/2023]
Abstract
Untreated group A Streptococcus (GAS) can lead to a range of life-threatening diseases, including rheumatic heart disease. To date, no therapeutic or prophylactic vaccines are commercially available to treat or prevent GAS infection. Development of a peptide-based subunit vaccine offers a promising solution, negating the safety issues of live-attenuated or inactive vaccines. Subunit vaccines administer small peptide fragments (antigens), which are typically poorly immunogenic. Therefore, these peptide antigens require formulation with an immune stimulant and/or vaccine delivery platform to improve their immunogenicity. We investigated polyelectrolyte complexes (PECs) and polymer-coated liposomes as self-adjuvanting delivery vehicles for a GAS B cell peptide epitope conjugated to a universal T-helper epitope and a synthetic toll-like receptor 2-targeting moiety lipid core peptide-1 (LCP-1). A structure-activity relationship of cationic PEC vaccines containing different external PEI-coatings (poly(ethylenimine); 10 kDa PEI, 25 kDa PEI, and a synthetic mannose-functionalized 25 kDa PEI) formed vaccines PEC-1, PEC-2, and PEC-3, respectively. All three PEC vaccines induced J8-specific systemic immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies when administered intranasally to female BALB/c mice without the use of additional adjuvants. Interestingly, PEC-3 induced the highest antibody titers among all tested vaccines, with the ability to effectively opsonize two clinically isolated GAS strains. A comparative study of PEC-2 and PEC-3 with liposome-based delivery systems was performed subcutaneously. LCP-1 was incorporated into a liposome formulation (DPPC, DPPG and cholesterol), and the liposomes were externally coated with PEI (25 kDa; Lip-2) or mannosylated PEI (25 kDa; Lip-3). All liposome vaccines induced stronger humoral immune responses compared to their PEC counterparts. Notably, sera of mice immunized with Lip-2 and Lip-3 produced significantly higher opsonic activity against clinically isolated GAS strains compared to the positive control, P25-J8 emulsified with the commercial adjuvant, complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA). This study highlights the capability of a PEI-liposome system to act as a self-adjuvanting vehicle for the delivery of GAS peptide antigens and protection against GAS infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengbin Jin
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Jiahui Zhang
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Ummey J Nahar
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Wenbin Huang
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Nedaa A Alharbi
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Ahmed O Shalash
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Prashamsa Koirala
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Jieru Yang
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Jolynn J E Kiong
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Zeinab G Khalil
- Institute for Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Robert J Capon
- Institute for Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Rachel J Stephenson
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Mariusz Skwarczynski
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Istvan Toth
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
- Institute for Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
- School of Pharmacy, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, Queensland 4102, Australia
| | - Waleed M Hussein
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
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Multiepitope Subunit Peptide-Based Nanovaccine against Porcine Circovirus Type 2 (PCV2) Elicited High Antibody Titers in Vaccinated Mice. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28052248. [PMID: 36903494 PMCID: PMC10005372 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28052248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Porcine circovirus 2 (PCV2) infection is one of the most serious threats to the swine industry. While the disease can be prevented, to some extent, by commercial PCV2a vaccines, the evolving nature of PCV2 necessitates the development of a novel vaccine that can compete with the mutations of the virus. Thus, we have developed novel multiepitope vaccines based on the PCV2b variant. Three PCV2b capsid protein epitopes, together with a universal T helper epitope, were synthesized and formulated with five delivery systems/adjuvants: complete Freund's adjuvant, poly(methyl acrylate) (PMA), poly(hydrophobic amino acid), liposomes and rod-shaped polymeric nanoparticles built from polystyrene-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-poly(N-dimethylacrylamide). Mice were subcutaneously immunized with the vaccine candidates three times at three-week intervals. All vaccinated mice produced high antibody titters after three immunizations as analyzed by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), while mice vaccinated with PMA-adjuvanted vaccine elicited high antibody titers even after a single immunization. Thus, the multiepitope PCV2 vaccine candidates designed and examined here show strong potential for further development.
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Liposomal Formulations of a Polyleucine-Antigen Conjugate as Therapeutic Vaccines against Cervical Cancer. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:pharmaceutics15020602. [PMID: 36839923 PMCID: PMC9965676 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15020602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Human papilloma virus (HPV) is responsible for all cases of cervical cancer. While prophylactic vaccines are available, the development of peptide-based vaccines as a therapeutic strategy is still under investigation. In comparison with the traditional and currently used treatment strategies of chemotherapy and surgery, vaccination against HPV is a promising therapeutic option with fewer side effects. A peptide derived from the HPV-16 E7 protein, called 8Qm, in combination with adjuvants showed promise as a therapeutic vaccine. Here, the ability of polymerized natural amino acids to act as a self-adjuvating delivery system as a therapeutic vaccine was investigated for the first time. Thus, 8Qm was conjugated to polyleucine by standard solid-phase peptide synthesis and self-assembled into nanoparticles or incorporated in liposomes. The liposome bearing the 8Qm conjugate significantly increased mice survival and decreased tumor growth after a single immunization. Further, these liposomes eradicated seven-day-old well-established tumors in mice. Dendritic cell (DC)-targeting moieties were introduced to further enhance vaccine efficacy, and the newly designed liposomal vaccine was tested in mice bearing 11-day-old tumors. Interestingly, these DCs-targeting moieties did not significantly improve vaccine efficacy, whereas the simple liposomal formulation of 8Qm-polyleucine conjugate was still effective in tumor eradication. In summary, a peptide-based anticancer vaccine was developed that stimulated strong cellular immune responses without the help of a classical adjuvant.
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Teng Z, Meng LY, Yang JK, He Z, Chen XG, Liu Y. Bridging nanoplatform and vaccine delivery, a landscape of strategy to enhance nasal immunity. J Control Release 2022; 351:456-475. [PMID: 36174803 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2022.09.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Revised: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Vaccination is an urgently needed and effective option to address epidemic, cancers, allergies, and other diseases. Nasal administration of vaccines offers many benefits over needle-based injection including high compliance and less risk of infection. Inactivated or attenuated vaccines as convention vaccine present potential risks of pathogenic virulence reversal, the focus of nasal vaccine development has shifted to the use of next-generation (subunit and nucleic acid) vaccines. However, subunit and nucleic acid vaccine intranasally have numerous challenges in development and utilization due to mucociliary clearance, mucosal epithelial tight junction, and enzyme/pH degradation. Nanoplatforms as ideal delivery systems, with the ability to enhance the retention, penetration, and uptake of nasal mucosa, shows great potential in improving immunogenic efficacy of nasal vaccine. This review provides an overview of delivery strategies for overcoming nasal barrier, including mucosal adhesion, mucus penetration, targeting of antigen presenting cells (APCs), enhancement of paracellular transportation. We discuss methods of enhancing antigen immunogenicity by nanoplatforms as immune-modulators or multi-antigen co-delivery. Meanwhile, we describe the application status and development prospect of nanoplatforms for nasal vaccine administration. Development of nanoplatforms for vaccine delivery via nasal route will facilitate large-scale and faster global vaccination, helping to address the threat of epidemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuang Teng
- College of Marine Life Science, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, PR China
| | - Ling-Yang Meng
- College of Marine Life Science, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, PR China
| | - Jian-Ke Yang
- College of Marine Life Science, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, PR China
| | - Zheng He
- College of Marine Life Science, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, PR China
| | - Xi-Guang Chen
- College of Marine Life Science, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, PR China; Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266000, PR China
| | - Ya Liu
- College of Marine Life Science, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, PR China.
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11
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Baruah N, Halder P, Koley H, Katti DS. Stable Recombinant Invasion Plasmid Antigen C (IpaC)-Based Single Dose Nanovaccine for Shigellosis. Mol Pharm 2022; 19:3884-3893. [PMID: 36122190 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.2c00378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Shigellosis, caused by the bacteria Shigella, is the leading cause of bacterial diarrhea and the second leading cause of diarrheal death among children under the age of five. Unfortunately, Shigella strains have acquired resistance to antibiotics, and a commercial vaccine is yet to be available. We have previously demonstrated that Shigella dysenteriae serotype 1 (Sd1)-based recombinant, stabilized, "invasion plasmid antigen C" (IpaC; 42 kDa) protein can induce robust immune responses in BALB/c mice against a challenge of a high dose of heterologous Shigella when immunized via three intranasal doses of IpaC without an adjuvant. In this work, in order to reduce the frequency of dosing and increase possible patient compliance, based on our previous screening, the minimum protective dose of stabilized IpaC (20 μg) was encapsulated in biodegradable polymeric poly(lactide-co-glycolide) nanoparticles (∼370 nm) and intranasally administered in BALB/c mice in a single dose. Interestingly, a single intranasal dose of the developed vaccine particles encapsulating only 20 μg of Sd1 IpaC led to a temporal increase in the antibody production with an improved cytokine response compared to free IpaC administered three times as described in our previous report. Upon intraperitoneal challenge with a high dose of heterologous Shigella flexneri 2a (common in circulation), the immunized animals were protected from diarrhea, lethargy, and weight loss with ∼67% survival, while all the control animals died by 36 h of the challenge. Overall, the developed nanovaccine could be explored as a potential noninvasive, cross-protective, single-dose, single-antigen Shigella vaccine amenable for scale-up and eventual mass immunization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Namrata Baruah
- Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh 208016, India.,The Mehta Family Centre for Engineering in Medicine, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh 208016, India
| | - Prolay Halder
- Division of Bacteriology, ICMR-National Institute of Cholera & Enteric Diseases, Kolkata, West Bengal 700010, India
| | - Hemanta Koley
- Division of Bacteriology, ICMR-National Institute of Cholera & Enteric Diseases, Kolkata, West Bengal 700010, India
| | - Dhirendra S Katti
- Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh 208016, India.,The Mehta Family Centre for Engineering in Medicine, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh 208016, India
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12
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Alharbi N, Skwarczynski M, Toth I. The influence of component structural arrangement on peptide vaccine immunogenicity. Biotechnol Adv 2022; 60:108029. [PMID: 36028180 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2022.108029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Peptide-based subunit vaccines utilise minimal immunogenic components (i.e. peptides) to generate highly specific immune responses, without triggering adverse reactions. However, strong adjuvants and/or effective delivery systems must be incorporated into such vaccines, as peptide antigens cannot induce substantial immune responses on their own. Unfortunately, many adjuvants are too weak or too toxic to be used in combination with peptide antigens. These shortcomings have been addressed by the conjugation of peptide antigens with lipidic/ hydrophobic adjuvanting moieties. The conjugates have shown promising safety profiles and improved immunogenicity without the help of traditional adjuvants and have been efficient in inducing desired immune responses following various routes of administration, including subcutaneous, oral and intranasal. However, not only conjugation per se, but also component arrangement influences vaccine efficacy. This review highlights the importance of influence of the vaccine chemical structure modification on the immune responses generated. It discusses a variety of factors that affect the immunogenicity of peptide conjugates, including: i) self-adjuvanting moiety length and number; ii) the orientation of epitopes and self-adjuvanting moieties in the conjugate; iii) the presence of spacers between conjugated components; iv) multiepitopic arrangement; and v) the effect of chirality on vaccine efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nedaa Alharbi
- School of Chemistry & Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia; University of Jeddah, College of Science and Arts, Department of Chemistry, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mariusz Skwarczynski
- School of Chemistry & Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.
| | - Istvan Toth
- School of Chemistry & Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia; School of Pharmacy, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4102, Australia.
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13
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Azuar A, Madge HYR, Boer JC, Gonzalez Cruz JL, Wang J, Khalil ZG, Deceneux C, Goodchild G, Yang J, Koirala P, Hussein WM, Capon RJ, Plebanski M, Toth I, Skwarczynski M. Poly(hydrophobic Amino Acids) and Liposomes for Delivery of Vaccine against Group A Streptococcus. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:vaccines10081212. [PMID: 36016100 PMCID: PMC9413763 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10081212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Adjuvants and delivery systems are essential components of vaccines to increase immunogenicity against target antigens, particularly for peptide epitopes (poor immunogens). Emulsions, nanoparticles, and liposomes are commonly used as a delivery system for peptide-based vaccines. A Poly(hydrophobic amino acids) delivery system was previously conjugated to Group A Streptococcus (GAS)-derived peptide epitopes, allowing the conjugates to self-assemble into nanoparticles with self adjuvanting ability. Their hydrophobic amino acid tail also serves as an anchoring moiety for the peptide epitope, enabling it to be integrated into the liposome bilayer, to further boost the immunological responses. Polyleucine-based conjugates were anchored to cationic liposomes using the film hydration method and administered to mice subcutaneously. The polyleucine-peptide conjugate, its liposomal formulation, and simple liposomal encapsulation of GAS peptide epitope induced mucosal (saliva IgG) and systemic (serum IgG, IgG1 and IgG2c) immunity in mice. Polyleucine acted as a potent liposome anchoring portion, which stimulated the production of highly opsonic antibodies. The absence of polyleucine in the liposomal formulation (encapsulated GAS peptide) induced high levels of antibody titers, but with poor opsonic ability against GAS bacteria. However, the liposomal formulation of the conjugated vaccine was no more effective than conjugates alone self-assembled into nanoparticles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Armira Azuar
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (A.A.); (H.Y.R.M.); (J.W.); (J.Y.); (P.K.); (W.M.H.); (I.T.)
| | - Harrison Y. R. Madge
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (A.A.); (H.Y.R.M.); (J.W.); (J.Y.); (P.K.); (W.M.H.); (I.T.)
| | - Jennifer C. Boer
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora West, VIC 3083, Australia; (J.C.B.); (C.D.); (G.G.); (M.P.)
| | - Jazmina L. Gonzalez Cruz
- Diamantina Institute, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102, Australia;
| | - Jingwen Wang
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (A.A.); (H.Y.R.M.); (J.W.); (J.Y.); (P.K.); (W.M.H.); (I.T.)
| | - Zeinab G. Khalil
- Institute of Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (Z.G.K.); (R.J.C.)
| | - Cyril Deceneux
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora West, VIC 3083, Australia; (J.C.B.); (C.D.); (G.G.); (M.P.)
| | - Georgia Goodchild
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora West, VIC 3083, Australia; (J.C.B.); (C.D.); (G.G.); (M.P.)
| | - Jieru Yang
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (A.A.); (H.Y.R.M.); (J.W.); (J.Y.); (P.K.); (W.M.H.); (I.T.)
| | - Prashamsa Koirala
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (A.A.); (H.Y.R.M.); (J.W.); (J.Y.); (P.K.); (W.M.H.); (I.T.)
| | - Waleed M. Hussein
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (A.A.); (H.Y.R.M.); (J.W.); (J.Y.); (P.K.); (W.M.H.); (I.T.)
| | - Robert J. Capon
- Institute of Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (Z.G.K.); (R.J.C.)
| | - Magdalena Plebanski
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora West, VIC 3083, Australia; (J.C.B.); (C.D.); (G.G.); (M.P.)
| | - Istvan Toth
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (A.A.); (H.Y.R.M.); (J.W.); (J.Y.); (P.K.); (W.M.H.); (I.T.)
- Institute of Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (Z.G.K.); (R.J.C.)
- School of Pharmacy, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Mariusz Skwarczynski
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (A.A.); (H.Y.R.M.); (J.W.); (J.Y.); (P.K.); (W.M.H.); (I.T.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +617-3346-9894
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14
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Peptide-Based Vaccine against SARS-CoV-2: Peptide Antigen Discovery and Screening of Adjuvant Systems. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14040856. [PMID: 35456690 PMCID: PMC9024957 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14040856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 virus has caused a global crisis, resulting in 0.5 billion infections and over 6 million deaths as of March 2022. Fortunately, infection and hospitalization rates were curbed due to the rollout of DNA and mRNA vaccines. However, the efficacy of these vaccines significantly drops a few months post immunization, from 88% down to 47% in the case of the Pfizer BNT162 vaccine. The emergence of variant strains, especially delta and omicron, have also significantly reduced vaccine efficacy. We propose peptide vaccines as a potential solution to address the inadequacies of the current vaccines. Peptide vaccines can be easily modified to target emerging strains, have greater stability, and do not require cold-chain storage. We screened five peptide fragments (B1–B5) derived from the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein to identify neutralizing B-cell peptide antigens. We then investigated adjuvant systems for efficient stimulation of immune responses against the most promising peptide antigens, including liposomal formulations of polyleucine (L10) and polymethylacrylate (PMA), as well as classical adjuvants (CFA and MF59). Immune efficacy of formulations was evaluated using competitive ELISA, pseudovirion neutralization, and live virus neutralization assays. Unfortunately, peptide conjugation to L10 and PMA dramatically altered the secondary structure, resulting in low antibody neutralization efficacy. Of the peptides tested, only B3 administered with CFA or MF59 was highly immunogenic. Thus, a peptide vaccine relying on B3 may provide an attractive alternative to currently marketed vaccines.
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15
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Islam MT, Ho MF, Nahar UJ, Shalash AO, Koirala P, Hussein WM, Stanisic DI, Good MF, Skwarczynski M, Toth I. Investigation of liposomal self-adjuvanting peptide epitopes derived from conserved blood-stage Plasmodium antigens. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0264961. [PMID: 35275957 PMCID: PMC8916655 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0264961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria is a vector born parasitic disease causing millions of deaths every year. Despite the high mortality rate, an effective vaccine against this mosquito-borne infectious disease is yet to be developed. Up to date, RTS,S/AS01 is the only vaccine available for malaria prevention; however, its efficacy is low. Among a variety of malaria antigens, merozoite surface protein-1(MSP-1) and ring-infected erythrocyte surface antigen (RESA) have been proposed as promising candidates for malaria vaccine development. We developed peptide-based Plasmodium falciparum vaccine candidates that incorporated three previously reported conserved epitopes from MSP-1 and RESA into highly effective liposomal polyleucine delivery system. Indeed, MSP-1 and RESA-derived epitopes conjugated to polyleucine and formulated into liposomes induced higher epitope specific antibody titres. However, immunized mice failed to demonstrate protection in a rodent malaria challenge study with Plasmodium yoelii. In addition, we found that the three reported P. falciparum epitopes did not to share conformational properties and high sequence similarity with P. yoelii MSP-1 and RESA proteins, despite the epitopes were reported to protect mice against P. yoelii challenge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md. Tanjir Islam
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Mei-Fong Ho
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Southport, QLD, Australia
| | - Ummey J. Nahar
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Ahmed O. Shalash
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Prashamsa Koirala
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Waleed M. Hussein
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | | | - Michael F. Good
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Southport, QLD, Australia
| | - Mariusz Skwarczynski
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
- * E-mail: (IT); (MS)
| | - Istvan Toth
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
- School of Pharmacy, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD, Australia
- Institute for Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
- * E-mail: (IT); (MS)
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16
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Huang W, Madge HYR, Zhang J, Gilmartin L, Hussein WM, Khalil ZG, Koirala P, Capon RJ, Toth I, Stephenson RJ. Structure-activity relationship of lipid, cyclic peptide and antigen rearrangement of physically mixed vaccines. Int J Pharm 2022; 617:121614. [PMID: 35245637 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2022.121614] [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: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Currently there is no approved vaccine to prevent and/or treat group A Streptococcus (GAS) infection. With increasing reports of GAS antibiotic resistance, vaccine adjuvants and targeted delivery systems which induce a strong immune response are a widely acknowledged unmet need. Through extensive structure-activity studies, we investigated a cyclic decapeptide physically mixed with a GAS B cell peptide epitope (J8), a universal T helper epitope (PADRE), and different synthetic lipidic moieties as a conceivable self-adjuvanting GAS vaccine. We explored the structure (orientation)-relationship of the chemically-conjugated B cell epitope and T helper epitope peptide as part of this physically-mixed vaccine. Following in vivo assessment in mice, these cyclic lipopeptide vaccines showed successful induction of J8-specific systemic IgG antibodies when administered subcutaneously without additional adjuvant. Interestingly, an exposed C-terminus of the GAS B cell epitope and a 16-carbon alpha-amino fatty acid lipid was required for strong immunoreactivity, capable of effectively opsonising multiple strains of clinically-isolated GAS bacteria. Physicochemical assessment proved the alpha helix structure of the GAS B cell epitope was retained, impacting particle self-assembly and vaccine immunoreactivity. This study showed the capability for a self-adjuvanting cyclic delivery system to act as a vehicle for the delivery of GAS peptide antigens to treat GAS infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenbin Huang
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia
| | - Harrison Y R Madge
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia
| | - Jiahui Zhang
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia
| | - Lachlan Gilmartin
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia
| | - Waleed M Hussein
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia
| | - Zeinab G Khalil
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Prashamsa Koirala
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia
| | - Robert J Capon
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Istvan Toth
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia; Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia; School of Pharmacy, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia
| | - Rachel J Stephenson
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia.
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17
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Pritam M, Singh G, Kumar R, Singh SP. Screening of potential antigens from whole proteome and development of multi-epitope vaccine against Rhizopus delemar using immunoinformatics approaches. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2022; 41:2118-2145. [PMID: 35067195 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2022.2028676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Mucormycosis is a deadly fungal disease mainly caused by Rhizopus oryzae (strain 99-880), also known as Rhizopus delemar. Previously, mucormycosis occurs in immunocompromised patients of diabetes mellitus, cancer, organ transplant, etc. But there was a drastic increase in mucormycosis cases in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Despite several available therapies and antifungal treatments, the mortality rate of mucormycosis is about more than 50%. Currently, there is no vaccine available in the market for mucormycosis that urgently needs to develop a potential vaccine against mucormycosis with high efficacy. In the present study, we have screened 4 genome-derived predicted antigens (GDPA) through sequential filtration of the whole proteome of R. delemar using different benchmarked bioinformatics tools. These 4 GDPA along with 4 randomly selected experimentally reported antigens (ERA) were sourced for prediction of B- and T- cell epitopes and utilized in designing of two potential multi-epitope vaccine candidates which can induce both innate and adaptive immunity against R. delemar. Besides these, comparative immune simulation studies and in silico cloning were performed using L. lactis as an expression system for their possible uses as oral vaccines. This is the first multi-epitope vaccine designed against R. delemar through systematic pipelined reverse vaccinology and immunoinformatic approaches. Although the wet-lab based experimental validation of designed vaccines is required before testing in the preclinical model, the current study will significantly help in reducing the cost of experimentation as well as improving the efficacy of vaccine therapy against mucormycosis and other pathogenic diseases.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manisha Pritam
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow, India
| | - Garima Singh
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow, India
| | - Rajnish Kumar
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow, India
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18
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Ariawan AD, van Eersel J, Martin AD, Ke YD, Ittner LM. Recent progress in synthetic self-adjuvanting vaccine development. Biomater Sci 2022; 10:4037-4057. [DOI: 10.1039/d2bm00061j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Vaccination is a proven way to protect individuals against many infectious diseases, as currently highlighted in the global COVID-19 pandemic. Peptides- or small molecule antigen-based vaccination offer advantages over the...
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19
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Shalash AO, Hussein WM, Skwarczynski M, Toth I. Hookworm infection: Toward development of safe and effective peptide vaccines. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2021; 148:1394-1419.e6. [PMID: 34872650 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2021.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Hookworms are hematophagous nematode parasites that have infected a billion people worldwide. Anthelmintic drugs have limited efficacy and do not prevent reinfection. Therefore, prophylactic vaccines are in high demand. Whole parasite vaccines are allergic and unsafe; thus, research into subunit vaccines has been warranted. A comprehensive overview of protein or peptide subunit vaccines' safety, protective efficacy, and associated immune responses is provided herein. The differences between the immune responses against hookworm infection by patients from epidemic versus nonepidemic areas are discussed in detail. Moreover, the different immunologic mechanisms of protection are discussed, including those that rely on allergic and nonallergic humoral and antibody-dependent cellular responses. The allergic and autoimmune potential of hookworm antigens is also explored, as are the immunoregulatory responses induced by the hookworm secretome. The potential of oral mucosal immunizations has been overlooked. Oral immunity against hookworms is a long-lived and safer immune response that is associated with elimination of infection and protective against reinfections. However, the harsh conditions of the gastrointestinal environment necessitates special oral delivery systems to unlock vaccines' protective potential. The potential for development of safer and more effective peptide- and protein-based anthelmintic vaccines is explored herein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed O Shalash
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Waleed M Hussein
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Mariusz Skwarczynski
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia.
| | - Istvan Toth
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia; School of Pharmacy, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, Queensland, Australia.
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20
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Bojarska J, Mieczkowski A, Ziora ZM, Skwarczynski M, Toth I, Shalash AO, Parang K, El-Mowafi SA, Mohammed EHM, Elnagdy S, AlKhazindar M, Wolf WM. Cyclic Dipeptides: The Biological and Structural Landscape with Special Focus on the Anti-Cancer Proline-Based Scaffold. Biomolecules 2021; 11:1515. [PMID: 34680148 PMCID: PMC8533947 DOI: 10.3390/biom11101515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2021] [Revised: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cyclic dipeptides, also know as diketopiperazines (DKP), the simplest cyclic forms of peptides widespread in nature, are unsurpassed in their structural and bio-functional diversity. DKPs, especially those containing proline, due to their unique features such as, inter alia, extra-rigid conformation, high resistance to enzyme degradation, increased cell permeability, and expandable ability to bind a diverse of targets with better affinity, have emerged in the last years as biologically pre-validated platforms for the drug discovery. Recent advances have revealed their enormous potential in the development of next-generation theranostics, smart delivery systems, and biomaterials. Here, we present an updated review on the biological and structural profile of these appealing biomolecules, with a particular emphasis on those with anticancer properties, since cancers are the main cause of death all over the world. Additionally, we provide a consideration on supramolecular structuring and synthons, based on the proline-based DKP privileged scaffold, for inspiration in the design of compound libraries in search of ideal ligands, innovative self-assembled nanomaterials, and bio-functional architectures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Bojarska
- Faculty of Chemistry, Institute of General & Inorganic Chemistry, Technical University of Lodz, 90-924 Lodz, Poland;
| | - Adam Mieczkowski
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pawinskiego 5a, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland;
| | - Zyta M. Ziora
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (Z.M.Z.); (I.T.)
| | - Mariusz Skwarczynski
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (M.S.); (A.O.S.)
| | - Istvan Toth
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (Z.M.Z.); (I.T.)
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (M.S.); (A.O.S.)
- School of Pharmacy, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Ahmed O. Shalash
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (M.S.); (A.O.S.)
| | - Keykavous Parang
- Center for Targeted Drug Delivery, Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Harry and Diane Rinker Health Science Campus, School of Pharmacy, Chapman University, Irvine, CA 92618, USA; (K.P.); (S.A.E.-M.); (E.H.M.M.)
| | - Shaima A. El-Mowafi
- Center for Targeted Drug Delivery, Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Harry and Diane Rinker Health Science Campus, School of Pharmacy, Chapman University, Irvine, CA 92618, USA; (K.P.); (S.A.E.-M.); (E.H.M.M.)
| | - Eman H. M. Mohammed
- Center for Targeted Drug Delivery, Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Harry and Diane Rinker Health Science Campus, School of Pharmacy, Chapman University, Irvine, CA 92618, USA; (K.P.); (S.A.E.-M.); (E.H.M.M.)
| | - Sherif Elnagdy
- Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza 12613, Egypt; (S.E.); (M.A.)
| | - Maha AlKhazindar
- Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza 12613, Egypt; (S.E.); (M.A.)
| | - Wojciech M. Wolf
- Faculty of Chemistry, Institute of General & Inorganic Chemistry, Technical University of Lodz, 90-924 Lodz, Poland;
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21
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O'Neill CL, Shrimali PC, Clapacs ZP, Files MA, Rudra JS. Peptide-based supramolecular vaccine systems. Acta Biomater 2021; 133:153-167. [PMID: 34010691 PMCID: PMC8497425 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2021.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2021] [Revised: 05/01/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Currently approved replication-competent and inactivated vaccines are limited by excessive reactogenicity and poor safety profiles, while subunit vaccines are often insufficiently immunogenic without co-administering exogenous adjuvants. Self-assembling peptide-, peptidomimetic-, and protein-based biomaterials offer a means to overcome these challenges through their inherent modularity, multivalency, and biocompatibility. As these scaffolds are biologically derived and present antigenic arrays reminiscent of natural viruses, they are prone to immune recognition and are uniquely capable of functioning as self-adjuvanting vaccine delivery vehicles that improve humoral and cellular responses. Beyond this intrinsic immunological advantage, the wide range of available amino acids allows for facile de novo design or straightforward modifications to existing sequences. This has permitted the development of vaccines and immunotherapies tailored to specific disease models, as well as generalizable platforms that have been successfully applied to prevent or treat numerous infectious and non-infectious diseases. In this review, we briefly introduce the immune system, discuss the structural determinants of coiled coils, β-sheets, peptide amphiphiles, and protein subunit nanoparticles, and highlight the utility of these materials using notable examples of their innate and adaptive immunomodulatory capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conor L O'Neill
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, McKelvey School of Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, United States.
| | - Paresh C Shrimali
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, McKelvey School of Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, United States.
| | - Zain P Clapacs
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, McKelvey School of Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, United States.
| | - Megan A Files
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77555, United States.
| | - Jai S Rudra
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, McKelvey School of Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, United States.
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22
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Shalash AO, Becker L, Yang J, Giacomin P, Pearson M, Hussein WM, Loukas A, Skwarczynski M, Toth I. Oral Peptide Vaccine against Hookworm Infection: Correlation of Antibody Titers with Protective Efficacy. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:vaccines9091034. [PMID: 34579271 PMCID: PMC8472562 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9091034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Approximately 0.4 billion individuals worldwide are infected with hookworm. An effective vaccine is needed to not only improve the health of those affected and at high risk, but also to improve economic growth in disease-endemic areas. An ideal anti-hookworm therapeutic strategy for mass administration is a stable and orally administered vaccine. Oral vaccines are advantageous as they negate the need for trained medical staff for administration and do not require strict sterility conditions. Vaccination, therefore, can be carried out at a significantly reduced cost. One of the most promising current antigenic targets for hookworm vaccine development is the aspartic protease digestive enzyme (APR-1). Antibody-mediated neutralization of APR-1 deprives the worm of nourishment, leading to reduced worm burdens in vaccinated hosts. Previously, we demonstrated that, when incorporated into vaccine delivery systems, the APR-1-derived p3 epitope (TSLIAGPKAQVEAIQKYIGAEL) was able to greatly reduce worm burdens (≥90%) in BALB/c mice; however, multiple, large doses of the vaccine were required. Here, we investigated a variety of p3-antigen conjugates to optimize antigen delivery and establish immune response/protective efficacy relationships. We synthesized, purified, and characterized four p3 peptide-based vaccine candidates with: (a) lipidic (lipid core peptide (LCP)); (b) classical polymeric (polymethylacrylate (PMA)); and (c) novel polymeric (polyleucine in a branched or linear arrangement, BL10 or LL10, respectively) groups as self-adjuvanting moieties. BL10 and LL10 induced the highest serum anti-p3 and anti-APR-1 IgG titers. Upon challenge with rodent hookworms, the highest significant reduction in worm burden was observed in mice immunized with LL10. APR-1-specific serum IgG titers correlated with worm burden reduction. Thus, we provide the first vaccine-triggered immune response-protection relationship for hookworm infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed O. Shalash
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (A.O.S.); (J.Y.); (W.M.H.); (I.T.)
| | - Luke Becker
- Centre for Molecular Therapeutics, Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD 4878, Australia; (L.B.); (P.G.); (M.P.); (A.L.)
| | - Jieru Yang
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (A.O.S.); (J.Y.); (W.M.H.); (I.T.)
| | - Paul Giacomin
- Centre for Molecular Therapeutics, Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD 4878, Australia; (L.B.); (P.G.); (M.P.); (A.L.)
| | - Mark Pearson
- Centre for Molecular Therapeutics, Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD 4878, Australia; (L.B.); (P.G.); (M.P.); (A.L.)
| | - Waleed M. Hussein
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (A.O.S.); (J.Y.); (W.M.H.); (I.T.)
| | - Alex Loukas
- Centre for Molecular Therapeutics, Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD 4878, Australia; (L.B.); (P.G.); (M.P.); (A.L.)
| | - Mariusz Skwarczynski
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (A.O.S.); (J.Y.); (W.M.H.); (I.T.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Istvan Toth
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (A.O.S.); (J.Y.); (W.M.H.); (I.T.)
- School of Pharmacy, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102, Australia
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23
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Celis-Giraldo CT, López-Abán J, Muro A, Patarroyo MA, Manzano-Román R. Nanovaccines against Animal Pathogens: The Latest Findings. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:vaccines9090988. [PMID: 34579225 PMCID: PMC8472905 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9090988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Nowadays, safe and efficacious vaccines represent powerful and cost-effective tools for global health and economic growth. In the veterinary field, these are undoubtedly key tools for improving productivity and fighting zoonoses. However, cases of persistent infections, rapidly evolving pathogens having high variability or emerging/re-emerging pathogens for which no effective vaccines have been developed point out the continuing need for new vaccine alternatives to control outbreaks. Most licensed vaccines have been successfully used for many years now; however, they have intrinsic limitations, such as variable efficacy, adverse effects, and some shortcomings. More effective adjuvants and novel delivery systems may foster real vaccine effectiveness and timely implementation. Emerging vaccine technologies involving nanoparticles such as self-assembling proteins, virus-like particles, liposomes, virosomes, and polymeric nanoparticles offer novel, safe, and high-potential approaches to address many vaccine development-related challenges. Nanotechnology is accelerating the evolution of vaccines because nanomaterials having encapsulation ability and very advantageous properties due to their size and surface area serve as effective vehicles for antigen delivery and immunostimulatory agents. This review discusses the requirements for an effective, broad-coverage-elicited immune response, the main nanoplatforms for producing it, and the latest nanovaccine applications for fighting animal pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen Teresa Celis-Giraldo
- Molecular Biology and Immunology Department, Fundación Instituto de Inmunología de Colombia (FIDIC), Bogotá 111321, Colombia;
- Animal Science Faculty, Universidad de Ciencias Aplicadas y Ambientales (U.D.C.A), Bogotá 111166, Colombia
| | - Julio López-Abán
- Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Group (e-INTRO), Institute of Biomedical Research of Salamanca-Research Center for Tropical Diseases at the University of Salamanca (IBSAL-CIETUS), Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; (J.L.-A.); (A.M.)
| | - Antonio Muro
- Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Group (e-INTRO), Institute of Biomedical Research of Salamanca-Research Center for Tropical Diseases at the University of Salamanca (IBSAL-CIETUS), Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; (J.L.-A.); (A.M.)
| | - Manuel Alfonso Patarroyo
- Molecular Biology and Immunology Department, Fundación Instituto de Inmunología de Colombia (FIDIC), Bogotá 111321, Colombia;
- Microbiology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá 111321, Colombia
- Health Sciences Division, Main Campus, Universidad Santo Tomás, Bogotá 110231, Colombia
- Correspondence: (M.A.P.); (R.M.-R.)
| | - Raúl Manzano-Román
- Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Group (e-INTRO), Institute of Biomedical Research of Salamanca-Research Center for Tropical Diseases at the University of Salamanca (IBSAL-CIETUS), Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; (J.L.-A.); (A.M.)
- Correspondence: (M.A.P.); (R.M.-R.)
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24
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Azuar A, Shibu MA, Adilbish N, Marasini N, Hung H, Yang J, Luo Y, Khalil ZG, Capon RJ, Hussein WM, Toth I, Skwarczynski M. Poly(hydrophobic amino acid) Conjugates for the Delivery of Multiepitope Vaccine against Group A Streptococcus. Bioconjug Chem 2021; 32:2307-2317. [PMID: 34379392 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.1c00333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Peptide-based vaccines are composed of small, defined, antigenic peptide epitopes. They are designed to induce well-controlled immune responses. Multiple epitopes are often employed in these vaccines to cover strain variability of a pathogen. However, peptide epitopes cannot stimulate adequate immune responses on their own and require an adjuvant (immune stimulant) and/or delivery system. Here, we designed and synthesized a multiepitope vaccine candidate against Group A Streptococcus (GAS) composed of several B-cell epitopes (J8, PL1, and 88/30) derived from GAS M-protein, universal PADRE T-helper cell epitope, and a polyleucine self-adjuvanting unit. The vaccine components were conjugated together (using mercapto-maleimide and azide-alkyne Huisgen cycloaddition reactions) or delivered as a mixture. The conjugated multiepitope vaccine candidate self-assembled into small nanoparticles and chain-like aggregated nanoparticles (CLANs) that were able to induce the production of J8-, PL1-, and 88/30-specific antibodies in mice. The multiepitope conjugate and the physical mixture of conjugates bearing the individual epitopes produced similar nanoparticles and induced comparable immune responses. Hence, simple physical mixing can replace complex chemical conjugation to produce multiepitope nanoparticles with equivalent morphology and immunological efficacy. This greatly simplifies vaccine production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Armira Azuar
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Mohini A Shibu
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Nomin Adilbish
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Nirmal Marasini
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Hong Hung
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Jieru Yang
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Yacheng Luo
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Zeinab G Khalil
- Institute of Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Robert J Capon
- Institute of Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Waleed M Hussein
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Istvan Toth
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia.,Institute of Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia.,School of Pharmacy, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, Queensland 4102, Australia
| | - Mariusz Skwarczynski
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
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