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Alharbi N, Shalash AO, Koirala P, Boer JC, Hussein WM, Khalil ZG, Capon RJ, Plebanski M, Toth I, Skwarczynski M. Cholesterol as an inbuilt immunoadjuvant for a lipopeptide vaccine against group A Streptococcus infection. J Colloid Interface Sci 2024; 663:43-52. [PMID: 38387185 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2024.02.134] [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: 11/05/2023] [Revised: 01/21/2024] [Accepted: 02/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Peptide-based vaccines can trigger highly specific immune responses, although peptides alone are usually unable to confer strong humoral or cellular immunity. Consequently, peptide antigens are administered with immunostimulatory adjuvants, but only a few are safe and effective for human use. To overcome this obstacle, herein a peptide antigen was lipidated to effectively anchor it to liposomes and emulsion. A peptide antigen B cell epitope from Group A Streptococcus M protein was conjugated to a universal T helper epitope, the pan DR-biding epitope (PADRE), alongside a lipidic moiety cholesterol. Compared to a free peptide antigen, the lipidated version (LP1) adopted a helical conformation and self-assembled into small nanoparticles. Surprisingly, LP1 alone induced the same or higher antibody titers than liposomes or emulsion-based formulations. In addition, antibodies produced by mice immunized with LP1 were more opsonic than those induced by administering the antigen with incomplete Freund's adjuvant. No side effects were observed in the immunized mice and no excessive inflammatory immune responses were detected. Overall, this study demonstrated how simple conjugation of cholesterol to a peptide antigen can produce a safe and efficacious vaccine against Group A Streptococcus - the leading cause of superficial infections and the bacteria responsible for deadly post-infection autoimmune disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nedaa Alharbi
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia; University of Jeddah, College of Science, Department of Chemistry, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmed O Shalash
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Prashamsa Koirala
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Jennifer C Boer
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, VIC 3083, Australia
| | - Waleed M Hussein
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Zeinab G Khalil
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Robert J Capon
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Magdalena Plebanski
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, VIC 3083, Australia
| | - Istvan Toth
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia; Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; School of Pharmacy, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Mariusz Skwarczynski
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.
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Vitali A, Paolicelli P, Bigi B, Trilli J, Di Muzio L, Carriero VC, Casadei MA, Petralito S. Liposome Encapsulation of the Palmitoyl-KTTKS Peptide: Structural and Functional Characterization. Pharmaceutics 2024; 16:219. [PMID: 38399273 PMCID: PMC10892597 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics16020219] [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: 12/31/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
In this study, the amphiphilic N-palmitoyl-KTTKS peptide was integrated in the bilayer of egg-derived phosphatidylcholine (PC) vesicles using two different preparation methods, namely thin-film evaporation (TLE) and reverse-phase evaporation (REV). Both the REV and TLE methods allowed for the formation of homogeneous liposome dispersions (PdI < 0.20) with mean hydrodynamic diameters of <100 nm and <200 nm, respectively, a net negative surface charge and a percentage of structured phospholipids higher than 90%. The inclusion of the amphiphilic N-palmitoyl-KTTKS peptide within phospholipid-based vesicles could improve peptide stability and skin delivery. Therefore, the obtained liposomes were evaluated via experiments assessing the synthesis of collagen and the ECM in 3T3-NIH fibroblasts. The obtained results showed that, when delivered with PC liposomes, pal-KTTKS stimulated collagen production more than free pentapeptide and 1 mM ascorbic acid, used as a positive control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Vitali
- Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche “Giulio Natta”, National Research Council of Italy, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy;
| | - Patrizia Paolicelli
- Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; (B.B.); (J.T.); (L.D.M.); (V.C.C.); (M.A.C.); (S.P.)
| | - Barbara Bigi
- Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; (B.B.); (J.T.); (L.D.M.); (V.C.C.); (M.A.C.); (S.P.)
| | - Jordan Trilli
- Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; (B.B.); (J.T.); (L.D.M.); (V.C.C.); (M.A.C.); (S.P.)
| | - Laura Di Muzio
- Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; (B.B.); (J.T.); (L.D.M.); (V.C.C.); (M.A.C.); (S.P.)
| | - Vito Cosimo Carriero
- Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; (B.B.); (J.T.); (L.D.M.); (V.C.C.); (M.A.C.); (S.P.)
| | - Maria Antonietta Casadei
- Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; (B.B.); (J.T.); (L.D.M.); (V.C.C.); (M.A.C.); (S.P.)
| | - Stefania Petralito
- Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; (B.B.); (J.T.); (L.D.M.); (V.C.C.); (M.A.C.); (S.P.)
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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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