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Qi H, Sun Z, Yao Y, Chen L, Su X. Immunogenicity of the Xcl1-SARS-CoV-2 Spike Fusion DNA Vaccine for COVID-19. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:407. [PMID: 35335039 PMCID: PMC8951015 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10030407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) variants that may evade antibody-mediated immunity are emerging. Evidence shows that vaccines with a stronger immune response are still effective against mutant strains. Here, we report a targeted type 1 conventional dendritic (cDC1) cell strategy for improved COVID-19 vaccine design. cDC1 cells specifically express X-C motif chemokine receptor 1 (Xcr1), the only receptor for chemokine Xcl1. We fused the S gene sequence with the Xcl1 gene to deliver the expressed S protein to cDC1 cells. Immunization with a plasmid encoding the S protein fused to Xcl1 showed stronger induction of antibody and antigen-specific T cell immune responses than immunization with the S plasmid alone in mice. The fusion gene-induced antibody also displayed more powerful SARS-CoV-2 wild-type virus and pseudovirus neutralizing activity. Xcl1 also increased long-lived antibody-secreting plasma cells in bone marrow. These preliminary results indicate that Xcl1 serves as a molecular adjuvant for the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine and that our Xcl1-S fusion DNA vaccine is a potential COVID-19 vaccine candidate for use in further translational studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hailong Qi
- State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China; (H.Q.); (Z.S.)
- Hebei Immune Cell Application Engineering Research Center, Baoding Newish Technology Co., Ltd./Newish Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing 100176, China;
| | - Zhongjie Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China; (H.Q.); (Z.S.)
- Hebei Immune Cell Application Engineering Research Center, Baoding Newish Technology Co., Ltd./Newish Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing 100176, China;
| | - Yanling Yao
- Hebei Immune Cell Application Engineering Research Center, Baoding Newish Technology Co., Ltd./Newish Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing 100176, China;
| | - Ligong Chen
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Xuncheng Su
- State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China; (H.Q.); (Z.S.)
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Gudjonsson A, Lysén A, Balan S, Sundvold-Gjerstad V, Arnold-Schrauf C, Richter L, Bækkevold ES, Dalod M, Bogen B, Fossum E. Targeting Influenza Virus Hemagglutinin to Xcr1+Dendritic Cells in the Absence of Receptor-Mediated Endocytosis Enhances Protective Antibody Responses. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2017; 198:2785-2795. [DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1601881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2016] [Accepted: 01/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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Grodeland G, Fredriksen AB, Løset GÅ, Vikse E, Fugger L, Bogen B. Antigen Targeting to Human HLA Class II Molecules Increases Efficacy of DNA Vaccination. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2016; 197:3575-3585. [PMID: 27671110 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1600893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2016] [Accepted: 08/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
It has been difficult to translate promising results from DNA vaccination in mice to larger animals and humans. Previously, DNA vaccines encoding proteins that target Ag to MHC class II (MHC-II) molecules on APCs have been shown to induce rapid, enhanced, and long-lasting Ag-specific Ab titers in mice. In this study, we describe two novel DNA vaccines that as proteins target HLA class II (HLA-II) molecules. These vaccine proteins cross-react with MHC-II molecules in several species of larger mammals. When tested in ferrets and pigs, a single DNA delivery with low doses of the HLA-II-targeted vaccines resulted in rapid and increased Ab responses. Importantly, painless intradermal jet delivery of DNA was as effective as delivery by needle injection followed by electroporation. As an indication that the vaccines could also be useful for human application, HLA-II-targeted vaccine proteins were found to increase human CD4+ T cell responses by a factor of ×103 in vitro. Thus, targeting of Ag to MHC-II molecules may represent an attractive strategy for increasing efficacy of DNA vaccines in larger animals and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gunnveig Grodeland
- K.G. Jebsen Center for Influenza Vaccine Research, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, 0027 Oslo, Norway;
| | | | - Geir Åge Løset
- Center for Immune Regulation, Institute of Immunology, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, 0027 Oslo, Norway.,Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, 0316 Oslo, Norway
| | - Elisabeth Vikse
- K.G. Jebsen Center for Influenza Vaccine Research, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, 0027 Oslo, Norway
| | - Lars Fugger
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, 8200 Aarhus, Denmark; and.,Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Division of Clinical Neurology and Medical Research Council Human Immunology Unit, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, United Kingdom
| | - Bjarne Bogen
- K.G. Jebsen Center for Influenza Vaccine Research, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, 0027 Oslo, Norway; .,Center for Immune Regulation, Institute of Immunology, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, 0027 Oslo, Norway
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DNA vaccines: MHC II-targeted vaccine protein produced by transfected muscle fibres induces a local inflammatory cell infiltrate in mice. PLoS One 2014; 9:e108069. [PMID: 25299691 PMCID: PMC4191975 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0108069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2013] [Accepted: 08/25/2014] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Vaccination with naked DNA holds great promise but immunogenicity needs to be improved. DNA constructs encoding bivalent proteins that bind antigen-presenting cells (APC) for delivery of antigen have been shown to enhance T and B cell responses and protection in tumour challenge experiments. However, the mechanism for the increased potency remains to be determined. Here we have constructed DNA vaccines that express the fluorescent protein mCherry, a strategy which allowed tracking of vaccine proteins. Transfected muscle fibres in mice were visualized, and their relationship to infiltrating mononuclear cells could be determined. Interestingly, muscle fibers that produced MHC class II-specific dimeric vaccine proteins with mCherry were for weeks surrounded by a localized intense cellular infiltrate composed of CD45+, MHC class II+ and CD11b+ cells. Increasing numbers of eosinophils were observed among the infiltrating cells from day 7 after immunization. The local infiltrate surrounding mCherry+ muscle fibers was dependent on the MHC II-specificity of the vaccine proteins since the control, a non-targeted vaccine protein, failed to induce similar infiltrates. Chemokines measured on day 3 in immunized muscle indicate both a DNA effect and an electroporation effect. No influence of targeting was observed. These results contribute to our understanding for why targeted DNA vaccines have an improved immunogenicity.
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Targeted DNA vaccines eliciting crossreactive anti-idiotypic antibody responses against human B cell malignancies in mice. J Transl Med 2014; 12:207. [PMID: 25059102 PMCID: PMC4119056 DOI: 10.1186/1479-5876-12-207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2014] [Accepted: 06/25/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Therapeutic idiotypic (Id) vaccination is an experimental treatment for selected B cell malignancies. A broader use of Id-based vaccination, however, is hampered by the complexity and costs due to the individualized production of protein vaccines. These limitations may be overcome by targeted DNA vaccines encoding stereotyped immunoglobulin V regions of B cell malignancies. We have here investigated whether such vaccines might elicit cross-reactive immune responses thus offering the possibility to immunize subsets of patients with the same vaccine. METHODS Fusion vaccines targeting patient Id to mouse Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) class II molecules (chimeric mouse/human) or chemokine receptors (fully human) on antigen-presenting cells (APC) were genetically constructed for two Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) patients and one prototypic stereotyped B-cell receptor (BCR) commonly expressed by Hepatitis C Virus (HCV)-associated Non Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL). The A20 murine B lymphoma cells were engineered to express prototypic HCV-associated B cell lymphoma BCR. Anti-Id antibody responses were studied against stereotyped and non-stereotyped BCRs on CLL patients' cells as well as transfected A20 cells. RESULTS DNA vaccination of mice with Id vaccines that target APC elicited increased amounts of antibodies specific for the patient's Id as compared with non targeted control vaccines. Anti-Id antibodies cross-reacted between CLL cells with closely related BCR. A20 cells engineered to express patients' V regions were not tumorigenic in mice, preventing tumor challenge experiments. CONCLUSIONS These findings provide experimental support for use of APC-targeted fusion Id DNA vaccines for the treatment of B cell lymphoma and CLL that express stereotyped BCRs.
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Fredriksen AB, Sandlie I, Bogen B. Targeted DNA vaccines for enhanced induction of idiotype-specific B and T cells. Front Oncol 2012; 2:154. [PMID: 23115759 PMCID: PMC3483591 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2012.00154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2012] [Accepted: 10/15/2012] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Idiotypes (Id) are antigenic determinants localized in variable (V) regions of Ig. Id-specific T and B cells (antibodies) play a role in immunotherapy of Id+ tumors. However, vaccine strategies that enhance Id-specific responses are needed. Methods: Id+ single-chain fragment variable (scFv) from multiple myelomas and B cell lymphomas were prepared in a fusion format that bivalently target surface molecules on antigen-presenting cells (APC). APC-specific targeting units were either scFv from APC-specific mAb (anti-MHC II, anti-CD40) or chemokines (MIP-1α, RANTES). Homodimeric Id-vaccines were injected intramuscularly or intradermally as plasmids in mice, combined with electroporation. Results: (i) Transfected cells secreted plasmid-encoded Id+ fusion proteins to extracellular fluid followed by binding of vaccine molecules to APC. (ii) Targeted vaccine molecules increased Id-specific B and T cell responses. (iii) Bivalency and xenogeneic sequences both contributed to enhanced responses. (iv) Targeted Id DNA vaccines induced tumor resistance against challenges with Id+ tumors. (v) Human MIP-1α targeting units enhanced Id-specific responses in mice, due to a cross reaction with murine chemokine receptors. Thus, targeted vaccines designed for humans can be quality tested in mice. (vi) Human Id+ scFv from four multiple myeloma patients were inserted into the vaccine format and were successfully tested in mice. (vii) Human MIP-1α vaccine proteins enhanced human T cell responses in vitro. (viii) A hypothetical model for how the APC-targeted vaccine molecules enhance Id-specific T and B cells is presented. Conclusion: Targeted DNA Id-vaccines show promising results in preclinical studies, paving the way for testing in patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnete B Fredriksen
- Centre for Immune Regulation, Institute of Immunology, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital Oslo, Norway
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Øynebråten I, Løvås TO, Thompson K, Bogen B. Generation of antibody-producing hybridomas following one single immunization with a targeted DNA vaccine. Scand J Immunol 2012; 75:379-88. [PMID: 21955209 PMCID: PMC3417379 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-3083.2011.02639.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The standard protocol for generating antibody (Ab)-producing hybridomas is based on fusion of plasmacytoma cells with Ab-producing B cells harvested from immunized mice. To increase the yield of hybridomas, it is important to use immunization protocols that induce a high frequency of B cells producing specific Abs. Our laboratory has developed a vaccine format, denoted vaccibody that promotes the immune responses towards the delivered antigen. The vaccine format targets antigens in a bivalent form to surface receptors on antigen-presenting cells (APCs). Here, we used the fluorescent protein (FP) mCherry as antigen and targeted it to APCs by use of either the natural ligand CCL3/MIP-1α or single-chain variable fragment specific for major histocompatibility complex class II. The vaccine format was delivered to mouse muscle as DNA combined with electroporation. By this procedure, we developed two monoclonal Abs that can be utilized to detect the FC mCherry in various applications. The data suggest that the targeted DNA vaccine format can be utilized to enhance the number of Ab-producing hybridomas and thereby be a tool to improve the B cell hybridoma technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Øynebråten
- Centre for Immune Regulation, Department of Immunology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
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Durrant LG, Pudney VA, Spendlove I. Using monoclonal antibodies to stimulate antitumor cellular immunity. Expert Rev Vaccines 2012; 10:1093-106. [PMID: 21806402 DOI: 10.1586/erv.11.33] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have an established role in current cancer therapy with seven approved for the treatment of a wide variety of tumors. The approved mAbs directly target tumor cells; however, it is becoming increasingly clear that as well as their direct effects, these mAbs can present antigens to the immune system. This stimulates long-lasting T-cell immunity, which may correlate with long-term survival. A more direct approach is to use mAbs to target antigens directly to antigen-presenting cells. One approach, ImmunoBody, which has just entered the clinic, stimulates antitumor immunity using mAbs genetically engineered to express tumor-specific T-cell epitopes. T cells not only respond via their T-cell receptors recognizing T-cell epitopes presented on MHC but are also influenced by stimulation of a wide variety of costimulatory molecules. mAbs targeting these molecules can also influence antitumor immunity. The main protagonist in this class of mAbs is ipilimumab, which has recently been shown to improve survival at 2 years in 23% of advanced melanoma patients. Combinations of mAbs targeting tumor antigens to activated antigen-presenting cells and mAbs targeting costimulatory receptors may provide effective therapy for a broad range of tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindy G Durrant
- Academic Department of Clinical Oncology, University of Nottingham, City Hospital, Hucknall Road, Nottingham, NG5 1PB, UK.
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Human chemokine MIP1α increases efficiency of targeted DNA fusion vaccines. Vaccine 2010; 29:191-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2010.10.057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2010] [Revised: 10/03/2010] [Accepted: 10/21/2010] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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