Ii-Key/HPV16 E7 hybrid peptide immunotherapy for HPV16+ cancers

The Long Road Toward COVID-19 Herd Immunity: Vaccine Platform Technologies and Mass Immunization Strategies

There is an urgent need for effective countermeasures against the current emergence and accelerating expansion of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Induction of herd immunity by mass vaccination has been a very successful strategy for preventing the spread of many infectious diseases, hence protecting the most vulnerable population groups unable to develop immunity, for example individuals with immunodeficiencies or a weakened immune system due to underlying medical or debilitating conditions. Therefore, vaccination represents one of the most promising counter-pandemic measures to COVID-19. However, to date, no licensed vaccine exists, neither for SARS-CoV-2 nor for the closely related SARS-CoV or Middle East respiratory syndrome-CoV. In addition, a few vaccine candidates have only recently entered human clinical trials, which hampers the progress in tackling COVID-19 infection. Here, we discuss potential prophylactic interventions for SARS-CoV-2 with a focus on the challenges existing for vaccine development, and we review pre-clinical progress and ongoing human clinical trials of COVID-19 vaccine candidates. Although COVID-19 vaccine development is currently accelerated via so-called fast-track programs, vaccines may not be timely available to have an impact on the first wave of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, COVID-19 vaccines will be essential in the future for reducing morbidity and mortality and inducing herd immunity, if SARS-CoV-2 becomes established in the population like for example influenza virus.

The efficacy of chimeric vaccines constructed with PEP-1 and Ii-Key linking to a hybrid epitope from heterologous viruses

The heterologous epitope-peptide from different viruses may represent an attractive candidate vaccine. In order to evaluate the role of cell-permeable peptide (PEP-1) and Ii-Key moiety from the invariant chain (Ii) of MHC on the heterologous peptide chimeras, we linked the two vehicles to hybrid epitopes on the VP2 protein (aa197-209) of the infectious bursal disease virus and HN protein (aa345-353) of the Newcastle disease virus. The chimeric vaccines were prepared and injected into mice. The immune effects were measured by indirect ELISA. The results showed that the vehicle(s) could significantly boost immune effects against the heterologous epitope peptide. The Ii-Key-only carrier induced more effective immunological responses, compared with the PEP-1 and Ii-Key hybrid vehicle. The carrier-peptide hybrids all showed strong colocalization with major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecules compared with the epitope-peptide (weakly-binding) after co-transfection into 293T cells. Together, our results lay the groundwork for designing new hybrid vaccines based on Ii-Key and/or PEP-1 peptides.

Boosting immune response with the invariant chain segments via association with non-peptide binding region of major histocompatibility complex class II molecules

BACKGROUND

Based on binding of invariant chain (Ii) to major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecules to form complexes, Ii-segment hybrids, Ii-key structure linking an epitope, or Ii class II-associated invariant chain peptide (CLIP) replaced with an epitope were used to increase immune response. It is currently unknown whether the Ii-segment cytosolic and transmembrane domains bind to the MHC non-peptide binding region (PBR) and consequently influence immune response. To investigate the potential role of Ii-segments in the immune response via MHC II/peptide complexes, a few hybrids containing Ii-segments and a multiepitope (F306) from Newcastle disease virus fusion protein (F) were constructed, and their binding effects on MHC II molecules and specific antibody production were compared using confocal microscopy, immunoprecipitation, western blotting and animal experiments.

RESULTS

One of the Ii-segment/F306 hybrids, containing ND (Asn-Asp) outside the F306 in the Ii-key structure (Ii-key/F306/ND), neither co-localized with MHC II molecules on plasma membrane nor bound to MHC II molecules to form complexes. However, stimulation of mice with the structure produced 4-fold higher antibody titers compared with F306 alone. The two other Ii-segment/F306 hybrids, in which the transmembrane and cytosolic domains of Ii were linked to this structure (Cyt/TM/Ii-key/F306/ND), partially co-localized on plasma membrane with MHC class II molecules and weakly bound MHC II molecules to form complexes. They induced mice to produce approximately 9-fold higher antibody titers compared with F306 alone. Furthermore, an Ii/F306 hybrid (F306 substituting CLIP) co-localized well with MHC II molecules on the membrane to form complexes, although it increased antibody titer about 3-fold relative to F306 alone.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that Ii-segments improve specific immune response by binding to the non-PBR on MHC class II molecules and enabling membrane co-localization with MHC II molecules, resulting in the formation of relatively stable MHC II/peptide complexes on the plasma membrane, and signal transduction.