1
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Das S, Behera P, Shewale DJ, Bodele J, Das S, Karande AA. Development of an effective single-chain variable fragment recognizing a novel epitope in the hepatitis C virus E2 protein that restricts virus entry into hepatocytes. Arch Virol 2024; 169:112. [PMID: 38683226 DOI: 10.1007/s00705-024-06024-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
Previously, we reported a neutralizing monoclonal antibody, A8A11, raised against a novel conserved epitope within the hepatitis C virus (HCV) E2 protein, that could significantly reduce HCV replication. Here, we report the nucleotide sequence of A8A11 and demonstrate the efficacy of a single-chain variable fragment (scFv) protein that mimics the antibody, inhibits the binding of an HCV virus-like particle to hepatocytes, and reduces viral RNA replication in a cell culture system. More importantly, scFv A8A11 was found to effectively restrict the increase of viral RNA levels in the serum of HCV-infected chimeric mice harbouring human hepatocytes. These results suggest a promising approach to neutralizing-antibody-based therapeutic interventions against HCV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soma Das
- Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India.
| | - Padmanava Behera
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India
| | - Dipeshwari J Shewale
- Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India
| | - Janhavi Bodele
- Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India
| | - Saumitra Das
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India
- National Institute of Biomedical Genomics, Kalyani, West Bengal, India
| | - Anjali A Karande
- Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India
- Centre For Human Genetics, Biotech Park, Bangalore, 560012, India
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2
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Collett S, Earnest L, Carrera Montoya J, Edeling MA, Yap A, Wong CY, Christiansen D, Roberts J, Mumford J, Lecouturier V, Pavot V, Marco S, Loi JK, Simmons C, Gulab SA, Mackenzie JM, Elbourne A, Ramsland PA, Cameron G, Hans D, Godfrey DI, Torresi J. Development of virus-like particles with inbuilt immunostimulatory properties as vaccine candidates. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1065609. [PMID: 37350788 PMCID: PMC10282183 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1065609] [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: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The development of virus-like particle (VLP) based vaccines for human papillomavirus, hepatitis B and hepatitis E viruses represented a breakthrough in vaccine development. However, for dengue and COVID-19, technical complications, such as an incomplete understanding of the requirements for protective immunity, but also limitations in processes to manufacture VLP vaccines for enveloped viruses to large scale, have hampered VLP vaccine development. Selecting the right adjuvant is also an important consideration to ensure that a VLP vaccine induces protective antibody and T cell responses. For diseases like COVID-19 and dengue fever caused by RNA viruses that exist as families of viral variants with the potential to escape vaccine-induced immunity, the development of more efficacious vaccines is also necessary. Here, we describe the development and characterisation of novel VLP vaccine candidates using SARS-CoV-2 and dengue virus (DENV), containing the major viral structural proteins, as protypes for a novel approach to produce VLP vaccines. The VLPs were characterised by Western immunoblot, enzyme immunoassay, electron and atomic force microscopy, and in vitro and in vivo immunogenicity studies. Microscopy techniques showed proteins self-assemble to form VLPs authentic to native viruses. The inclusion of the glycolipid adjuvant, α-galactosylceramide (α-GalCer) in the vaccine formulation led to high levels of natural killer T (NKT) cell stimulation in vitro, and strong antibody and memory CD8+ T cell responses in vivo, demonstrated with SARS-CoV-2, hepatitis C virus (HCV) and DEN VLPs. This study shows our unique vaccine formulation presents a promising, and much needed, new vaccine platform in the fight against infections caused by enveloped RNA viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Collett
- School of Science, College of Science, Engineering and Health, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Linda Earnest
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Julio Carrera Montoya
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Melissa A. Edeling
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Ashley Yap
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Chinn Yi Wong
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Dale Christiansen
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Jason Roberts
- Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory, Royal Melbourne Hospital at the Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The University of Melbourne at the Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Jamie Mumford
- Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory, Royal Melbourne Hospital at the Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | | | | | | | - Joon Keit Loi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Cameron Simmons
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Shivali A. Gulab
- Avalia Immunotherapies Limited, Wellington, New Zealand
- Vaccine Alliance Aotearoa New Zealand, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Jason M. Mackenzie
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Aaron Elbourne
- School of Science, College of Science, Engineering and Health, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Paul A. Ramsland
- School of Science, College of Science, Engineering and Health, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Surgery Austin Health, University of Melbourne, Heidelberg, VIC, Australia
- Department of Immunology, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Garth Cameron
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Dhiraj Hans
- Research, Innovation and Commercialisation, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Dale I. Godfrey
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Joseph Torresi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
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3
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Gupta R, Arora K, Roy SS, Joseph A, Rastogi R, Arora NM, Kundu PK. Platforms, advances, and technical challenges in virus-like particles-based vaccines. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1123805. [PMID: 36845125 PMCID: PMC9947793 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1123805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Viral infectious diseases threaten human health and global stability. Several vaccine platforms, such as DNA, mRNA, recombinant viral vectors, and virus-like particle-based vaccines have been developed to counter these viral infectious diseases. Virus-like particles (VLP) are considered real, present, licensed and successful vaccines against prevalent and emergent diseases due to their non-infectious nature, structural similarity with viruses, and high immunogenicity. However, only a few VLP-based vaccines have been commercialized, and the others are either in the clinical or preclinical phases. Notably, despite success in the preclinical phase, many vaccines are still struggling with small-scale fundamental research owing to technical difficulties. Successful production of VLP-based vaccines on a commercial scale requires a suitable platform and culture mode for large-scale production, optimization of transduction-related parameters, upstream and downstream processing, and monitoring of product quality at each step. In this review article, we focus on the advantages and disadvantages of various VLP-producing platforms, recent advances and technical challenges in VLP production, and the current status of VLP-based vaccine candidates at commercial, preclinical, and clinical levels.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Prabuddha K. Kundu
- Department of Research and Development, Premas Biotech Pvt Ltd., Sector IV, Industrial Model Township (IMT), Manesar, Gurgaon, India
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4
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Virus-Like Particles as Preventive and Therapeutic Cancer Vaccines. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:vaccines10020227. [PMID: 35214685 PMCID: PMC8879290 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10020227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Virus-like particles (VLPs) are self-assembled viral protein complexes that mimic the native virus structure without being infectious. VLPs, similarly to wild type viruses, are able to efficiently target and activate dendritic cells (DCs) triggering the B and T cell immunities. Therefore, VLPs hold great promise for the development of effective and affordable vaccines in infectious diseases and cancers. Vaccine formulations based on VLPs, compared to other nanoparticles, have the advantage of incorporating multiple antigens derived from different proteins. Moreover, such antigens can be functionalized by chemical modifications without affecting the structural conformation or the antigenicity. This review summarizes the current status of preventive and therapeutic VLP-based vaccines developed against human oncoviruses as well as cancers.
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5
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To Include or Occlude: Rational Engineering of HCV Vaccines for Humoral Immunity. Viruses 2021; 13:v13050805. [PMID: 33946211 PMCID: PMC8146105 DOI: 10.3390/v13050805] [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: 02/12/2021] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Direct-acting antiviral agents have proven highly effective at treating existing hepatitis C infections but despite their availability most countries will not reach the World Health Organization targets for elimination of HCV by 2030. A prophylactic vaccine remains a high priority. Whilst early vaccines focused largely on generating T cell immunity, attention is now aimed at vaccines that generate humoral immunity, either alone or in combination with T cell-based vaccines. High-resolution structures of hepatitis C viral glycoproteins and their interaction with monoclonal antibodies isolated from both cleared and chronically infected people, together with advances in vaccine technologies, provide new avenues for vaccine development.
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Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most prevalent cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide.
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Pre-clinical evaluation of a quadrivalent HCV VLP vaccine in pigs following microneedle delivery. Sci Rep 2019; 9:9251. [PMID: 31239471 PMCID: PMC6592879 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-45461-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2018] [Accepted: 05/29/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The introduction of directly acting antiviral agents (DAAs) has produced significant improvements in the ability to cure chronic hepatitis C infection. However, with over 2% of the world’s population infected with HCV, complications arising from the development of cirrhosis of the liver, chronic hepatitis C infection remains the leading indication for liver transplantation. Several modelling studies have indicated that DAAs alone will not be sufficient to eliminate HCV, but if combined with an effective vaccine this regimen would provide a significant advance towards achieving this critical World Health Organisation goal. We have previously generated a genotype 1a, 1b, 2a, 3a HCV virus like particle (VLP) quadrivalent vaccine. The HCV VLPs contain the core and envelope proteins (E1 and E2) of HCV and the vaccine has been shown to produce broad humoral and T cell immune responses following vaccination of mice. In this report we further advanced this work by investigating vaccine responses in a large animal model. We demonstrate that intradermal microneedle vaccination of pigs with our quadrivalent HCV VLP based vaccine produces long-lived multi-genotype specific and neutralizing antibody (NAb) responses together with strong T cell and granzyme B responses and normal Th1 and Th2 cytokine responses. These responses were achieved without the addition of adjuvant. Our study demonstrates that our vaccine is able to produce broad immune responses in a large animal that, next to primates, is the closest animal model to humans. Our results are important as they show that the vaccine can produce robust immune responses in a large animal model before progressing the vaccine to human trials.
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8
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Collett S, Torresi J, Earnest-Silveira L, Christiansen D, Elbourne A, Ramsland PA. Probing and pressing surfaces of hepatitis C virus-like particles. J Colloid Interface Sci 2019; 545:259-268. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2019.03.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2019] [Revised: 03/07/2019] [Accepted: 03/09/2019] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
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9
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Masavuli MG, Wijesundara DK, Underwood A, Christiansen D, Earnest-Silveira L, Bull R, Torresi J, Gowans EJ, Grubor-Bauk B. A Hepatitis C Virus DNA Vaccine Encoding a Secreted, Oligomerized Form of Envelope Proteins Is Highly Immunogenic and Elicits Neutralizing Antibodies in Vaccinated Mice. Front Immunol 2019; 10:1145. [PMID: 31178869 PMCID: PMC6543710 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.01145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2019] [Accepted: 05/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) persistently infects approximately 71 million people globally. To prevent infection a vaccine which elicits neutralizing antibodies against the virus envelope proteins (E1/E2) which are required for entry into host cells is desirable. DNA vaccines are cost-effective to manufacture globally and despite recent landmark studies highlighting the therapeutic efficacy of DNA vaccines in humans against cervical cancer, DNA vaccines encoding E1/E2 developed thus far are poorly immunogenic. We now report a novel and highly immunogenic DNA vaccination strategy that incorporates secreted E1 and E2 (sE1 and sE2) into oligomers by fusion with the oligomerization domain of the C4b-binding protein, IMX313P. The FDA approved plasmid, pVax, was used to encode sE1, sE2, or sE1E2 with or without IMX313P, and intradermal prime-boost vaccination studies in BALB/c mice showed that vaccines encoding IMX313P were the most effective in eliciting humoral and cell-mediated immunity against the envelope proteins. Further boosting with recombinant E1E2 proteins but not DNA nor virus-like particles (VLPs) expressing E1E2 increased the immunogenicity of the DNA prime-boost regimen. Nevertheless, the antibodies generated by the homologous DNA prime-boost vaccinations more effectively inhibited the binding of VLPs to target cells and neutralized transduction with HCV pseudoparticles (HCVpp) derived from different genotypes including genotypes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. This report provides the first evidence that IMX313P can be used as an adjuvant for E1/E2-based DNA vaccines and represents a translatable approach for the development of a HCV DNA vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Makutiro Ghislain Masavuli
- Virology Laboratory, Basil Hetzel Institute for Translational Medicine, Discipline of Surgery, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Danushka K Wijesundara
- Virology Laboratory, Basil Hetzel Institute for Translational Medicine, Discipline of Surgery, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Alexander Underwood
- Faculty of Medicine, The Kirby Institute, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Dale Christiansen
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Linda Earnest-Silveira
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Rowena Bull
- Faculty of Medicine, The Kirby Institute, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Joseph Torresi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Eric J Gowans
- Virology Laboratory, Basil Hetzel Institute for Translational Medicine, Discipline of Surgery, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Branka Grubor-Bauk
- Virology Laboratory, Basil Hetzel Institute for Translational Medicine, Discipline of Surgery, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
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10
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Immunological responses following administration of a genotype 1a/1b/2/3a quadrivalent HCV VLP vaccine. Sci Rep 2018; 8:6483. [PMID: 29691437 PMCID: PMC5915487 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-24762-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2017] [Accepted: 03/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The significant public health problem of Hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been partially addressed with the advent of directly acting antiviral agents (DAAs). However, the development of an effective preventative vaccine would have a significant impact on HCV incidence and would represent a major advance towards controlling and possibly eradicating HCV globally. We previously reported a genotype 1a HCV viral-like particle (VLP) vaccine that produced neutralizing antibodies (NAb) and T cell responses to HCV. To advance this approach, we produced a quadrivalent genotype 1a/1b/2a/3a HCV VLP vaccine to produce broader immune responses. We show that this quadrivalent vaccine produces antibody and NAb responses together with strong T and B cell responses in vaccinated mice. Moreover, selective neutralizing human monoclonal antibodies (HuMAbs) targeting conserved antigenic domain B and D epitopes of the E2 protein bound strongly to the HCV VLPs, suggesting that these critical epitopes are expressed on the surface of the particles. Our findings demonstrate that a quadrivalent HCV VLP based vaccine induces broad humoral and cellular immune responses that will be necessary for protection against HCV. Such a vaccine could provide a substantial addition to highly active antiviral drugs in eliminating HCV.
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Christiansen D, Earnest-Silveira L, Chua B, Boo I, Drummer HE, Grubor-Bauk B, Gowans EJ, Jackson DC, Torresi J. Antibody Responses to a Quadrivalent Hepatitis C Viral-Like Particle Vaccine Adjuvanted with Toll-Like Receptor 2 Agonists. Viral Immunol 2018; 31:338-343. [PMID: 29489437 DOI: 10.1089/vim.2017.0182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The development of an effective preventative hepatitis C virus (HCV) vaccine will reside, in part, in its ability to elicit neutralizing antibodies (NAbs). We previously reported a genotype 1a HCV virus like particle (VLP) vaccine that produced HCV specific NAb and T cell responses that were substantially enhanced by Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) agonists. We have now produced a quadrivalent genotype 1a/1b/2a/3a HCV VLP vaccine and tested the ability of two TLR2 agonists, R4Pam2Cys and E8Pam2Cys, to stimulate the production of NAb. We now show that our vaccine with R4Pam2Cys or E8Pam2Cys produces strong antibody and NAb responses in vaccinated mice after just two doses. Total antibody titers were higher in mice inoculated with vaccine plus E8Pam2Cys compared to HCV VLPs alone. However, the TLR2 agonists did not result in stronger NAb responses compared to vaccine without adjuvant. Such a vaccine could provide a substantial addition to the overall goal to eliminate HCV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dale Christiansen
- 1 Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne , Melbourne, Australia
| | - Linda Earnest-Silveira
- 1 Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne , Melbourne, Australia
| | - Brendon Chua
- 1 Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne , Melbourne, Australia
| | - Irene Boo
- 2 Burnet Institute , Melbourne, Australia
| | - Heidi E Drummer
- 1 Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne , Melbourne, Australia .,2 Burnet Institute , Melbourne, Australia .,3 Department of Microbiology, Monash University , Clayton, Australia
| | - Branka Grubor-Bauk
- 4 Department of Surgery, The University of Adelaide and The Basil Hetzel Institute for Translational Health Research, Adelaide, South Australia
| | - Eric J Gowans
- 4 Department of Surgery, The University of Adelaide and The Basil Hetzel Institute for Translational Health Research, Adelaide, South Australia
| | - David C Jackson
- 1 Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne , Melbourne, Australia
| | - Joseph Torresi
- 1 Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne , Melbourne, Australia
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12
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Masavuli MG, Wijesundara DK, Torresi J, Gowans EJ, Grubor-Bauk B. Preclinical Development and Production of Virus-Like Particles As Vaccine Candidates for Hepatitis C. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:2413. [PMID: 29259601 PMCID: PMC5723323 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.02413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2017] [Accepted: 11/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infects 2% of the world’s population and is the leading cause of liver disease and liver transplantation. It poses a serious and growing worldwide public health problem that will only be partially addressed with the introduction of new antiviral therapies. However, these treatments will not prevent re-infection particularly in high risk populations. The introduction of a HCV vaccine has been predicted, using simulation models in a high risk population, to have a significant effect on reducing the incidence of HCV. A vaccine with 50 to 80% efficacy targeted to high-risk intravenous drug users could dramatically reduce HCV incidence in this population. Virus like particles (VLPs) are composed of viral structural proteins which self-assemble into non-infectious particles that lack genetic material and resemble native viruses. Thus, VLPs represent a safe and highly immunogenic vaccine delivery platform able to induce potent adaptive immune responses. Currently, many VLP-based vaccines have entered clinical trials, while licensed VLP vaccines for hepatitis B virus (HBV) and human papilloma virus (HPV) have been in use for many years. The HCV core, E1 and E2 proteins can self-assemble into immunogenic VLPs while inclusion of HCV antigens into heterogenous (chimeric) VLPs is also a promising approach. These VLPs are produced using different expression systems such as bacterial, yeast, mammalian, plant, or insect cells. Here, this paper will review HCV VLP-based vaccines and their immunogenicity in animal models as well as the different expression systems used in their production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Makutiro Ghislain Masavuli
- Virology Laboratory, Basil Hetzel Institute for Translational Medicine, Discipline of Surgery, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Danushka K Wijesundara
- Virology Laboratory, Basil Hetzel Institute for Translational Medicine, Discipline of Surgery, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Joseph Torresi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Eric J Gowans
- Virology Laboratory, Basil Hetzel Institute for Translational Medicine, Discipline of Surgery, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Branka Grubor-Bauk
- Virology Laboratory, Basil Hetzel Institute for Translational Medicine, Discipline of Surgery, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
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13
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Torresi J. The Rationale for a Preventative HCV Virus-Like Particle (VLP) Vaccine. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:2163. [PMID: 29163442 PMCID: PMC5674006 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.02163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2017] [Accepted: 10/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
HCV represents a global health problem with ~200 million individuals currently infected, worldwide. With the high cost of antiviral therapies, the global burden of chronic hepatitis C infection (CHCV) infection will be substantially reduced by the development of an effective vaccine for HCV. The field of HCV vaccines is generally divided into proponents of strategies to induce neutralizing antibodies (NAb) and those who propose to elicit cell mediated immunity (CMI). However, for a hepatitis C virus (HCV) vaccine to be effective in preventing infection, it must be capable of generating cross-reactive CD4+, CD8+ T cell, and NAb responses that will cover the major viral genotypes. Simulation models of hepatitis C have predicted that a vaccine of even modest efficacy and coverage will significantly reduce the incidence of hepatitis C. A HCV virus like particle (VLP) based vaccine would fulfill the requirement of delivering critical conformational neutralizing epitopes in addition to providing HCV specific CD4+ and CD8+ epitopes. Several approaches have been reported including insect cell-derived genotype 1b HCV VLPs; a human liver-derived quadrivalent genotype 1a, 1b, 2, and 3a vaccine; a genotype 1a HCV E1 and E2 glycoprotein/MLV Gag pseudotype VLP vaccine; and chimeric HBs-HCV VLP vaccines. All to result in the production of cross-NAb and/or T cell responses against HCV. This paper summarizes the evidence supporting the development of a HCV VLP based vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Torresi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
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14
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Tabll A, El-Shenawy R, Abd YE. Progress in Vaccine Development for HCV Infection. UPDATE ON HEPATITIS C 2017. [DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.70649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
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15
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Identification of a flavonoid isolated from plum (Prunus domestica) as a potent inhibitor of Hepatitis C virus entry. Sci Rep 2017. [PMID: 28638096 PMCID: PMC5479801 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-04358-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major cause of chronic liver diseases that often requires liver transplantation. The standard therapies are limited by severe side effects, resistance development, high expense and in a substantial proportion of cases, fail to clear the infection which bespeak the need for development of well-tolerated antivirals. Since most of the drug development strategies target the replication stage of viral lifecycle, the identification of entry inhibitors might be crucial especially in case of liver-transplant recipients. In the present study we have evaluated fruits which are known for their hepatoprotective effects in order to screen for entry inhibitors. We report the identification of a flavonoid, rutin, isolated from Prunus domestica as a new HCV entry inhibitor. Characterization and confirmation of the chemical structure was done by LC-ESI-MS, NMR and IR spectral analyses. Rutin significantly inhibited HCV-LP binding to hepatoma cells and inhibited cell-culture derived HCV (HCVcc) entry into hepatoma cells. Importantly, rutin was found to be non-toxic to hepatoma cells. Furthermore, rutin inhibits the early entry stage of HCV lifecycle possibly by directly acting on the viral particle. In conclusion, rutin is a promising candidate for development of anti-HCV therapeutics in the management of HCV infection.
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16
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Das S, Mullick R, Kumar A, Tandon H, Bose M, Gouthamchandra K, Chandra M, Ravishankar B, Khaja MN, Srinivasan N, Das S, Melkote Subbarao S, Karande AA. Identification of a novel epitope in the C terminus of hepatitis C virus-E2 protein that induces potent and cross-reactive neutralizing antibodies. J Gen Virol 2017; 98:962-976. [PMID: 28221101 DOI: 10.1099/jgv.0.000735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a leading cause of chronic viral hepatitis, but an effective vaccine is still not available to prevent infection. Use of neutralizing antibodies could be a potential therapeutic option. In this study, the presence of anti-HCV antibodies in HCV-infected patients was assessed from 50 patients and the presence of neutralizing antibodies was examined using 'hepatitis C virus-like particles'. Antibodies from two samples exhibited significant inhibitory activity, suggesting that these may neutralize viral infection. Antigenic determinants generating the neutralizing antibodies from these two samples were delineated by epitope mapping using the core, E1 and E2 regions and a stretch of 45 amino acid peptide (E2C45) derived from the C-terminal region of HCV-E2 protein (aa 634-679) was designed. Results suggest that this hitherto uncharacterized region has the potential to generate neutralizing antibodies against HCV and thus be effective in preventing virus entry into liver cells. Computational analysis of the structure of the modelled peptide (E2C45) suggested high conformational entropy for this region. Furthermore, E2C45 peptide-generated antibodies could block virus entry and monoclonal antibodies generated against this peptide could also significantly reduce virus replication in a cell culture system. It is possible that the inhibition could be partly due to a conformational alteration of the CD81-binding region, preventing virus attachment to liver cells. In conclusion, this work focused on the discovery of a novel epitope at the C terminus of E2 that induces potent neutralizing antibodies in HCV-infected patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soma Das
- Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, India
| | - Ranajoy Mullick
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, India
| | - Anuj Kumar
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, India
| | - Himani Tandon
- Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, India
| | - Mihika Bose
- Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, India
| | - K Gouthamchandra
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, India
| | - Madhavi Chandra
- Bioviz Technologies Pvt Ltd, Sagar Society, Road No. 2, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad 500 034, India
| | | | - M N Khaja
- Bioviz Technologies Pvt Ltd, Sagar Society, Road No. 2, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad 500 034, India
| | | | - Saumitra Das
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, India
| | - Shaila Melkote Subbarao
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, India
| | - Anjali Anoop Karande
- Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, India
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17
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Bose M, Kamra M, Mullick R, Bhattacharya S, Das S, Karande AA. A plant-derived dehydrorotenoid: a new inhibitor of hepatitis C virus entry. FEBS Lett 2017; 591:1305-1317. [DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.12629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2017] [Revised: 03/13/2017] [Accepted: 03/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mihika Bose
- Department of Biochemistry; Indian Institute of Science; Bangalore India
| | - Mohini Kamra
- Department of Organic Chemistry; Indian Institute of Science; Bangalore India
| | - Ranajoy Mullick
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology; Indian Institute of Science; Bangalore India
| | - Santanu Bhattacharya
- Department of Organic Chemistry; Indian Institute of Science; Bangalore India
- Director's Research Unit; Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science; Kolkata India
| | - Saumitra Das
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology; Indian Institute of Science; Bangalore India
| | - Anjali A. Karande
- Department of Biochemistry; Indian Institute of Science; Bangalore India
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18
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Nosrati M, Mohabatkar H, Behbahani M. A Novel Multi-Epitope Vaccine For Cross Protection Against Hepatitis C Virus (HCV): An Immunoinformatics Approach. RESEARCH IN MOLECULAR MEDICINE 2017. [DOI: 10.29252/rmm.5.1.17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
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19
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Bose M, Mullick R, Das S, Das S, Karande AA. Combination of neutralizing monoclonal antibodies against Hepatitis C virus E2 protein effectively blocks virus infection. Virus Res 2016; 224:46-57. [PMID: 27574733 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2016.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2016] [Revised: 08/23/2016] [Accepted: 08/25/2016] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) represents a major global health threat. The envelope glycoproteins, E1-E2 of HCV play an important role in infection by binding to hepatocyte surface receptors leading to viral entry. Several regions on the E1-E2 are conserved for maintaining structural stability, despite the high mutation rate of HCV. Identification of antigenic determinants in these domains would aid in the development of anti-virals. The present study was aimed to delineate neutralizing epitopes by generating monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to envelope proteins that can block virus binding and entry. Using HCV-like particles (HCV-LPs) corresponding to genotype 3a (prevalent in India), we obtained three mAbs specific for the E2 protein that significantly inhibited virus binding to hepatoma cells. Using overlapping protein fragments and peptides of the E2 protein, the epitopes corresponding to the mAbs were delineated. MAbs H6D3 and A10F2 recognise sequential linear epitopes, whereas, mAb E3D8 recognises a discontinuous epitope. The epitope of mAb E3D8 overlaps with the CD81 receptor-binding site and that of mAb A10F2 with the hypervariable region 2 of the E2 protein. The epitopes corresponding to these mAbs are distinct and unique. A combination of these antibodies significantly inhibited HCV binding and entry in both HCV pseudoparticle (in vitro) and HCV cell culture (ex vivo) system compared to the mAbs alone (P<0.0001). In conclusion, our findings support the potential of employing a cocktail of neutralizing mAbs in the management of HCV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mihika Bose
- Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, India
| | - Ranajoy Mullick
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, India
| | - Soma Das
- Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, India
| | - Saumitra Das
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, India
| | - Anjali A Karande
- Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, India.
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20
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T- and B-cell responses to multivalent prime-boost DNA and viral vectored vaccine combinations against hepatitis C virus in non-human primates. Gene Ther 2016; 23:753-759. [PMID: 27416077 PMCID: PMC7091906 DOI: 10.1038/gt.2016.55] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2016] [Revised: 05/09/2016] [Accepted: 06/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Immune responses against multiple epitopes are required for the prevention of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, and the progression to phase I trials of candidates may be guided by comparative immunogenicity studies in non-human primates. Four vectors, DNA, SFV, human serotype 5 adenovirus (HuAd5) and Modified Vaccinia Ankara (MVA) poxvirus, all expressing hepatitis C virus Core, E1, E2 and NS3, were combined in three prime-boost regimen, and their ability to elicit immune responses against HCV antigens in rhesus macaques was explored and compared. All combinations induced specific T-cell immune responses, including high IFN-γ production. The group immunized with the SFV+MVA regimen elicited higher E2-specific responses as compared with the two other modalities, while animals receiving HuAd5 injections elicited lower IL-4 responses as compared with those receiving MVA. The IFN-γ responses to NS3 were remarkably similar between groups. Only the adenovirus induced envelope-specific antibody responses, but these failed to show neutralizing activity. Therefore, the two novel regimens failed to induce superior responses as compared with already existing HCV vaccine candidates. Differences were found in response to envelope proteins, but the relevance of these remain uncertain given the surprisingly poor correlation with immunogenicity data in chimpanzees, underlining the difficulty to predict efficacy from immunology studies.
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21
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Large scale production of a mammalian cell derived quadrivalent hepatitis C virus like particle vaccine. J Virol Methods 2016; 236:87-92. [PMID: 27373602 DOI: 10.1016/j.jviromet.2016.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2016] [Revised: 06/24/2016] [Accepted: 06/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
A method for the large-scale production of a quadrivalent mammalian cell derived hepatitis C virus-like particles (HCV VLPs) is described. The HCV core E1 and E2 coding sequences of genotype 1a, 1b, 2a or 3a were co-expressed in Huh7 cell factories using a recombinant adenoviral expression system. The structural proteins self-assembled into VLPs that were purified from Huh7 cell lysates by iodixanol ultracentrifugation and Stirred cell ultrafiltration. Electron microscopy, revealed VLPs of the different genotypes that are morphologically similar. Our results show that it is possible to produce large quantities of individual HCV genotype VLPs with relative ease thus making this approach an alternative for the manufacture of a quadrivalent mammalian cell derived HCV VLP vaccine.
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