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Di Benedetto R, Mancini F, Caradonna V, Aruta MG, Giannelli C, Rossi O, Micoli F. Comparison of Shigella GMMA and glycoconjugate four-component formulations in animals. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 10:1284515. [PMID: 38046812 PMCID: PMC10690372 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1284515] [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: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Shigellosis is leading bacterial cause of diarrhea with high prevalence in children younger than 5 years in low- and middle-income countries, and increasing number of reports of Shigella cases associated to anti-microbial resistance. No vaccines against Shigella are still licensed, but different candidates based on the O-antigen portion of lipopolysaccharides are in clinic. Generalized Modules for Membrane Antigens (GMMA) have been proposed as an alternative delivery system for the O-antigen, and a 4-component vaccine candidate (altSonflex1-2-3), containing GMMA from S. sonnei and S. flexneri 1b, 2a and 3a is being tested in a phase 1/2 clinical trial, with the aim to elicit broad protection against the most prevalent Shigella serotypes. Here, the 4-component GMMA vaccine candidate has been compared to a more traditional glycoconjugate formulation for the ability to induce functional antibodies in mice and rabbits. In mice, in the absence of Alhydrogel, GMMA induce higher IgG antibodies than glycoconjugates and stronger bactericidal titers against all Shigella serotypes. In the presence of Alhydrogel, GMMA induce O-antigen specific IgG levels similar to traditional glycoconjugates, but with a broader range of IgG subclasses, resulting in stronger bactericidal activity. In rabbits, GMMA elicit higher functional antibodies than glycoconjugates against S. sonnei, and similar responses to S. flexneri 1b, 2a and 3a, independently from the presence of Alhydrogel. Different O-antigen based vaccines against Shigella are now in clinical stage and it will be of particular interest to understand how the preclinical findings in the different animal models translate in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Di Benedetto
- GSK Vaccines Institute for Global Health (GVGH), Siena, Italy
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Carlo Giannelli
- GSK Vaccines Institute for Global Health (GVGH), Siena, Italy
| | - Omar Rossi
- GSK Vaccines Institute for Global Health (GVGH), Siena, Italy
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2
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Necchi F, Giannelli C, Acquaviva A, Alfini R, Monaci V, Arato V, Rossi O, Micoli F. From an in vivo to an in vitro relative potency (IVRP) assay to fully characterize a multicomponent O-antigen based vaccine against Shigella. Carbohydr Polym 2023; 314:120920. [PMID: 37173008 DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2023.120920] [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: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Outer membrane vesicles (OMV) represent an innovative platform for the design of polysaccharide based vaccines. Generalized Modules for Membrane Antigens (GMMA), OMV released from engineered Gram-negative bacteria, have been proposed for the delivery of the O-Antigen, key target for protective immunity against several pathogens including Shigella. altSonflex1-2-3 is a GMMA based vaccine, including S. sonnei and S. flexneri 1b, 2a and 3a O-Antigens, with the aim to elicit broad protection against the most prevalent Shigella serotypes, especially affecting children in low-middle income countries. Here we developed an In Vitro Relative Potency assay, based on recognition of O-Antigen by functional monoclonal antibodies selected to bind the key epitopes of the different O-Antigen active ingredients, directly applied to our Alhydrogel-formulated vaccine. Heat-stressed altSonflex1-2-3 formulations were generated and extensively characterized. The impact of detected biochemical changes in in vivo and in vitro potency assays was assessed. The overall results showed how the in vitro assay can replace the use of animals, overcoming the inherently high variability of in vivo potency studies. The entire panel of physico-chemical methods developed will contribute to detect suboptimal batches and will be valuable to perform stability studies. The work on Shigella vaccine candidate can be easily extended to other O-Antigen based vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Necchi
- GSK Vaccines Institute for Global Health (GVGH), Via Fiorentina 1, 53100 Siena, Italy.
| | - Carlo Giannelli
- GSK Vaccines Institute for Global Health (GVGH), Via Fiorentina 1, 53100 Siena, Italy.
| | - Alessandra Acquaviva
- GSK Vaccines Institute for Global Health (GVGH), Via Fiorentina 1, 53100 Siena, Italy.
| | - Renzo Alfini
- GSK Vaccines Institute for Global Health (GVGH), Via Fiorentina 1, 53100 Siena, Italy.
| | - Valentina Monaci
- GSK Vaccines Institute for Global Health (GVGH), Via Fiorentina 1, 53100 Siena, Italy.
| | - Vanessa Arato
- GSK Vaccines Institute for Global Health (GVGH), Via Fiorentina 1, 53100 Siena, Italy.
| | - Omar Rossi
- GSK Vaccines Institute for Global Health (GVGH), Via Fiorentina 1, 53100 Siena, Italy.
| | - Francesca Micoli
- GSK Vaccines Institute for Global Health (GVGH), Via Fiorentina 1, 53100 Siena, Italy.
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3
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Jossi SE, Arcuri M, Alshayea A, Persaud RR, Marcial-Juárez E, Palmieri E, Di Benedetto R, Pérez-Toledo M, Pillaye J, Channell WM, Schager AE, Lamerton RE, Cook CN, Goodall M, Haneda T, Bäumler AJ, Jackson-Jones LH, Toellner KM, MacLennan CA, Henderson IR, Micoli F, Cunningham AF. Vi polysaccharide and conjugated vaccines afford similar early, IgM or IgG-independent control of infection but boosting with conjugated Vi vaccines sustains the efficacy of immune responses. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1139329. [PMID: 37033932 PMCID: PMC10076549 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1139329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Vaccination with Vi capsular polysaccharide (Vi-PS) or protein-Vi typhoid conjugate vaccine (TCV) can protect adults against Salmonella Typhi infections. TCVs offer better protection than Vi-PS in infants and may offer better protection in adults. Potential reasons for why TCV may be superior in adults are not fully understood. Methods and results Here, we immunized wild-type (WT) mice and mice deficient in IgG or IgM with Vi-PS or TCVs (Vi conjugated to tetanus toxoid or CRM197) for up to seven months, with and without subsequent challenge with Vi-expressing Salmonella Typhimurium. Unexpectedly, IgM or IgG alone were similarly able to reduce bacterial burdens in tissues, and this was observed in response to conjugated or unconjugated Vi vaccines and was independent of antibody being of high affinity. Only in the longer-term after immunization (>5 months) were differences observed in tissue bacterial burdens of mice immunized with Vi-PS or TCV. These differences related to the maintenance of antibody responses at higher levels in mice boosted with TCV, with the rate of fall in IgG titres induced to Vi-PS being greater than for TCV. Discussion Therefore, Vi-specific IgM or IgG are independently capable of protecting from infection and any superior protection from vaccination with TCV in adults may relate to responses being able to persist better rather than from differences in the antibody isotypes induced. These findings suggest that enhancing our understanding of how responses to vaccines are maintained may inform on how to maximize protection afforded by conjugate vaccines against encapsulated pathogens such as S. Typhi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siân E. Jossi
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Melissa Arcuri
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- GSK Vaccines Institute for Global Health SRL, Siena, Italy
| | - Areej Alshayea
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Ruby R. Persaud
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Edith Marcial-Juárez
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Elena Palmieri
- GSK Vaccines Institute for Global Health SRL, Siena, Italy
| | | | - Marisol Pérez-Toledo
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Jamie Pillaye
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Will M. Channell
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Anna E. Schager
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Rachel E. Lamerton
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Charlotte N. Cook
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Margaret Goodall
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Takeshi Haneda
- Laboratory of Microbiology, School of Pharmacy, Kitasato University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Andreas J. Bäumler
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Lucy H. Jackson-Jones
- Division of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Lancaster University, Lancaster, United Kingdom
| | - Kai-Michael Toellner
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Calman A. MacLennan
- Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, London, United Kingdom
- Jenner Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Ian R. Henderson
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | | | - Adam F. Cunningham
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
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Wang TL, Li YC, Lin CS, Zou YP. Comprehensive analysis of natural polysaccharides from TCMs: a generic approach based on UPLC-MS/MS. Carbohydr Polym 2022; 277:118877. [PMID: 34893280 DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2021.118877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Revised: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Here, we report a new application using liquid chromatography-electrospray mass spectrometry (UHPLC-ESI-MS) using aldononitrile acetate derivatives for simultaneous baseline separation and detection of eight neutral saccharides, two uronic acids, one ketose, and eight alditols within 14 min. The separation was performed on a Cortecs C₁₈ column using acetonitrile (A) and water (B) as the mobile phase with gradient elution. The target components were detected in selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode by mass spectrometry with an electrospray ionization (ESI) source operating in positive ionization mode. A comparison with traditional methods was used to determine the validity of the results. The UHPLC-ESI-MS method was used for quantitative analysis of free carbohydrates in water extracts of Crataegus pinnatifida as well as determination of Polygonatum cyrtonema and Glossy ganoderma monosaccharides in polysaccharides. The results demonstrate that this protocol is a comprehensive and effective technique for qualitative and quantitative analysis of plant polysaccharides from TCMs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tian-Long Wang
- Guangdong-Macau Traditional Chinese Medicine Technology Industrial Park Development Co., Ltd., Zhuhai 519000, China; Chinese Academy of Sciences Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, 201210, China
| | - Yi-Cong Li
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Active Ingredients of Natural Drugs, Yichun University, Yichun 336000, China
| | - Chun-Sheng Lin
- Second Affiliated Hospital of Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, 150001, China
| | - Yi-Ping Zou
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Active Ingredients of Natural Drugs, Yichun University, Yichun 336000, China.
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Micoli F, Alfini R, Giannelli C. Methods for Assessment of OMV/GMMA Quality and Stability. METHODS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY (CLIFTON, N.J.) 2021; 2414:227-279. [PMID: 34784041 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1900-1_14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Outer membrane vesicles (OMV) represent a promising platform for the development of vaccines against bacterial pathogens. More recently, bacteria have been genetically modified to increase OMV yield and modulate the design of resulting particles, also named generalized modules for membrane antigens (GMMA). OMV/GMMA resemble the bacterial surface of the pathogen, where key antigens to elicit a protective immune response are and contain pathogen-associated molecular patterns (e.g., lipopolysaccharides, lipoproteins) conferring self-adjuvanticity. On the other hand, OMV/GMMA are quite complex molecules and a comprehensive panel of analytical methods is needed to ensure quality, consistency of manufacture and to follow their stability over time. Here, we describe several procedures that can be used for OMV/GMMA characterization as particles and for analysis of key antigens displayed on their surface.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Renzo Alfini
- GSK Vaccines Institute for Global Health, Siena, Italy
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6
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Comparison and Optimization of Quantification Methods for Shigella flexneri Serotype 6 O-antigen Containing Galacturonic Acid and Methyl-Pentose. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222212160. [PMID: 34830042 PMCID: PMC8623728 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222212160] [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: 10/16/2021] [Revised: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Shigella is a leading diarrheal cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, especially in low- and middle-income countries and in children under five years of age. Increasing levels of antimicrobial resistance make vaccine development an even higher global health priority. S. flexneri serotype 6 is one of the targets of many multicomponent vaccines in development to ensure broad protection against Shigella. The O-antigen (OAg) is a key active ingredient and its content is a critical quality attribute for vaccine release in order to monitor their stability and to ensure appropriate immune response. Here, the optimization of two methods to quantify S. flexneri 6 OAg is reported together with the characterization of their performances. The optimized Dische colorimetric method allows a tenfold increment of the sensitivity with respect to the original method and is useful for fast analysis detecting selectively methyl-pentoses, as rhamnose in S. flexneri 6 OAg. Also, a more specific HPAEC-PAD method was developed, detecting the dimer galacturonic acid-galactosamine (GalA-GalN) coming from S. flexneri 6 OAg acid hydrolysis. These methods will facilitate characterization of S. flexneri 6 OAg based vaccines. The colorimetric method can be used for quantification of other polysaccharide containing methyl-pentoses, and the HPAEC-PAD could be extended to other polysaccharides containing uronic acids.
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7
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Micoli F, Alfini R, Di Benedetto R, Necchi F, Schiavo F, Mancini F, Carducci M, Oldrini D, Pitirollo O, Gasperini G, Balocchi C, Bechi N, Brunelli B, Piccioli D, Adamo R. Generalized Modules for Membrane Antigens as Carrier for Polysaccharides: Impact of Sugar Length, Density, and Attachment Site on the Immune Response Elicited in Animal Models. Front Immunol 2021; 12:719315. [PMID: 34594333 PMCID: PMC8477636 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.719315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Nanoparticle systems are being explored for the display of carbohydrate antigens, characterized by multimeric presentation of glycan epitopes and special chemico-physical properties of nano-sized particles. Among them, outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) are receiving great attention, combining antigen presentation with the immunopotentiator effect of the Toll-like receptor agonists naturally present on these systems. In this context, we are testing Generalized Modules for Membrane Antigens (GMMA), OMVs naturally released from Gram-negative bacteria mutated to increase blebbing, as carrier for polysaccharides. Here, we investigated the impact of saccharide length, density, and attachment site on the immune response elicited by GMMA in animal models, using a variety of structurally diverse polysaccharides from different pathogens (i.e., Neisseria meningitidis serogroup A and C, Haemophilus influenzae type b, and streptococcus Group A Carbohydrate and Salmonella Typhi Vi). Anti-polysaccharide immune response was not affected by the number of saccharides per GMMA particle. However, lower saccharide loading can better preserve the immunogenicity of GMMA as antigen. In contrast, saccharide length needs to be optimized for each specific antigen. Interestingly, GMMA conjugates induced strong functional immune response even when the polysaccharides were linked to sugars on GMMA. We also verified that GMMA conjugates elicit a T-dependent humoral immune response to polysaccharides that is strictly dependent on the nature of the polysaccharide. The results obtained are important to design novel glycoconjugate vaccines using GMMA as carrier and support the development of multicomponent glycoconjugate vaccines where GMMA can play the dual role of carrier and antigen. In addition, this work provides significant insights into the mechanism of action of glycoconjugates.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Renzo Alfini
- GSK Vaccines Institute for Global Health (GVGH), Siena, Italy
| | | | | | - Fabiola Schiavo
- GSK Vaccines Institute for Global Health (GVGH), Siena, Italy
| | | | | | - Davide Oldrini
- GSK Vaccines Institute for Global Health (GVGH), Siena, Italy
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8
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Ehnert S, Seehase J, Müller-Renno C, Hannig M, Ziegler C. Simultaneous quantification of total carbohydrate and protein amounts from aqueous solutions by the sulfuric acid ultraviolet absorption method (SA-UV method). Anal Chim Acta 2021; 1174:338712. [PMID: 34247739 DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2021.338712] [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: 03/19/2021] [Revised: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Based on the sulfuric acid-ultraviolet assay (SA-UV, developed by Albalasmeh et al., 2013), we have further expanded this method for the simultaneous quantification of saccharides (carbohydrates) and proteins by ultraviolet spectrophotometry. The absorbance of saccharides depends on the formation of furfurals by dehydration in the presence of concentrated sulfuric acid, whereas proteins are unaffected and can be quantified by UV active peptide bonds and aromatic amino acid residues. In saccharide/protein mixtures the SA-UV assay offers a good alternative and substitutes the need for two different methods, like the phenol-sulfuric acid (PSA, developed by DuBois et al., 1951) and bicinchoninic acid (BCA, developed by Smith et al., 1985) assays. For the development of this method, we used glucose and BSA as model substrates and performed a method validation in terms of linearity, LOD, LOQ, accuracy, and precision. Simultaneous quantification in glucose/BSA mixtures is possible down to 20 mg/L from 30 μL sample volumes, and even low content mixtures with concentrations down to 2 mg/L can appropriately be quantified from higher volumes by an evaporation technique.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swen Ehnert
- Department of Physics and Research Center OPTIMAS, University of Kaiserslautern, 67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Jürgen Seehase
- Department of Physics and Research Center OPTIMAS, University of Kaiserslautern, 67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Christine Müller-Renno
- Department of Physics and Research Center OPTIMAS, University of Kaiserslautern, 67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Matthias Hannig
- Clinic of Operative Dentistry, Periodontology and Preventive Dentistry, Saarland University Hospital, 66421 Homburg, Germany
| | - Christiane Ziegler
- Department of Physics and Research Center OPTIMAS, University of Kaiserslautern, 67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany.
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9
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Bazhenova A, Gao F, Bolgiano B, Harding SE. Glycoconjugate vaccines against Salmonella enterica serovars and Shigella species: existing and emerging methods for their analysis. Biophys Rev 2021; 13:221-246. [PMID: 33868505 PMCID: PMC8035613 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-021-00791-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The global spread of enteric disease, the increasingly limited options for antimicrobial treatment and the need for effective eradication programs have resulted in an increased demand for glycoconjugate enteric vaccines, made with carbohydrate-based membrane components of the pathogen, and their precise characterisation. A set of physico-chemical and immunological tests are employed for complete vaccine characterisation and to ensure their consistency, potency, safety and stability, following the relevant World Health Organization and Pharmacopoeia guidelines. Variable requirements for analytical methods are linked to conjugate structure, carrier protein nature and size and O-acetyl content of polysaccharide. We investigated a key stability-indicating method which measures the percent free saccharide of Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Typhi capsular polysaccharide, by detergent precipitation, depolymerisation and HPAEC-PAD quantitation. Together with modern computational approaches, a more precise design of glycoconjugates is possible, allowing for improvements in solubility, structural conformation and stability, and immunogenicity of antigens, which may be applicable to a broad spectrum of vaccines. More validation experiments are required to establish the most effective and suitable methods for glycoconjugate analysis to bring uniformity to the existing protocols, although the need for product-specific approaches will apply, especially for the more complex vaccines. An overview of current and emerging analytical approaches for the characterisation of vaccines against Salmonella Typhi and Shigella species is described in this paper. This study should aid the development and licensing of new glycoconjugate vaccines aimed at the prevention of enteric diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Bazhenova
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, Loughborough, LE12 5RD UK
| | - Fang Gao
- Division of Bacteriology, National Institute for Biological Standards and Control (NIBSC), Blanche Lane, South Mimms, Potters Bar, EN6 3QG UK
| | - Barbara Bolgiano
- Division of Bacteriology, National Institute for Biological Standards and Control (NIBSC), Blanche Lane, South Mimms, Potters Bar, EN6 3QG UK
| | - Stephen E. Harding
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, Loughborough, LE12 5RD UK
- Museum of Cultural History, University of Oslo, Postboks 6762 St. Olavs plass, 0130 Oslo, Norway
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10
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Salmonella Paratyphi A Outer Membrane Vesicles Displaying Vi Polysaccharide as a Multivalent Vaccine against Enteric Fever. Infect Immun 2021; 89:IAI.00699-20. [PMID: 33318138 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00699-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Typhoid and paratyphoid fevers have a high incidence worldwide and coexist in many geographical areas, especially in low-middle-income countries (LMIC) in South and Southeast Asia. There is extensive consensus on the urgent need for better and affordable vaccines against systemic Salmonella infections. Generalized modules for membrane antigens (GMMA), outer membrane exosomes shed by Salmonella bacteria genetically manipulated to increase blebbing, resemble the bacterial surface where protective antigens are displayed in their native environment. Here, we engineered S Paratyphi A using the pDC5-viaB plasmid to generate GMMA displaying the heterologous S Typhi Vi antigen together with the homologous O:2 O antigen. The presence of both Vi and O:2 was confirmed by flow cytometry on bacterial cells, and their amount was quantified on the resulting vesicles through a panel of analytical methods. When tested in mice, such GMMA induced a strong antibody response against both Vi and O:2, and these antibodies were functional in a serum bactericidal assay. Our approach yielded a bivalent vaccine candidate able to induce immune responses against different Salmonella serovars, which could benefit LMIC residents and travelers.
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11
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Palmieri E, Arato V, Oldrini D, Ricchetti B, Aruta MG, Pansegrau W, Marchi S, Giusti F, Ferlenghi I, Rossi O, Alfini R, Giannelli C, Gasperini G, Necchi F, Micoli F. Stability of Outer Membrane Vesicles-Based Vaccines, Identifying the Most Appropriate Methods to Detect Changes in Vaccine Potency. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:229. [PMID: 33800727 PMCID: PMC7998687 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9030229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Revised: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Ensuring the stability of vaccines is crucial to successfully performing global immunization programs. Outer Membrane Vesicles (OMV) are receiving great attention as vaccine platforms. OMV are complex molecules and few data have been collected so far on their stability. OMV produced by bacteria, genetically modified to increase their spontaneous release, simplifying their production, are also known as Generalized Modules for Membrane Antigens (GMMA). We have performed accelerated stability studies on GMMA from different pathogens and verified the ability of physico-chemical and immunological methods to detect possible changes. High-temperature conditions (100 °C for 40 min) did not affect GMMA stability and immunogenicity in mice, in contrast to the effect of milder temperatures for a longer period of time (37 °C or 50 °C for 4 weeks). We identified critical quality attributes to monitor during stability assessment that could impact vaccine efficacy. In particular, specific recognition of antigens by monoclonal antibodies through competitive ELISA assays may replace in vivo tests for the potency assessment of GMMA-based vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Palmieri
- GSK Vaccines Institute for Global Health (GVGH) S.r.l., Via Fiorentina 1, 53100 Siena, Italy; (E.P.); (V.A.); (D.O.); (B.R.); (M.G.A.); (O.R.); (R.A.); (C.G.); (G.G.); (F.N.)
| | - Vanessa Arato
- GSK Vaccines Institute for Global Health (GVGH) S.r.l., Via Fiorentina 1, 53100 Siena, Italy; (E.P.); (V.A.); (D.O.); (B.R.); (M.G.A.); (O.R.); (R.A.); (C.G.); (G.G.); (F.N.)
| | - Davide Oldrini
- GSK Vaccines Institute for Global Health (GVGH) S.r.l., Via Fiorentina 1, 53100 Siena, Italy; (E.P.); (V.A.); (D.O.); (B.R.); (M.G.A.); (O.R.); (R.A.); (C.G.); (G.G.); (F.N.)
| | - Beatrice Ricchetti
- GSK Vaccines Institute for Global Health (GVGH) S.r.l., Via Fiorentina 1, 53100 Siena, Italy; (E.P.); (V.A.); (D.O.); (B.R.); (M.G.A.); (O.R.); (R.A.); (C.G.); (G.G.); (F.N.)
| | - Maria Grazia Aruta
- GSK Vaccines Institute for Global Health (GVGH) S.r.l., Via Fiorentina 1, 53100 Siena, Italy; (E.P.); (V.A.); (D.O.); (B.R.); (M.G.A.); (O.R.); (R.A.); (C.G.); (G.G.); (F.N.)
| | - Werner Pansegrau
- GSK, Via Fiorentina 1, 53100 Siena, Italy; (W.P.); (S.M.); (F.G.); (I.F.)
| | - Sara Marchi
- GSK, Via Fiorentina 1, 53100 Siena, Italy; (W.P.); (S.M.); (F.G.); (I.F.)
| | - Fabiola Giusti
- GSK, Via Fiorentina 1, 53100 Siena, Italy; (W.P.); (S.M.); (F.G.); (I.F.)
| | - Ilaria Ferlenghi
- GSK, Via Fiorentina 1, 53100 Siena, Italy; (W.P.); (S.M.); (F.G.); (I.F.)
| | - Omar Rossi
- GSK Vaccines Institute for Global Health (GVGH) S.r.l., Via Fiorentina 1, 53100 Siena, Italy; (E.P.); (V.A.); (D.O.); (B.R.); (M.G.A.); (O.R.); (R.A.); (C.G.); (G.G.); (F.N.)
| | - Renzo Alfini
- GSK Vaccines Institute for Global Health (GVGH) S.r.l., Via Fiorentina 1, 53100 Siena, Italy; (E.P.); (V.A.); (D.O.); (B.R.); (M.G.A.); (O.R.); (R.A.); (C.G.); (G.G.); (F.N.)
| | - Carlo Giannelli
- GSK Vaccines Institute for Global Health (GVGH) S.r.l., Via Fiorentina 1, 53100 Siena, Italy; (E.P.); (V.A.); (D.O.); (B.R.); (M.G.A.); (O.R.); (R.A.); (C.G.); (G.G.); (F.N.)
| | - Gianmarco Gasperini
- GSK Vaccines Institute for Global Health (GVGH) S.r.l., Via Fiorentina 1, 53100 Siena, Italy; (E.P.); (V.A.); (D.O.); (B.R.); (M.G.A.); (O.R.); (R.A.); (C.G.); (G.G.); (F.N.)
| | - Francesca Necchi
- GSK Vaccines Institute for Global Health (GVGH) S.r.l., Via Fiorentina 1, 53100 Siena, Italy; (E.P.); (V.A.); (D.O.); (B.R.); (M.G.A.); (O.R.); (R.A.); (C.G.); (G.G.); (F.N.)
| | - Francesca Micoli
- GSK Vaccines Institute for Global Health (GVGH) S.r.l., Via Fiorentina 1, 53100 Siena, Italy; (E.P.); (V.A.); (D.O.); (B.R.); (M.G.A.); (O.R.); (R.A.); (C.G.); (G.G.); (F.N.)
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Gasperini G, Raso MM, Arato V, Aruta MG, Cescutti P, Necchi F, Micoli F. Effect of O-Antigen Chain Length Regulation on the Immunogenicity of Shigella and Salmonella Generalized Modules for Membrane Antigens (GMMA). Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22031309. [PMID: 33525644 PMCID: PMC7865430 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22031309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Revised: 01/16/2021] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Recently, generalized modules for membrane antigens (GMMA) technology has been proposed as an alternative approach to traditional glycoconjugate vaccines for O-antigen delivery. Saccharide length is a well-known parameter that can impact the immune response induced by glycoconjugates both in terms of magnitude and quality. However, the criticality of O-antigen length on the immune response induced by GMMA-based vaccines has not been fully elucidated. Here, Shigella and Salmonella GMMA-producing strains were further mutated in order to display homogeneous polysaccharide populations of different sizes on a GMMA surface. Resulting GMMA were compared in mice immunization studies. Athymic nude mice were also used to investigate the involvement of T-cells in the immune response elicited. In contrast with what has been reported for traditional glycoconjugate vaccines and independent of the pathogen and the sugar structural characteristics, O-antigen length did not result in being a critical parameter for GMMA immunogenicity. This work supports the identification of critical quality attributes to optimize GMMA vaccine design and improve vaccine efficacy and gives insights on the nature of the immune response induced by GMMA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianmarco Gasperini
- GSK Vaccines Institute for Global Health (GVGH) s.r.l, Via Fiorentina 1, 53100 Siena, Italy; (G.G.); (M.M.R.); (V.A.); (M.G.A.); (F.N.)
| | - Maria Michelina Raso
- GSK Vaccines Institute for Global Health (GVGH) s.r.l, Via Fiorentina 1, 53100 Siena, Italy; (G.G.); (M.M.R.); (V.A.); (M.G.A.); (F.N.)
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Via L. Giorgieri 1, Bdg C11, 34127 Trieste, Italy;
| | - Vanessa Arato
- GSK Vaccines Institute for Global Health (GVGH) s.r.l, Via Fiorentina 1, 53100 Siena, Italy; (G.G.); (M.M.R.); (V.A.); (M.G.A.); (F.N.)
| | - Maria Grazia Aruta
- GSK Vaccines Institute for Global Health (GVGH) s.r.l, Via Fiorentina 1, 53100 Siena, Italy; (G.G.); (M.M.R.); (V.A.); (M.G.A.); (F.N.)
| | - Paola Cescutti
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Via L. Giorgieri 1, Bdg C11, 34127 Trieste, Italy;
| | - Francesca Necchi
- GSK Vaccines Institute for Global Health (GVGH) s.r.l, Via Fiorentina 1, 53100 Siena, Italy; (G.G.); (M.M.R.); (V.A.); (M.G.A.); (F.N.)
| | - Francesca Micoli
- GSK Vaccines Institute for Global Health (GVGH) s.r.l, Via Fiorentina 1, 53100 Siena, Italy; (G.G.); (M.M.R.); (V.A.); (M.G.A.); (F.N.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-0577-539087
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13
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Rational Design of a Glycoconjugate Vaccine against Group A Streptococcus. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21228558. [PMID: 33202815 PMCID: PMC7696035 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21228558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
No commercial vaccine is yet available against Group A Streptococcus (GAS), major cause of pharyngitis and impetigo, with a high frequency of serious sequelae in low- and middle-income countries. Group A Carbohydrate (GAC), conjugated to an appropriate carrier protein, has been proposed as an attractive vaccine candidate. Here, we explored the possibility to use GAS Streptolysin O (SLO), SpyCEP and SpyAD protein antigens with dual role of antigen and carrier, to enhance the efficacy of the final vaccine and reduce its complexity. All protein antigens resulted good carrier for GAC, inducing similar anti-GAC IgG response to the more traditional CRM197 conjugate in mice. However, conjugation to the polysaccharide had a negative impact on the anti-protein responses, especially in terms of functionality as evaluated by an IL-8 cleavage assay for SpyCEP and a hemolysis assay for SLO. After selecting CRM197 as carrier, optimal conditions for its conjugation to GAC were identified through a Design of Experiment approach, improving process robustness and yield This work supports the development of a vaccine against GAS and shows how novel statistical tools and recent advancements in the field of conjugation can lead to improved design of glycoconjugate vaccines.
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