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Shi R, Liu X, Wang Y, Pan M, Wang S, Shi L, Ni B. Long-term stability and immunogenicity of lipid nanoparticle COVID-19 mRNA vaccine is affected by particle size. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2024; 20:2342592. [PMID: 38714327 PMCID: PMC11085994 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2024.2342592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) technology has been rapidly applied for the development of the COVID-19 vaccine. However, naked mRNA itself is inherently unstable. Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) protect mRNAs from extracellular ribonucleases and facilitate mRNA trafficking. For mRNA vaccines, antigen-presenting cells utilize LNPs through uptake to elicit antigen-specific immunity. There are reports on the impact of various physical characteristics of LNPs, particularly those with sizes less than 200 nm, especially 50 to 150 nm, on the overall stability and protective efficacy of mRNA vaccines. To address this, a single change in the size of LNPs using the same mRNA stock solution was assessed for the physicochemical characterization of the resulting mRNA-LNPs vaccine, along with the evaluation of their protective efficacy. Particles of smaller sizes generally disperse more effectively in solutions, with minimized occurrence of particle precipitation and aggregation. Here, we demonstrate that the vaccine containing 80-100 nm mRNA-LNPs showed the best stability and protection at 4°C and -20°C. Furthermore, we can conclude that freezing the vaccine at -20°C is more appropriate for maintaining stability over the long term. This effort is poised to provide a scientific basis for improving the quality of ongoing mRNA vaccine endeavors and providing information on the development of novel products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruimeng Shi
- School of Pharmacy, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, PR China
| | - Xueli Liu
- Pharmacology Laboratory, Hebei Research Institute of Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Inspection, Shijiazhuang, PR China
| | - Yajuan Wang
- Research and Development Department, CSPC Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd., Shijiazhuang, PR China
| | - Meilu Pan
- Pharmacology Laboratory, Hebei Research Institute of Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Inspection, Shijiazhuang, PR China
| | - Shaoqin Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, PR China
| | - Lin Shi
- Pharmacology Laboratory, Hebei Research Institute of Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Inspection, Shijiazhuang, PR China
| | - Beibei Ni
- Research and Development Department, CSPC Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd., Shijiazhuang, PR China
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2
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Yang C, Lin ZI, Zhang X, Xu Z, Xu G, Wang YM, Tsai TH, Cheng PW, Law WC, Yong KT, Chen CK. Recent Advances in Engineering Carriers for siRNA Delivery. Macromol Biosci 2024; 24:e2300362. [PMID: 38150293 DOI: 10.1002/mabi.202300362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023]
Abstract
RNA interference (RNAi) technology has been a promising treatment strategy for combating intractable diseases. However, the applications of RNAi in clinical are hampered by extracellular and intracellular barriers. To overcome these barriers, various siRNA delivery systems have been developed in the past two decades. The first approved RNAi therapeutic, Patisiran (ONPATTRO) using lipids as the carrier, for the treatment of amyloidosis is one of the most important milestones. This has greatly encouraged researchers to work on creating new functional siRNA carriers. In this review, the recent advances in siRNA carriers consisting of lipids, polymers, and polymer-modified inorganic particles for cancer therapy are summarized. Representative examples are presented to show the structural design of the carriers in order to overcome the delivery hurdles associated with RNAi therapies. Finally, the existing challenges and future perspective for developing RNAi as a clinical modality will be discussed and proposed. It is believed that the addressed contributions in this review will promote the development of siRNA delivery systems for future clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengbin Yang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Biomedical Measurements and Ultrasound Imaging, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen University Medical School, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, P. R. China
| | - Zheng-Ian Lin
- Polymeric Biomaterials Laboratory, Department of Materials and Optoelectronic Science, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, 80424, Taiwan
| | - Xinmeng Zhang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Biomedical Measurements and Ultrasound Imaging, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen University Medical School, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, P. R. China
| | - Zhourui Xu
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Biomedical Measurements and Ultrasound Imaging, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen University Medical School, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, P. R. China
| | - Gaixia Xu
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Biomedical Measurements and Ultrasound Imaging, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen University Medical School, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, P. R. China
| | - Yu-Min Wang
- Polymeric Biomaterials Laboratory, Department of Materials and Optoelectronic Science, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, 80424, Taiwan
| | - Tzu-Hsien Tsai
- Division of Cardiology and Department of Internal Medicine, Ditmanson Medical Foundation Chiayi Christian Hospital, Chiayi, 60002, Taiwan
| | - Pei-Wen Cheng
- Department of Medical Education and Research, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung, 81362, Taiwan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, 80424, Taiwan
| | - Wing-Cheung Law
- Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong, 999077, P. R. China
| | - Ken-Tye Yong
- School of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, 2006, Australia
| | - Chih-Kuang Chen
- Polymeric Biomaterials Laboratory, Department of Materials and Optoelectronic Science, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, 80424, Taiwan
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3
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Schroder R, Dorsey PJ, Vanderburgh J, Xu W, D'Addio SM, Klein L, Gindy M, Su Y. Probing Molecular Packing of Lipid Nanoparticles from 31P Solution and Solid-State NMR. Anal Chem 2024; 96:2464-2473. [PMID: 38306310 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c04430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2024]
Abstract
Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are intricate multicomponent systems widely recognized for their efficient delivery of oligonucleotide cargo to host cells. Gaining insights into the molecular properties of LNPs is crucial for their effective design and characterization. However, analysis of their internal structure at the molecular level presents a significant challenge. This study introduces 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) methods to acquire structural and dynamic information about the phospholipid envelope of LNPs. Specifically, we demonstrate that the 31P chemical shift anisotropy (CSA) parameters serve as a sensitive indicator of the molecular assembly of distearoylphosphatidylcholine (DSPC) lipids within the particles. An analytical protocol for measuring 31P CSA is developed, which can be implemented using either solution NMR or solid-state NMR, offering wide accessibility and adaptability. The capability of this method is demonstrated using both model DSPC liposomes and real-world pharmaceutical LNP formulations. Furthermore, our method can be employed to investigate the impact of formulation processes and composition on the assembly of specifically LNP particles or, more generally, phospholipid-based delivery systems. This makes it an indispensable tool for evaluating critical pharmaceutical properties such as structural homogeneity, batch-to-batch reproducibility, and the stability of the particles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Schroder
- Analytical Research & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Phillip J Dorsey
- Pharmaceutical Sciences and Clinical Supply, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania 19486, United States
| | - Joe Vanderburgh
- Pharmaceutical Sciences and Clinical Supply, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania 19486, United States
| | - Wei Xu
- Analytical Research & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Suzanne M D'Addio
- Pharmaceutical Sciences and Clinical Supply, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania 19486, United States
| | - Lee Klein
- Analytical Research & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Marian Gindy
- Small Molecule Science and Technology, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Yongchao Su
- Analytical Research & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
- Pharmaceutical Sciences and Clinical Supply, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania 19486, United States
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4
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Meyer BK, Nahas D, An M, Danziger A, Smith J, Patel M, Lin SA, Gleason A, Cox K, Capen R, Howe J, Bett A. Evaluation of luciferase and prefusion-stabilized F protein from respiratory syncytial virus mRNA/LNPs in pre-clinical models using jet delivery compared to needle and syringe. Vaccine X 2024; 16:100420. [PMID: 38192619 PMCID: PMC10772402 DOI: 10.1016/j.jvacx.2023.100420] [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: 08/03/2023] [Revised: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Described here is the evaluation of a luciferase (luc) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) messenger RNA / lipid nanoparticle (mRNA/LNP) vaccine using a Needle-free Injection System, Tropis®, from PharmaJet® (Golden, Colorado USA). Needle-free jet delivery offers an alternative to needle/syringe. To perform this assessment, compatibility studies with Tropis were first performed with a luc mRNA/LNP and compared to needle/syringe. Although minor changes in particle size and encapsulation efficiency were observed when using Tropis on the benchtop, in vitro luciferase activity remained the same. Next, the luc mRNA/LNP was administered to rats intramuscularly using Tropis or needle/syringe and tracking of the injection and distribution was performed. Lastly, an mRNA encoding a prefusion-stabilized F protein from RSV was delivered intramuscularly using both Tropis and needle/syringe at 1 and 5 mcg mRNA. An equivalent IgG response was observed using both Tropis and needle/syringe. The cell mediated immune (CMI) response was also evaluated, and responses to RSV-F were detected from animals immunized with needle/syringe at all dose levels, and from the animals immunized with Tropis in the 5 and 25 ug groups. These results indicated that delivery of mRNA/LNPs with Tropis is a potential means of administration and an alternative to needle/syringe.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Kara Cox
- Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, PA, USA
| | | | - John Howe
- Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, PA, USA
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5
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Settanni G. Computational approaches to lipid-based nucleic acid delivery systems. THE EUROPEAN PHYSICAL JOURNAL. E, SOFT MATTER 2023; 46:127. [PMID: 38097823 PMCID: PMC10721673 DOI: 10.1140/epje/s10189-023-00385-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Nucleic acid-based therapies have shown enormous effectiveness as vaccines against the recent COVID19 pandemics and hold great promises in the fight of a broad spectrum of diseases ranging from viral infections to cancer up to genetically transmitted pathologies. Due to their highly degradable polyanionic nature, nucleic acids need to be packed in sophisticate delivery vehicles which compact them up, protect them from early degradation and help delivery them to the right tissue/cells. Lipid-based nanoparticles (LNP) represent, at present, the main solution for nucleic acid delivery. They are made of a mixture of lipids whose key ingredient is an ionizable cationic lipid. Indeed, the interactions between the polyanionic nucleic acids and the ionizable cationic lipids, and their pH-dependent regulation in the life cycle of the nanoparticle, from production to cargo delivery, mostly determine the effectiveness of the therapeutic approach. Notwithstanding the large improvements in the delivery efficiency of LNPs in the last two decades, it is estimated that only a small fraction of the cargo is actually delivered, stimulating further research for the design of more effective LNP formulations. A rationally driven design would profit from the knowledge of the precise molecular structure of these materials, which is however still either missing or characterized by poor spatial resolution. Computational approaches have often been used as a molecular microscope either to enrich the available experimental data and provide a molecular-level picture of the LNPs or even simulate specific processes involving the formation and/or the molecular mechanisms of action of the LNP. Here, I review the recent literature in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Settanni
- Faculty of Physics and Astronomy, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätstrasse 150, 44801, Bochum, Germany.
- Department of Physics, Johannes-Gutenberg University Mainz, Staudingerweg 7, 55099, Mainz, Germany.
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6
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Li HH, Xu J, He L, Denny LI, Rustandi RR, Dornadula G, Fiorito B, Zhang ZQ. Development and qualification of cell-based relative potency assay for a human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) mRNA vaccine. J Pharm Biomed Anal 2023; 234:115523. [PMID: 37336039 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2023.115523] [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: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Abstract
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of severe lower respiratory tract infections worldwide. A safe and effective RSV vaccine has been an elusive goal but recent advances in vaccine technology have improved the likelihood that a vaccine for the prevention of RSV could be licensed in near future. We have developed an RSV vaccine V171 consisting of four lipids and messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) encoding an engineered form of the RSV F protein stabilized in its prefusion conformation. The lipids form lipid nanoparticles (LNP) with mRNA encapsulated during process, which protects the mRNA from degradation and enables the mRNA to be delivered into mammalian cells. Once inside the cells, the mRNA then can be translated into RSV F protein and elicit both humoral and cellular immune responses. Preclinical results and Phase I clinical trial results indicate that this mRNA vaccine targeting RSV F protein is a promising RSV vaccine approach and should be further evaluated in clinical trials. We have developed a cell-based relative potency assay to support the Phase II development of this vaccine. Test articles and a reference standard are tested with serial dilutions in a 96-well plate pre-seeded with Hep G2 cells. Cells were incubated for 16-18 h after transfection and then permeabilized and stained with a human monoclonal antibody specific to RSV F protein, followed by a fluorophore-conjugated secondary antibody. The plate is then analyzed for percentage of transfected cells and relative potency of the test article is calculated by comparing its EC50 to that of a reference standard. This assay takes advantage of the fact that due to the inherent variability in biological test systems an absolute measure of potency is more variable than a measure of activity relative to a standard. Targeting testing relative potency range 25-250 %, our assay showed an R2 close to 1 for linearity, relative bias of 1.05-5.41 %, and intermediate precision of 11.0 %. The assay has been used for testing of process development samples, formulation development samples, as well as drug product intermediate (DPI) and drug product (DP) in support of Phase II development of our RSV mRNA vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hualin Helen Li
- Analytical Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, PA 19486, USA.
| | - Jenny Xu
- Analytical Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, PA 19486, USA
| | - Li He
- Biostatistics and Research Decision Sciences, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, PA 19486, USA
| | - Lynne Ireland Denny
- Analytical Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, PA 19486, USA
| | - Richard R Rustandi
- Analytical Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, PA 19486, USA
| | | | - Brock Fiorito
- Analytical Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, PA 19486, USA
| | - Zhi-Qiang Zhang
- Analytical Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, PA 19486, USA
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7
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Krapivina A, Lacis D, Rucins M, Plotniece M, Pajuste K, Sobolev A, Plotniece A. Synthesis and Characterization of Novel Amphiphilic N-Benzyl 1,4-Dihydropyridine Derivatives-Evaluation of Lipid Monolayer and Self-Assembling Properties. MATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 16:4206. [PMID: 37374390 DOI: 10.3390/ma16124206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Liposomes and other nanoparticles have been widely studied as innovative nanomaterials because of their unique properties. Pyridinium salts, on the basis of 1,4-dihydropyridine (1,4-DHP) core, have gained significant attention due to their self-assembling properties and DNA delivery activity. This study aimed to synthesize and characterize original N-benzyl substituted 1,4-dihydropyridines and evaluate the influence on structure modifications on compound physicochemical and self-assembling properties. Studies of monolayers composed of 1,4-DHP amphiphiles revealed that the mean molecular areas values were dependent on the compound structure. Therefore, the introduction of N-benzyl substituent to the 1,4-DHP ring enlarged the mean molecular area by almost half. All nanoparticle samples obtained by ethanol injection method possessed positive surface charge and average diameter of 395-2570 nm. The structure of the cationic head-group affects the size of the formed nanoparticles. The diameter of lipoplexes formed by 1,4-DHP amphiphiles and mRNA at nitrogen/phosphate (N/P) charge ratios of 1, 2, and 5 were in the range of 139-2959 nm and were related to the structure of compound and N/P charge ratio. The preliminary results indicated that more prospective combination are the lipoplexes formed by pyridinium moieties containing N-unsubstituted 1,4-DHP amphiphile 1 and pyridinium or substituted pyridinium moieties containing N-benzyl 1,4-DHP amphiphiles 5a-c at N/P charge ratio of 5, which would be good candidates for potential application in gene therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Krapivina
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Riga Stradiņš University, Konsula 21, LV-1007 Riga, Latvia
| | - Davis Lacis
- Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, Aizkraukles 21, LV-1006 Riga, Latvia
- Faculty of Materials Science and Applied Chemistry, Riga Technical University, P. Valdena 3/7, LV-1048 Riga, Latvia
| | - Martins Rucins
- Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, Aizkraukles 21, LV-1006 Riga, Latvia
| | - Mara Plotniece
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Riga Stradiņš University, Konsula 21, LV-1007 Riga, Latvia
- Faculty of Materials Science and Applied Chemistry, Riga Technical University, P. Valdena 3/7, LV-1048 Riga, Latvia
| | - Karlis Pajuste
- Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, Aizkraukles 21, LV-1006 Riga, Latvia
| | - Arkadij Sobolev
- Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, Aizkraukles 21, LV-1006 Riga, Latvia
| | - Aiva Plotniece
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Riga Stradiņš University, Konsula 21, LV-1007 Riga, Latvia
- Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, Aizkraukles 21, LV-1006 Riga, Latvia
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8
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Jakubek ZJ, Chen S, Zaifman J, Tam YYC, Zou S. Lipid Nanoparticle and Liposome Reference Materials: Assessment of Size Homogeneity and Long-Term -70 °C and 4 °C Storage Stability. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2023; 39:2509-2519. [PMID: 36748988 PMCID: PMC9948293 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c02657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
With recent advances and anticipated proliferation of lipid nanoparticle (LNP)-delivered vaccines and therapeutics, there is a need for the availability of internationally recognized reference materials of LNP systems. Accordingly, we developed six LNP and liposome (anionic, neutral, and cationic each) candidate reference material formulations and thoroughly characterized by dynamic light scattering their particle hydrodynamic size (Z-avr) and polydispersity. We also evaluated the particle size homogeneity and long-term -70 °C and 4 °C storage stability using multiple large sets of randomly selected vials for each formulation. The formulations stored at -70 °C remained stable and homogeneous for a minimum of 9 months. The Z-avr relative combined uncertainty and the long-term variability were both <1.3% for liposome formulations and anionic LNPs, (3.9% and 1.7%) for neutral LNPs, and (6.7% and 4.4%) for cationic LNPs. An inadvertent few-hour-long storage temperature increase to -35 °C due to a freezer malfunction resulted in a small change of the size and size distribution of anionic liposomes and LNPs but, unexpectedly, a larger size increase of the neutral and cationic liposomes (≤5%) and LNPs (≤25%). The mean Z-avr values of the LNPs stored at 4 °C appeared to slowly increase with t1/3, where t is the storage time, and the Z-avr between-vial heterogeneity and mean polydispersity index values appeared to decrease; no change was observed for liposomes. The size and size distribution evolution of LNPs stored at 4 °C was attributed to an incomplete equilibration of the formulations following the addition of sucrose prior to the initial freezing. Such a process of size increase and size distribution narrowing has not been previously discussed nor observed in the context of LNPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zygmunt J. Jakubek
- Metrology
Research Center, National Research Council
Canada, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0R6, Canada
| | - Sam Chen
- Integrated
Nanotherapeutics Inc., 205-4475 Wayburne Drive, Burnaby, British Columbia V5G 4X4, Canada
| | - Josh Zaifman
- Integrated
Nanotherapeutics Inc., 205-4475 Wayburne Drive, Burnaby, British Columbia V5G 4X4, Canada
| | - Yuen Yi C. Tam
- Integrated
Nanotherapeutics Inc., 205-4475 Wayburne Drive, Burnaby, British Columbia V5G 4X4, Canada
| | - Shan Zou
- Metrology
Research Center, National Research Council
Canada, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0R6, Canada
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9
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Austin LA, Smith JS, Nahas DD, Danzinger A, Secore S, O'Donnell G, Radcliffe S, Hu S, Perley J, Bett AJ, Gindy ME. Split-Dose Administration Enhances Immune Responses Elicited by a mRNA/Lipid Nanoparticle Vaccine Expressing Respiratory Syncytial Virus F Protein. Mol Pharm 2023; 20:279-289. [PMID: 36251490 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.2c00635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
mRNA vaccines have recently received significant attention due to their role in combating the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. As a platform, mRNA vaccines have been shown to elicit strong humoral and cellular immune responses with acceptable safety profiles for prophylactic use. Despite their potential, industrial challenges have limited realization of the vaccine platform on a global scale. Critical among these challenges are supply chain considerations, including mRNA production, cost of goods, and vaccine frozen-chain distribution. Here, we assess the delivery of lipid nanoparticle-encapsulated mRNA (mRNA/LNP) vaccines using a split-dose immunization regimen as an approach to develop mRNA dose-sparing vaccine regimens with potential to mitigate mRNA supply chain challenges. Our data demonstrate that immunization by a mRNA/LNP vaccine encoding respiratory syncytial virus pre-F (RSV pre-F) over a 9 day period elicits comparable or superior magnitude of antibodies when compared to traditional bolus immunization of the vaccine. The split-dose immunization regimens evaluated in our studies were designed to mimic reported drug or antigen release profiles from microneedle patches, highlighting the potential benefit of pairing mRNA vaccines with patch-based delivery technologies to enable sustained release and solid-state stabilization. Overall, our findings provide a proof of concept to support further investigations into the development of sustained delivery approaches for mRNA/LNP vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren A Austin
- Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey 07033-1310, United States
| | - Jeffrey S Smith
- Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey 07033-1310, United States
| | - Debbie D Nahas
- Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey 07033-1310, United States
| | | | - Susan Secore
- Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey 07033-1310, United States
| | | | - Scott Radcliffe
- Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey 07033-1310, United States
| | - Shuai Hu
- Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey 07033-1310, United States
| | - Jeffrey Perley
- Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey 07033-1310, United States
| | - Andrew J Bett
- Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey 07033-1310, United States
| | - Marian E Gindy
- Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey 07033-1310, United States
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10
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Sun D, Lu ZR. Structure and Function of Cationic and Ionizable Lipids for Nucleic Acid Delivery. Pharm Res 2023; 40:27-46. [PMID: 36600047 PMCID: PMC9812548 DOI: 10.1007/s11095-022-03460-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Hereditary genetic diseases, cancer, and infectious diseases are affecting global health and become major health issues, but the treatment development remains challenging. Gene therapies using DNA plasmid, RNAi, miRNA, mRNA, and gene editing hold great promise. Lipid nanoparticle (LNP) delivery technology has been a revolutionary development, which has been granted for clinical applications, including mRNA vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 infections. Due to the success of LNP systems, understanding the structure, formulation, and function relationship of the lipid components in LNP systems is crucial for design more effective LNP. Here, we highlight the key considerations for developing an LNP system. The evolution of structure and function of lipids as well as their LNP formulation from the early-stage simple formulations to multi-components LNP and multifunctional ionizable lipids have been discussed. The flexibility and platform nature of LNP enable efficient intracellular delivery of a variety of therapeutic nucleic acids and provide many novel treatment options for the diseases that are previously untreatable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Da Sun
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Wickenden 427, Mail Stop 7207, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| | - Zheng-Rong Lu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Wickenden 427, Mail Stop 7207, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA.
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11
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Li Y, Fang H, Zhang T, Wang Y, Qi T, Li B, Jiao H. Lipid-mRNA nanoparticles landscape for cancer therapy. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:1053197. [PMID: 36394007 PMCID: PMC9659646 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.1053197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 09/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Intracellular delivery of message RNA (mRNA) technique has ushered in a hopeful era with the successive authorization of two mRNA vaccines for the Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic. A wide range of clinical studies are proceeding and will be initiated in the foreseeable future to treat and prevent cancers. However, efficient and non-toxic delivery of therapeutic mRNAs maintains the key limited step for their widespread applications in human beings. mRNA delivery systems are in urgent demand to resolve this difficulty. Recently lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) vehicles have prospered as powerful mRNA delivery tools, enabling their potential applications in malignant tumors via cancer immunotherapy and CRISPR/Cas9-based gene editing technique. This review discusses formulation components of mRNA-LNPs, summarizes the latest findings of mRNA cancer therapy, highlights challenges, and offers directions for more effective nanotherapeutics for cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yin Li
- College of Animal Science, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Hengtong Fang
- College of Animal Science, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Tao Zhang
- College of Animal Science, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Yu Wang
- College of Animal Science, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Tingting Qi
- College of Animal Science, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Bai Li
- Department of Colorectal and Anal Surgery, General Surgery Center, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Huping Jiao
- College of Animal Science, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
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12
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Liu T, Tian Y, Zheng A, Cui C. Design Strategies for and Stability of mRNA-Lipid Nanoparticle COVID-19 Vaccines. Polymers (Basel) 2022; 14:4195. [PMID: 36236141 PMCID: PMC9572882 DOI: 10.3390/polym14194195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2022] [Revised: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines have shown great preventive potential in response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The lipid nanoparticle (LNP), as a non-viral vector with good safety and potency factors, is applied to mRNA delivery in the clinic. Among the recently FDA-approved SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines, lipid-based nanoparticles have been shown to be well-suited to antigen presentation and enhanced immune stimulation to elicit potent humoral and cellular immune responses. However, a design strategy for optimal mRNA-LNP vaccines has not been fully elaborated. In this review, we comprehensively and systematically discuss the research strategies for mRNA-LNP vaccines against COVID-19, including antigen and lipid carrier selection, vaccine preparation, quality control, and stability. Meanwhile, we also discuss the potential development directions for mRNA-LNP vaccines in the future. We also conduct an in-depth review of those technologies and scientific insights in regard to the mRNA-LNP field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Liu
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Yang Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Aiping Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Toxicology and Medical Countermeasures, Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Chunying Cui
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
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13
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Sakurai Y, Abe N, Yoshikawa K, Oyama R, Ogasawara S, Murata T, Nakai Y, Tange K, Tanaka H, Akita H. Targeted delivery of lipid nanoparticle to lymphatic endothelial cells via anti-podoplanin antibody. J Control Release 2022; 349:379-387. [PMID: 35787913 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2022.06.052] [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: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) that form lymphatic vessels play a pivotal role in immune regulation. It was recently reported that LECs suppress the antigen-dependent anti-tumor immunity in cancer tissues. Thus, regulating the function of LECs is a promising strategy for cancer therapy. The objective of this study was to develop a method for the selective delivery of small interfering RNA (siRNA) to LECs. For this purpose, the siRNA was formulated into nanoparticles (LNPs) to prevent them from being degraded in body fluids and to facilitate their penetration of the cell membrane. A breakthrough technology for achieving this is ONPATTRO®, a world's first siRNA drug. Since LNPs are taken up by hepatocytes relatively well via low-density lipoprotein receptors, most of the LNP systems that have been developed so far target hepatocytes. In this study, we report on the development of a new method for the rapid and convenient method for modifying LNPs with antibodies using the CLick reaction on the Interface of the nanoParticle (CLIP). The CLIP approach was faster and more versatile than the conventional method using amide coupling. As a demonstration, we report on the LEC-targeted siRNA delivery by using antibody-modified LNPs both in vitro and in vivo. The method used for the modification of LNPs is highly promising and has the potential for expanding the LNP-based delivery of nucleic acids in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Sakurai
- Laboratory of DDS Design and Drug Disposition, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba University, Japan; Laboratory of DDS Design and Drug Disposition, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, Japan.
| | - Nodoka Abe
- Laboratory of DDS Design and Drug Disposition, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba University, Japan
| | - Keito Yoshikawa
- Laboratory of DDS Design and Drug Disposition, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba University, Japan
| | - Ryotaro Oyama
- Laboratory of DDS Design and Drug Disposition, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba University, Japan
| | - Satoshi Ogasawara
- Laboratory of Biostructural Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Chiba University, Japan; Membrane Protein Research and Molecular Chirality Research Centers, Chiba University, Japan
| | - Takeshi Murata
- Laboratory of Biostructural Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Chiba University, Japan; Membrane Protein Research and Molecular Chirality Research Centers, Chiba University, Japan
| | - Yuta Nakai
- DDS Research Laboratory, NOF CORPORATION, 3-3 Chidori-cho, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa 210-0865, Japan
| | - Kota Tange
- DDS Research Laboratory, NOF CORPORATION, 3-3 Chidori-cho, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa 210-0865, Japan
| | - Hiroki Tanaka
- Laboratory of DDS Design and Drug Disposition, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba University, Japan
| | - Hidetaka Akita
- Laboratory of DDS Design and Drug Disposition, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba University, Japan; Laboratory of DDS Design and Drug Disposition, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, Japan.
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14
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DoE-derived continuous and robust process for manufacturing of pharmaceutical-grade wide-range LNPs for RNA-vaccine/drug delivery. Sci Rep 2022; 12:9394. [PMID: 35672337 PMCID: PMC9172984 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-12100-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Lipid nanoparticle (LNP) technology has become extremely demanding for delivering RNA-products and other drugs. However, there is no platform to manufacture pharmaceutical-grade LNPs with desired particle size from a wide range in continuous mode. We have developed a unique platform to obtain any specific size-range of LNPs from 60 to 180 nm satisfying pharmaceutical regulatory requirements for polydispersity index, sterility, dose uniformity and bio-functionality. We applied design of experiment (DoE) methodology and identified the critical process parameters to establish the process for global application. Cross-point validation within the response map of DoE confirmed that the platform is robust to produce specific size (± 10 nm) of LNPs within the design-range. The technology is successfully transformed to production scale and validated. Products from R&D, pilot and production batches for a candidate SARS-CoV-2 mRNA-vaccine generated equivalent biological responses. The data collectively established the robustness and bio-uniformity of doses for global RNA-vaccine/drug formulation.
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15
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Flynn JA, Weber T, Cejas PJ, Cox KS, Touch S, Austin LA, Ou Y, Citron MP, Luo B, Gindy ME, Bahl K, Ciaramella G, Espeseth AS, Zhang L. Characterization of humoral and cell-mediated immunity induced by mRNA vaccines expressing influenza hemagglutinin stem and nucleoprotein in mice and nonhuman primates. Vaccine 2022; 40:4412-4423. [PMID: 35680500 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2022.03.063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/27/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
In response to immune pressure, influenza viruses evolve, producing drifted variants capable of escaping immune recognition. One strategy for inducing a broad-spectrum immune response capable of recognizing multiple antigenically diverse strains is to target conserved proteins or protein domains. To that end, we assessed the efficacy and immunogenicity of mRNA vaccines encoding either the conserved stem domain of a group 1 hemagglutinin (HA), a group 2 nucleoprotein (NP), or a combination of the two antigens in mice, as well as evaluated immunogenicity in naïve and influenza seropositive nonhuman primates (NHPs). HA stem-immunized animals developed a robust anti-stem antibody binding titer, and serum antibodies recognized antigenically distinct group 1 HA proteins. These antibodies showed little to no neutralizing activity in vitro but were active in an assay measuring induction of antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity. HA-directed cell-mediated immunity was weak following HA stem mRNA vaccination; however, robust CD4 and CD8 T cell responses were detected in both mice and NHPs after immunization with mRNA vaccines encoding NP. Both HA stem and NP mRNA vaccines partially protected mice from morbidity following lethal influenza virus challenge, and superior efficacy against two different H1N1 strains was observed when the antigens were combined. In vivo T cell depletion suggested that anti-NP cell-mediated immunity contributed to protection in the mouse model. Taken together, these data show that mRNA vaccines encoding conserved influenza antigens, like HA stem and NP in combination, induce broadly reactive humoral responses as well as cell-mediated immunity in mice and NHPs, providing protection against homologous and heterologous influenza infection in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Yangsi Ou
- Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA
| | | | - Bin Luo
- Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Lan Zhang
- Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA.
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16
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Li H, Monslow MA, Freed DC, Chang D, Li F, Gindy M, Wang D, Vora K, Espeseth AS, Petrovsky N, Fu TM. Novel adjuvants enhance immune responses elicited by a replication-defective human cytomegalovirus vaccine in nonhuman primates. Vaccine 2021; 39:7446-7456. [PMID: 34852943 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2021.10.075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Revised: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Adjuvants have long been explored to enhance vaccine efficacy. Current adjuvants approved for human vaccines are mostly studied for their ability to improve antibody responses. There remains a need for development of novel adjuvants, especially those able to enhance cell-mediated immunity (CMI). In this preclinical study we assessed the effect of two novel adjuvants, a delta inulin microparticle Advax formulated with or without a toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) agonist CpG oligonucleotide, and a Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA proprietary lipid nanoparticle (LNP), on immune responses elicited by V160, an experimental replication-defective human cytomegalovirus vaccine. Adult rhesus macaques were immunized with a low dose of V160 (10 units) either alone or in combination with the adjuvants as compared to those immunized with a high dose of V160 alone (100 units). While neither adjuvant conferred a significant benefit to vaccine-elicited humoral immune responses at the dose tested, both enhanced cellular immune responses to V160, where Advax promoted both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and LNP predominantly impacted the CD4+ T cell response. Transcriptome analyses of peripheral blood samples demonstrated different modes of action for these adjuvants. One day post vaccination, LNP induced upregulation of a large number of genes involved in the innate immune response similar to those triggered by viral infection. In contrast, Advax did not activate any known inflammatory pathways and did not significantly impact gene expression pattern until day 7 post administration, suggesting a unique, non-inflammatory mechanism. These data warrant further exploration of Advax and LNP as adjuvants in clinical trials for vaccines desiring to elicit both humoral and T cell responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hualin Li
- Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA.
| | | | | | - Dan Chang
- Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA
| | | | | | - Dai Wang
- Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA
| | | | | | - Nikolai Petrovsky
- Vaxine Pty Ltd, Flinders University, Bedford Park SA 5042, Australia
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17
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Wang W, Feng S, Ye Z, Gao H, Lin J, Ouyang D. Prediction of lipid nanoparticles for mRNA vaccines by the machine learning algorithm. Acta Pharm Sin B 2021; 12:2950-2962. [PMID: 35755271 PMCID: PMC9214321 DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2021.11.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Revised: 10/03/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Lipid nanoparticle (LNP) is commonly used to deliver mRNA vaccines. Currently, LNP optimization primarily relies on screening ionizable lipids by traditional experiments which consumes intensive cost and time. Current study attempts to apply computational methods to accelerate the LNP development for mRNA vaccines. Firstly, 325 data samples of mRNA vaccine LNP formulations with IgG titer were collected. The machine learning algorithm, lightGBM, was used to build a prediction model with good performance (R2 > 0.87). More importantly, the critical substructures of ionizable lipids in LNPs were identified by the algorithm, which well agreed with published results. The animal experimental results showed that LNP using DLin-MC3-DMA (MC3) as ionizable lipid with an N/P ratio at 6:1 induced higher efficiency in mice than LNP with SM-102, which was consistent with the model prediction. Molecular dynamic modeling further investigated the molecular mechanism of LNPs used in the experiment. The result showed that the lipid molecules aggregated to form LNPs, and mRNA molecules twined around the LNPs. In summary, the machine learning predictive model for LNP-based mRNA vaccines was first developed, validated by experiments, and further integrated with molecular modeling. The prediction model can be used for virtual screening of LNP formulations in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau 999078, China
| | - Shuo Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Zhuyifan Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau 999078, China
| | - Hanlu Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau 999078, China
| | - Jinzhong Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
- Corresponding authors. Tel./fax: +853 88224514 (Defang Ouyang); +86 21 31246764 (Jinzhong Lin).
| | - Defang Ouyang
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau 999078, China
- Corresponding authors. Tel./fax: +853 88224514 (Defang Ouyang); +86 21 31246764 (Jinzhong Lin).
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18
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Enabling online determination of the size-dependent RNA content of lipid nanoparticle-based RNA formulations. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci 2021; 1186:123015. [PMID: 34741934 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2021.123015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Revised: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The potential of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) as nucleic acid delivery vehicles has been demonstrated in recent years, culminating in the emergency use approval of LNP-based mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in late 2020. The determination of RNA content relative to LNP size can be important to the understanding of efficacy and adverse effects. This work presents the first description of a facile and rapid analytical method for online, size-dependent RNA payload distribution measurement using data from multi-angle light scattering, ultraviolet and refractive index detectors following separation of the LNPs by size-exclusion chromatography. The analysis was validated by size-based fractionation of the LNPs with subsequent offline analysis of the fractions. Four LNPs formulated with different PEG-lipids and different lipid compositions were tested. Good agreement was observed between the online and offline size-based RNA distributions among all four LNPs, demonstrating the utility of the online method for LNP-encapsulated RNA in general, and suggesting a means for simplified biophysical quantitation of a dosing-related critical quality attribute.
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19
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Swaminathan G, Citron M, Xiao J, Norton JE, Reens AL, Topçuoğlu BD, Maritz JM, Lee KJ, Freed DC, Weber TM, White CH, Kadam M, Spofford E, Bryant-Hall E, Salituro G, Kommineni S, Liang X, Danilchanka O, Fontenot JA, Woelk CH, Gutierrez DA, Hazuda DJ, Hannigan GD. Vaccine Hyporesponse Induced by Individual Antibiotic Treatment in Mice and Non-Human Primates Is Diminished upon Recovery of the Gut Microbiome. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:vaccines9111340. [PMID: 34835271 PMCID: PMC8619314 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9111340] [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: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Emerging evidence demonstrates a connection between microbiome composition and suboptimal response to vaccines (vaccine hyporesponse). Harnessing the interaction between microbes and the immune system could provide novel therapeutic strategies for improving vaccine response. Currently we do not fully understand the mechanisms and dynamics by which the microbiome influences vaccine response. Using both mouse and non-human primate models, we report that short-term oral treatment with a single antibiotic (vancomycin) results in the disruption of the gut microbiome and this correlates with a decrease in systemic levels of antigen-specific IgG upon subsequent parenteral vaccination. We further show that recovery of microbial diversity before vaccination prevents antibiotic-induced vaccine hyporesponse, and that the antigen specific IgG response correlates with the recovery of microbiome diversity. RNA sequencing analysis of small intestine, spleen, whole blood, and secondary lymphoid organs from antibiotic treated mice revealed a dramatic impact on the immune system, and a muted inflammatory signature is correlated with loss of bacteria from Lachnospiraceae, Ruminococcaceae, and Clostridiaceae. These results suggest that microbially modulated immune pathways may be leveraged to promote vaccine response and will inform future vaccine design and development strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gokul Swaminathan
- Exploratory Science Center, Merck & Co., Inc., Cambridge, MA 02141, USA; (J.E.N.J.); (A.L.R.); (B.D.T.); (J.M.M.); (C.H.W.); (M.K.); (S.K.); (X.L.); (O.D.); (C.H.W.); (D.A.G.); (D.J.H.)
- Correspondence: (G.S.); (G.D.H.)
| | - Michael Citron
- Infectious Diseases and Vaccine Research, MRL, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, PA 19486, USA; (M.C.); (J.X.); (D.C.F.); (T.M.W.)
| | - Jianying Xiao
- Infectious Diseases and Vaccine Research, MRL, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, PA 19486, USA; (M.C.); (J.X.); (D.C.F.); (T.M.W.)
| | - James E. Norton
- Exploratory Science Center, Merck & Co., Inc., Cambridge, MA 02141, USA; (J.E.N.J.); (A.L.R.); (B.D.T.); (J.M.M.); (C.H.W.); (M.K.); (S.K.); (X.L.); (O.D.); (C.H.W.); (D.A.G.); (D.J.H.)
| | - Abigail L. Reens
- Exploratory Science Center, Merck & Co., Inc., Cambridge, MA 02141, USA; (J.E.N.J.); (A.L.R.); (B.D.T.); (J.M.M.); (C.H.W.); (M.K.); (S.K.); (X.L.); (O.D.); (C.H.W.); (D.A.G.); (D.J.H.)
| | - Begüm D. Topçuoğlu
- Exploratory Science Center, Merck & Co., Inc., Cambridge, MA 02141, USA; (J.E.N.J.); (A.L.R.); (B.D.T.); (J.M.M.); (C.H.W.); (M.K.); (S.K.); (X.L.); (O.D.); (C.H.W.); (D.A.G.); (D.J.H.)
| | - Julia M. Maritz
- Exploratory Science Center, Merck & Co., Inc., Cambridge, MA 02141, USA; (J.E.N.J.); (A.L.R.); (B.D.T.); (J.M.M.); (C.H.W.); (M.K.); (S.K.); (X.L.); (O.D.); (C.H.W.); (D.A.G.); (D.J.H.)
| | - Keun-Joong Lee
- Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics & Drug Metabolism, MRL, Merck & Co. Inc., Rahway, NJ 07065, USA; (K.-J.L.); (G.S.)
| | - Daniel C. Freed
- Infectious Diseases and Vaccine Research, MRL, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, PA 19486, USA; (M.C.); (J.X.); (D.C.F.); (T.M.W.)
| | - Teresa M. Weber
- Infectious Diseases and Vaccine Research, MRL, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, PA 19486, USA; (M.C.); (J.X.); (D.C.F.); (T.M.W.)
| | - Cory H. White
- Exploratory Science Center, Merck & Co., Inc., Cambridge, MA 02141, USA; (J.E.N.J.); (A.L.R.); (B.D.T.); (J.M.M.); (C.H.W.); (M.K.); (S.K.); (X.L.); (O.D.); (C.H.W.); (D.A.G.); (D.J.H.)
| | - Mahika Kadam
- Exploratory Science Center, Merck & Co., Inc., Cambridge, MA 02141, USA; (J.E.N.J.); (A.L.R.); (B.D.T.); (J.M.M.); (C.H.W.); (M.K.); (S.K.); (X.L.); (O.D.); (C.H.W.); (D.A.G.); (D.J.H.)
| | - Erin Spofford
- Safety Assessment and Laboratory Animal Research, MRL, Merck & Co. Inc., Boston, MA 02115, USA; (E.S.); (E.B.-H.)
| | - Erin Bryant-Hall
- Safety Assessment and Laboratory Animal Research, MRL, Merck & Co. Inc., Boston, MA 02115, USA; (E.S.); (E.B.-H.)
| | - Gino Salituro
- Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics & Drug Metabolism, MRL, Merck & Co. Inc., Rahway, NJ 07065, USA; (K.-J.L.); (G.S.)
| | - Sushma Kommineni
- Exploratory Science Center, Merck & Co., Inc., Cambridge, MA 02141, USA; (J.E.N.J.); (A.L.R.); (B.D.T.); (J.M.M.); (C.H.W.); (M.K.); (S.K.); (X.L.); (O.D.); (C.H.W.); (D.A.G.); (D.J.H.)
| | - Xue Liang
- Exploratory Science Center, Merck & Co., Inc., Cambridge, MA 02141, USA; (J.E.N.J.); (A.L.R.); (B.D.T.); (J.M.M.); (C.H.W.); (M.K.); (S.K.); (X.L.); (O.D.); (C.H.W.); (D.A.G.); (D.J.H.)
| | - Olga Danilchanka
- Exploratory Science Center, Merck & Co., Inc., Cambridge, MA 02141, USA; (J.E.N.J.); (A.L.R.); (B.D.T.); (J.M.M.); (C.H.W.); (M.K.); (S.K.); (X.L.); (O.D.); (C.H.W.); (D.A.G.); (D.J.H.)
| | - Jane A. Fontenot
- New Iberia Research Center, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, LA 70503, USA;
| | - Christopher H. Woelk
- Exploratory Science Center, Merck & Co., Inc., Cambridge, MA 02141, USA; (J.E.N.J.); (A.L.R.); (B.D.T.); (J.M.M.); (C.H.W.); (M.K.); (S.K.); (X.L.); (O.D.); (C.H.W.); (D.A.G.); (D.J.H.)
| | - Dario A. Gutierrez
- Exploratory Science Center, Merck & Co., Inc., Cambridge, MA 02141, USA; (J.E.N.J.); (A.L.R.); (B.D.T.); (J.M.M.); (C.H.W.); (M.K.); (S.K.); (X.L.); (O.D.); (C.H.W.); (D.A.G.); (D.J.H.)
| | - Daria J. Hazuda
- Exploratory Science Center, Merck & Co., Inc., Cambridge, MA 02141, USA; (J.E.N.J.); (A.L.R.); (B.D.T.); (J.M.M.); (C.H.W.); (M.K.); (S.K.); (X.L.); (O.D.); (C.H.W.); (D.A.G.); (D.J.H.)
- Infectious Diseases and Vaccine Research, MRL, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, PA 19486, USA; (M.C.); (J.X.); (D.C.F.); (T.M.W.)
| | - Geoffrey D. Hannigan
- Exploratory Science Center, Merck & Co., Inc., Cambridge, MA 02141, USA; (J.E.N.J.); (A.L.R.); (B.D.T.); (J.M.M.); (C.H.W.); (M.K.); (S.K.); (X.L.); (O.D.); (C.H.W.); (D.A.G.); (D.J.H.)
- Correspondence: (G.S.); (G.D.H.)
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20
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Abstract
RNA-based therapeutics have shown great promise in treating a broad spectrum of diseases through various mechanisms including knockdown of pathological genes, expression of therapeutic proteins, and programmed gene editing. Due to the inherent instability and negative-charges of RNA molecules, RNA-based therapeutics can make the most use of delivery systems to overcome biological barriers and to release the RNA payload into the cytosol. Among different types of delivery systems, lipid-based RNA delivery systems, particularly lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), have been extensively studied due to their unique properties, such as simple chemical synthesis of lipid components, scalable manufacturing processes of LNPs, and wide packaging capability. LNPs represent the most widely used delivery systems for RNA-based therapeutics, as evidenced by the clinical approvals of three LNP-RNA formulations, patisiran, BNT162b2, and mRNA-1273. This review covers recent advances of lipids, lipid derivatives, and lipid-derived macromolecules used in RNA delivery over the past several decades. We focus mainly on their chemical structures, synthetic routes, characterization, formulation methods, and structure-activity relationships. We also briefly describe the current status of representative preclinical studies and clinical trials and highlight future opportunities and challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuebao Zhang
- Division of Pharmaceutics & Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Changzhen Sun
- Division of Pharmaceutics & Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Chang Wang
- Division of Pharmaceutics & Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Katarina E Jankovic
- Division of Pharmaceutics & Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Yizhou Dong
- Division of Pharmaceutics & Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Center for Clinical and Translational Science, The Comprehensive Cancer Center, Dorothy M. Davis Heart & Lung Research Institute, Department of Radiation Oncology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
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21
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Kawase W, Kurotaki D, Suzuki Y, Ishihara H, Ban T, Sato GR, Ichikawa J, Yanai H, Taniguchi T, Tsukahara K, Tamura T. Irf5 siRNA-loaded biodegradable lipid nanoparticles ameliorate concanavalin A-induced liver injury. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2021; 25:708-715. [PMID: 34589288 PMCID: PMC8463440 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2021.08.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
RNA interference-based gene silencing drugs are attracting attention for treating various diseases. Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are carriers that efficiently deliver small interfering RNA (siRNA) to the cytoplasm of target cells. Recently, we developed potent and well-tolerated biodegradable LNPs with asymmetric ionizable lipids. Here, we evaluated the effect of LNPs on immune cells in mice. After intravenous administration, LNPs were efficiently incorporated into several tissue-resident macrophages, including liver macrophages, through an apolipoprotein E (ApoE)-independent mechanism. Administration of LNP-encapsulated siRNA against Irf5, encoding the transcription factor critical for inflammatory responses, sharply reduced its expression in macrophages in vivo, and persisted for as long as 7 days. The therapeutic potential of Irf5 siRNA-loaded LNPs in inflammatory diseases was tested in a concanavalin A (Con A)-induced hepatitis model, whose pathogenic mechanisms are dependent on cytokine secretion from macrophages. We found that Con A-induced liver injury was significantly attenuated after LNP injection. Serum aspartate transaminase, alanine aminotransferase, and inflammatory cytokine levels were significantly reduced in mice injected with Irf5 siRNA-loaded LNPs compared to those injected with control siRNA-loaded LNPs. Our results suggest that administering biodegradable LNPs to deliver siRNA is a promising strategy for treating inflammatory disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wataru Kawase
- Department of Immunology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan
| | - Daisuke Kurotaki
- Department of Immunology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan.,Laboratory of Chromatin Organization in Immune Cell Development, International Research Center for Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-0811, Japan
| | - Yuta Suzuki
- Tsukuba Research Laboratories, Eisai Co., Ltd, Tsukuba 300-2635, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Ishihara
- Tsukuba Research Laboratories, Eisai Co., Ltd, Tsukuba 300-2635, Japan
| | - Tatsuma Ban
- Department of Immunology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan
| | - Go R Sato
- Department of Immunology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan
| | - Juri Ichikawa
- Department of Immunology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan
| | - Hideyuki Yanai
- Department of Inflammology, Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 153-0041, Japan
| | - Tadatsugu Taniguchi
- Department of Inflammology, Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 153-0041, Japan
| | - Kappei Tsukahara
- Tsukuba Research Laboratories, Eisai Co., Ltd, Tsukuba 300-2635, Japan
| | - Tomohiko Tamura
- Department of Immunology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan.,Advanced Medical Research Center, Yokohama City University, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan
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22
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Shepherd SJ, Warzecha CC, Yadavali S, El-Mayta R, Alameh MG, Wang L, Weissman D, Wilson JM, Issadore D, Mitchell MJ. Scalable mRNA and siRNA Lipid Nanoparticle Production Using a Parallelized Microfluidic Device. NANO LETTERS 2021; 21:5671-5680. [PMID: 34189917 PMCID: PMC10726372 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.1c01353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
A major challenge to advance lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) for RNA therapeutics is the development of formulations that can be produced reliably across the various scales of drug development. Microfluidics can generate LNPs with precisely defined properties, but have been limited by challenges in scaling throughput. To address this challenge, we present a scalable, parallelized microfluidic device (PMD) that incorporates an array of 128 mixing channels that operate simultaneously. The PMD achieves a >100× production rate compared to single microfluidic channels, without sacrificing desirable LNP physical properties and potency typical of microfluidic-generated LNPs. In mice, we show superior delivery of LNPs encapsulating either Factor VII siRNA or luciferase-encoding mRNA generated using a PMD compared to conventional mixing, with a 4-fold increase in hepatic gene silencing and 5-fold increase in luciferase expression, respectively. These results suggest that this PMD can generate scalable and reproducible LNP formulations needed for emerging clinical applications, including RNA therapeutics and vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah J. Shepherd
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Claude C. Warzecha
- Gene Therapy Program, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Sagar Yadavali
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Rakan El-Mayta
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Mohamad-Gabriel Alameh
- Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Lili Wang
- Gene Therapy Program, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Drew Weissman
- Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - James M. Wilson
- Gene Therapy Program, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - David Issadore
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States; Department of Electrical and Systems Engineering and Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Michael J. Mitchell
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States; Abramson Cancer Center, Perelman School of Medicine, Institute for Immunology, Perelman School of Medicine, Cardiovascular Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, and Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
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23
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Pre-Drawn Syringes of Comirnaty for an Efficient COVID-19 Mass Vaccination: Demonstration of Stability. Pharmaceutics 2021; 13:pharmaceutics13071029. [PMID: 34371721 PMCID: PMC8309022 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13071029] [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: 05/25/2021] [Revised: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Moving towards a real mass vaccination in the context of COVID-19, healthcare professionals are required to face some criticisms due to limited data on the stability of a mRNA-based vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine in the US or Comirnaty in EU) as a dose in a 1 mL-syringe. The stability of the lipid nanoparticles and the encapsulated mRNA was evaluated in a “real-life” scenario. Specifically, we investigated the effects of different storing materials (e.g., syringes vs. glass vials), as well as of temperature and mechanical stress on nucleic acid integrity, number, and particle size distribution of lipid nanoparticles. After 5 h in the syringe, lipid nanoparticles maintained the regular round shape, and the hydrodynamic diameter ranged between 80 and 100 nm with a relatively narrow polydispersity (<0.2). Samples were stable independently of syringe materials and storage conditions. Only strong mechanical stress (e.g., shaking) caused massive aggregation of lipid nanoparticles and mRNA degradation. These proof-of-concept experiments support the hypothesis that vaccine doses can be safely prepared in a dedicated area using an aseptic technique and transferred without affecting their stability.
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24
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Yang R, Deng Y, Huang B, Huang L, Lin A, Li Y, Wang W, Liu J, Lu S, Zhan Z, Wang Y, A R, Wang W, Niu P, Zhao L, Li S, Ma X, Zhang L, Zhang Y, Yao W, Liang X, Zhao J, Liu Z, Peng X, Li H, Tan W. A core-shell structured COVID-19 mRNA vaccine with favorable biodistribution pattern and promising immunity. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2021; 6:213. [PMID: 34059617 PMCID: PMC8165147 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-021-00634-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Revised: 04/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Although inoculation of COVID-19 vaccines has rolled out globally, there is still a critical need for safe and effective vaccines to ensure fair and equitable supply for all countries. Here, we report on the development of a highly efficacious mRNA vaccine, SW0123 that is composed of sequence-modified mRNA encoding the full-length SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein packaged in core-shell structured lipopolyplex (LPP) nanoparticles. SW0123 is easy to produce using a large-scale microfluidics-based apparatus. The unique core-shell structured nanoparticle facilitates vaccine uptake and demonstrates a high colloidal stability, and a desirable biodistribution pattern with low liver targeting effect upon intramuscular administration. Extensive evaluations in mice and nonhuman primates revealed strong immunogenicity of SW0123, represented by induction of Th1-polarized T cell responses and high levels of antibodies that were capable of neutralizing not only the wild-type SARS-CoV-2, but also a panel of variants including D614G and N501Y variants. In addition, SW0123 conferred effective protection in both mice and non-human primates upon SARS-CoV-2 challenge. Taken together, SW0123 is a promising vaccine candidate that holds prospects for further evaluation in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ren Yang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Biosafety, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Yao Deng
- NHC Key Laboratory of Biosafety, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Baoying Huang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Biosafety, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Lei Huang
- Stemirna Therapeutics, Shanghai, China
| | - Ang Lin
- Stemirna Therapeutics, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuhua Li
- National Institute for Food and Drug Control, Beijing, China
| | - Wenling Wang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Biosafety, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Jingjing Liu
- National Institute for Food and Drug Control, Beijing, China
| | - Shuaiyao Lu
- National Kunming High-level Primate Research Center, Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Yunnan, China
| | - Zhenzhen Zhan
- Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yufei Wang
- CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, Chinese Academy of Sciences and National Center for Nanoscience and Technology of China, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ruhan A
- NHC Key Laboratory of Biosafety, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Wen Wang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Biosafety, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Peihua Niu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Biosafety, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Li Zhao
- NHC Key Laboratory of Biosafety, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Xingjie Liang
- CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, Chinese Academy of Sciences and National Center for Nanoscience and Technology of China, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jincun Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhongmin Liu
- Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaozhong Peng
- National Kunming High-level Primate Research Center, Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Yunnan, China.
| | | | - Wenjie Tan
- NHC Key Laboratory of Biosafety, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China.
- Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
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25
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Buschmann MD, Carrasco MJ, Alishetty S, Paige M, Alameh MG, Weissman D. Nanomaterial Delivery Systems for mRNA Vaccines. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:65. [PMID: 33478109 PMCID: PMC7836001 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9010065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 258] [Impact Index Per Article: 86.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2020] [Revised: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The recent success of mRNA vaccines in SARS-CoV-2 clinical trials is in part due to the development of lipid nanoparticle delivery systems that not only efficiently express the mRNA-encoded immunogen after intramuscular injection, but also play roles as adjuvants and in vaccine reactogenicity. We present an overview of mRNA delivery systems and then focus on the lipid nanoparticles used in the current SARS-CoV-2 vaccine clinical trials. The review concludes with an analysis of the determinants of the performance of lipid nanoparticles in mRNA vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael D. Buschmann
- Department of Bioengineering, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, MS 1J7, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA; (M.J.C.); (S.A.)
| | - Manuel J. Carrasco
- Department of Bioengineering, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, MS 1J7, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA; (M.J.C.); (S.A.)
| | - Suman Alishetty
- Department of Bioengineering, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, MS 1J7, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA; (M.J.C.); (S.A.)
| | - Mikell Paige
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA;
| | - Mohamad Gabriel Alameh
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 130 Stemmler Hall, 3450 Hamilton Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA;
| | - Drew Weissman
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 410B Hill Pavilion, 380 S. University Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA;
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26
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Espeseth AS, Cejas PJ, Citron MP, Wang D, DiStefano DJ, Callahan C, Donnell GO, Galli JD, Swoyer R, Touch S, Wen Z, Antonello J, Zhang L, Flynn JA, Cox KS, Freed DC, Vora KA, Bahl K, Latham AH, Smith JS, Gindy ME, Ciaramella G, Hazuda D, Shaw CA, Bett AJ. Modified mRNA/lipid nanoparticle-based vaccines expressing respiratory syncytial virus F protein variants are immunogenic and protective in rodent models of RSV infection. NPJ Vaccines 2020; 5:16. [PMID: 32128257 PMCID: PMC7021756 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-020-0163-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2019] [Accepted: 01/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The RSV Fusion (F) protein is a target for neutralizing antibody responses and is a focus for vaccine discovery; however, the process of RSV entry requires F to adopt a metastable prefusion form and transition to a more stable postfusion form, which displays less potent neutralizing epitopes. mRNA vaccines encode antigens that are translated by host cells following vaccination, which may allow conformational transitions similar to those observed during natural infection to occur. Here we evaluate a panel of chemically modified mRNA vaccines expressing different forms of the RSV F protein, including secreted, membrane associated, prefusion-stabilized, and non-stabilized structures, for conformation, immunogenicity, protection, and safety in rodent models. Vaccination with mRNA encoding native RSV F elicited antibody responses to both prefusion- and postfusion-specific epitopes, suggesting that this antigen may adopt both conformations in vivo. Incorporating prefusion stabilizing mutations further shifts the immune response toward prefusion-specific epitopes, but does not impact neutralizing antibody titer. mRNA vaccine candidates expressing either prefusion stabilized or native forms of RSV F protein elicit robust neutralizing antibody responses in both mice and cotton rats, similar to levels observed with a comparable dose of adjuvanted prefusion stabilized RSV F protein. In contrast to the protein subunit vaccine, mRNA-based vaccines elicited robust CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell responses in mice, highlighting a potential advantage of the technology for vaccines requiring a cellular immune response for efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy S. Espeseth
- ID/Vaccines Discovery, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ USA
| | - Pedro J. Cejas
- ID/Vaccines Discovery, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ USA
| | | | - Dai Wang
- ID/Vaccines Discovery, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ USA
| | | | - Cheryl Callahan
- ID/Vaccines Discovery, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ USA
| | | | | | - Ryan Swoyer
- ID/Vaccines Discovery, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ USA
| | - Sinoeun Touch
- ID/Vaccines Discovery, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ USA
| | - Zhiyun Wen
- ID/Vaccines Discovery, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ USA
| | | | - Lan Zhang
- ID/Vaccines Discovery, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ USA
| | | | - Kara S. Cox
- ID/Vaccines Discovery, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ USA
| | - Daniel C. Freed
- ID/Vaccines Discovery, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ USA
| | - Kalpit A. Vora
- ID/Vaccines Discovery, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ USA
| | | | | | | | - Marian E. Gindy
- Pharmaceutical Science, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ USA
| | | | - Daria Hazuda
- ID/Vaccines Discovery, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ USA
| | | | - Andrew J. Bett
- ID/Vaccines Discovery, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ USA
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27
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Loughney JW, Minsker K, Ha S, Rustandi RR. Development of an imaged capillary isoelectric focusing method for characterizing the surface charge of mRNA lipid nanoparticle vaccines. Electrophoresis 2019; 40:2602-2609. [PMID: 31218707 PMCID: PMC6771570 DOI: 10.1002/elps.201900063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2019] [Revised: 06/09/2019] [Accepted: 06/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) have been employed for drug delivery in small molecules, siRNA, mRNA, and pDNA for both therapeutics and vaccines. Characterization of LNPs is challenging because they are heterogeneous mixtures of large complex particles. Many tools for particle size characterization, such as dynamic and static light scattering, have been applied as well as morphology analysis using electron microscopy. CE has been applied for the characterization of many different large particles such as liposomes, polymer, and viruses. However, there have been limited efforts to characterize the surface charge of LNPs and CIEF has not been explored for this type of particle. Typically, LNPs for delivery of oligonucleotides contain at least four different lipids, with at least one being an ionizable cationic lipid. Here, we describe the development of an imaged capillary isoelectric focusing method used to measure the surface charge (i.e., pI) of an LNP-based mRNA vaccine. This method is capable of distinguishing the pI of LNPs manufactured with one or more different ionizable lipids for the purpose of confirming LNP identity in a manufacturing setting. Additionally, the method is quantitative and stability-indicating making it suitable for both process and formulation development.
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Affiliation(s)
- John W. Loughney
- Vaccine Analytical Research & DevelopmentMerck and Co. Inc.West PointPAUSA
| | - Kevin Minsker
- Vaccine Analytical Research & DevelopmentMerck and Co. Inc.West PointPAUSA
| | - Sha Ha
- Vaccine Analytical Research & DevelopmentMerck and Co. Inc.West PointPAUSA
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28
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Antibody responses to crucial functional epitopes as a novel approach to assess immunogenicity of vaccine adjuvants. Vaccine 2019; 37:3770-3778. [PMID: 31153687 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2019.05.068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2019] [Revised: 05/08/2019] [Accepted: 05/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
We are interested in developing a vaccine that prevents genital herpes. Adjuvants have a major impact on vaccine immunogenicity. We compared two adjuvants, an experimental Merck Sharp & Dohme lipid nanoparticle (LNP) adjuvant, LNP-2, with CpG oligonucleotide combined with alum for immunogenicity in mice when administered with herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) glycoproteins C, D and E (gC2, gD2, gE2). The immunogens are intended to produce neutralizing antibodies to gC2 and gD2, antibodies to gD2 and gE2 that block cell-to-cell spread, and antibodies to gE2 and gC2 that block immune evasion from antibody and complement, respectively. Overall, CpG/alum was better at producing serum and vaginal IgG binding antibodies, neutralizing antibodies, antibodies that block virus spread from cell-to-cell, and antibodies that block immune evasion domains on gC2. We used a novel high throughput biosensor assay to further assess differences in immunogenicity by mapping antibody responses to seven crucial epitopes on gD2 involved in virus entry or cell-to-cell spread. We found striking differences between CpG/alum and LNP-2. Mice immunized with gD2 CpG/alum produced higher titers of antibodies than LNP-2 to six of seven crucial epitopes and produced antibodies to more crucial epitopes than LNP-2. Measuring epitope-specific antibodies helped to define mechanisms by which CpG/alum outperformed LNP-2 and is a valuable technique to compare adjuvants.
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29
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Kuboyama T, Yagi K, Naoi T, Era T, Yagi N, Nakasato Y, Yabuuchi H, Takahashi S, Shinohara F, Iwai H, Koubara-Yamada A, Hasegawa K, Miwa A. Simplifying the Chemical Structure of Cationic Lipids for siRNA-Lipid Nanoparticles. ACS Med Chem Lett 2019; 10:749-753. [PMID: 31097994 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.8b00652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2018] [Accepted: 04/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
We report a potent cationic lipid, SST-02 ((3-hydroxylpropyl)dilinoleylamine), which possesses a simple chemical structure and is synthesized just in one step. Cationic lipids are key components of siRNA-lipid nanoparticles (LNP), which may serve as potential therapeutic agents for various diseases. For a decade, chemists have given enhanced potency and new functions to cationic lipids along with structural complexity. In this study, we conducted a medicinal chemistry campaign pursuing chemical simplicity and found that even dilinoleylmethylamine (SST-01) and methylpalmitoleylamine could be used for the in vitro and in vivo siRNA delivery. Further optimization revealed that a hydroxyl group boosted potency, and SST-02 showed an ID50 of 0.02 mg/kg in the factor VII (FVII) model. Rats administered with 3 mg/kg of SST-02 LNP did not show changes in body weight, blood chemistry, or hematological parameters, while the AST level decreased at a dose of 5 mg/kg. The use of SST-02 avoids a lengthy synthetic route and may thus decrease the future cost of nucleic acid therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takeshi Kuboyama
- Research Functions Unit, R&D Division, Kyowa Hakko Kirin, Co., Ltd., 3-6-6, Asahi-machi, Machida-shi, Tokyo 194-8533, Japan
| | - Kaori Yagi
- Research Functions Unit, R&D Division, Kyowa Hakko Kirin, Co., Ltd., 3-6-6, Asahi-machi, Machida-shi, Tokyo 194-8533, Japan
| | - Tomoyuki Naoi
- Research Functions Unit, R&D Division, Kyowa Hakko Kirin, Co., Ltd., 3-6-6, Asahi-machi, Machida-shi, Tokyo 194-8533, Japan
| | - Tomohiro Era
- Research Functions Unit, R&D Division, Kyowa Hakko Kirin, Co., Ltd., 3-6-6, Asahi-machi, Machida-shi, Tokyo 194-8533, Japan
| | - Nobuhiro Yagi
- Research Functions Unit, R&D Division, Kyowa Hakko Kirin, Co., Ltd., 3-6-6, Asahi-machi, Machida-shi, Tokyo 194-8533, Japan
| | - Yoshisuke Nakasato
- Research Functions Unit, R&D Division, Kyowa Hakko Kirin, Co., Ltd., 3-6-6, Asahi-machi, Machida-shi, Tokyo 194-8533, Japan
| | - Hayato Yabuuchi
- Research Functions Unit, R&D Division, Kyowa Hakko Kirin, Co., Ltd., 3-6-6, Asahi-machi, Machida-shi, Tokyo 194-8533, Japan
| | - Saori Takahashi
- Research Functions Unit, R&D Division, Kyowa Hakko Kirin, Co., Ltd., 3-6-6, Asahi-machi, Machida-shi, Tokyo 194-8533, Japan
| | - Fumikazu Shinohara
- Research Functions Unit, R&D Division, Kyowa Hakko Kirin, Co., Ltd., 3-6-6, Asahi-machi, Machida-shi, Tokyo 194-8533, Japan
| | - Hiroto Iwai
- Research Functions Unit, R&D Division, Kyowa Hakko Kirin, Co., Ltd., 3-6-6, Asahi-machi, Machida-shi, Tokyo 194-8533, Japan
| | - Ayumi Koubara-Yamada
- Research Functions Unit, R&D Division, Kyowa Hakko Kirin, Co., Ltd., 3-6-6, Asahi-machi, Machida-shi, Tokyo 194-8533, Japan
| | - Kazumasa Hasegawa
- Research Functions Unit, R&D Division, Kyowa Hakko Kirin, Co., Ltd., 3-6-6, Asahi-machi, Machida-shi, Tokyo 194-8533, Japan
| | - Atsushi Miwa
- Research Functions Unit, R&D Division, Kyowa Hakko Kirin, Co., Ltd., 3-6-6, Asahi-machi, Machida-shi, Tokyo 194-8533, Japan
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30
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Co-Administration of Lipid Nanoparticles and Sub-Unit Vaccine Antigens Is Required for Increase in Antigen-Specific Immune Responses in Mice. Vaccines (Basel) 2016; 4:vaccines4040047. [PMID: 27929422 PMCID: PMC5192367 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines4040047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2016] [Revised: 11/26/2016] [Accepted: 11/30/2016] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
A vast body of evidence suggests that nanoparticles function as potent immune-modulatory agents. We have previously shown that Merck proprietary Lipid NanoParticles (LNPs) markedly boost B-cell and T-cell responses to sub-unit vaccine antigens in mice. To further evaluate the specifics of vaccine delivery and dosing regimens in vivo, we performed immunogenicity studies in BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice using two model antigens, Hepatitis B Surface Antigen (HBsAg) and Ovalbumin (OVA), respectively. To assess the requirement for co-administration of antigen and LNP for the elicitation of immune responses, we evaluated immune responses after administering antigen and LNP to separate limbs, or administering antigen and LNP to the same limb but separated by 24 h. We also evaluated formulations combining antigen, LNP, and aluminum-based adjuvant amorphous aluminum hydroxylphosphate sulfate (MAA) to look for synergistic adjuvant effects. Analyses of antigen-specific B-cell and T-cell responses from immunized mice revealed that the LNPs and antigens must be co-administered—both at the same time and in the same location—in order to boost antigen-specific immune responses. Mixing of antigen with MAA prior to formulation with LNP did not impact the generation of antigen-specific B-cell responses, but drastically reduced the ability of LNPs to boost antigen-specific T-cell responses. Overall, our data demonstrate that the administration of LNPs and vaccine antigen together enables their immune-stimulatory properties.
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31
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Swaminathan G, Thoryk EA, Cox KS, Smith JS, Wolf JJ, Gindy ME, Casimiro DR, Bett AJ. A Tetravalent Sub-unit Dengue Vaccine Formulated with Ionizable Cationic Lipid Nanoparticle induces Significant Immune Responses in Rodents and Non-Human Primates. Sci Rep 2016; 6:34215. [PMID: 27703172 PMCID: PMC5050434 DOI: 10.1038/srep34215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2016] [Accepted: 09/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Dengue virus has emerged as an important arboviral infection worldwide. As a complex pathogen, with four distinct serotypes, the development of a successful Dengue virus vaccine has proven to be challenging. Here, we describe a novel Dengue vaccine candidate that contains truncated, recombinant, Dengue virus envelope protein from all four Dengue virus serotypes (DEN-80E) formulated with ionizable cationic lipid nanoparticles (LNPs). Immunization studies in mice, Guinea pigs, and in Rhesus macaques, revealed that LNPs induced high titers of Dengue virus neutralizing antibodies, with or without co-administration or encapsulation of a Toll-Like Receptor 9 agonist. Importantly, LNPs were also able to boost DEN-80E specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses. Cytokine and chemokine profiling revealed that LNPs induced strong chemokine responses without significant induction of inflammatory cytokines. In addition to being highly efficacious, the vaccine formulation proved to be well-tolerated, demonstrating no elevation in any of the safety parameters evaluated. Notably, reduction in cationic lipid content of the nanoparticle dramatically reduced the LNP's ability to boost DEN-80E specific immune responses, highlighting the crucial role for the charge of the LNP. Overall, our novel studies, across multiple species, reveal a promising tetravalent Dengue virus sub-unit vaccine candidate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gokul Swaminathan
- Infectious Diseases and Vaccines, Merck Research Laboratories, Merck &Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Thoryk
- Infectious Diseases and Vaccines, Merck Research Laboratories, Merck &Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA
| | - Kara S Cox
- Infectious Diseases and Vaccines, Merck Research Laboratories, Merck &Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA
| | - Jeffrey S Smith
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, Merck Research Laboratories, Merck &Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA
| | - Jayanthi J Wolf
- Safety Assessment &Regulatory Affairs, Merck Research Laboratories, Merck &Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA
| | - Marian E Gindy
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, Merck Research Laboratories, Merck &Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA
| | - Danilo R Casimiro
- Infectious Diseases and Vaccines, Merck Research Laboratories, Merck &Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA
| | - Andrew J Bett
- Infectious Diseases and Vaccines, Merck Research Laboratories, Merck &Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA
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Ganesh S, Koser ML, Cyr WA, Chopda GR, Tao J, Shui X, Ying B, Chen D, Pandya P, Chipumuro E, Siddiquee Z, Craig K, Lai C, Dudek H, Monga SP, Wang W, Brown BD, Abrams MT. Direct Pharmacological Inhibition of β-Catenin by RNA Interference in Tumors of Diverse Origin. Mol Cancer Ther 2016; 15:2143-54. [PMID: 27390343 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-16-0309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2016] [Accepted: 06/29/2016] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
The Wnt/β-catenin pathway is among the most frequently altered signaling networks in human cancers. Despite decades of preclinical and clinical research, efficient therapeutic targeting of Wnt/β-catenin has been elusive. RNA interference (RNAi) technology silences genes at the mRNA level and therefore can be applied to previously undruggable targets. Lipid nanoparticles (LNP) represent an elegant solution for the delivery of RNAi-triggering oligonucleotides to disease-relevant tissues, but have been mostly restricted to applications in the liver. In this study, we systematically tuned the composition of a prototype LNP to enable tumor-selective delivery of a Dicer-substrate siRNA (DsiRNA) targeting CTNNB1, the gene encoding β-catenin. This formulation, termed EnCore-R, demonstrated pharmacodynamic activity in subcutaneous human tumor xenografts, orthotopic patient-derived xenograft (PDX) tumors, disseminated hematopoietic tumors, genetically induced primary liver tumors, metastatic colorectal tumors, and murine metastatic melanoma. DsiRNA delivery was homogeneous in tumor sections, selective over normal liver and independent of apolipoprotein-E binding. Significant tumor growth inhibition was achieved in Wnt-dependent colorectal and hepatocellular carcinoma models, but not in Wnt-independent tumors. Finally, no evidence of accelerated blood clearance or sustained liver transaminase elevation was observed after repeated dosing in nonhuman primates. These data support further investigation to gain mechanistic insight, optimize dose regimens, and identify efficacious combinations with standard-of-care therapeutics. Mol Cancer Ther; 15(9); 2143-54. ©2016 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanthi Ganesh
- Dicerna Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts.
| | | | - Wendy A Cyr
- Dicerna Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | | | - Junyan Tao
- University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh
| | - Xue Shui
- Dicerna Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Bo Ying
- Dicerna Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Dongyu Chen
- Dicerna Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Purva Pandya
- Dicerna Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | | | | | - Kevin Craig
- Dicerna Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Chengjung Lai
- Dicerna Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Henryk Dudek
- Dicerna Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | | | - Weimin Wang
- Dicerna Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Bob D Brown
- Dicerna Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Marc T Abrams
- Dicerna Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts
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Yang L, Wenzel T, Williamson RT, Christensen M, Schafer W, Welch CJ. Expedited Selection of NMR Chiral Solvating Agents for Determination of Enantiopurity. ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE 2016; 2:332-340. [PMID: 27280168 PMCID: PMC4882744 DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.6b00062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2016] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
The use of NMR chiral solvating agents (CSAs) for the analysis of enantiopurity has been known for decades, but has been supplanted in recent years by chromatographic enantioseparation technology. While chromatographic methods for the analysis of enantiopurity are now commonplace and easy to implement, there are still individual compounds and entire classes of analytes where enantioseparation can prove extremely difficult, notably, compounds that are chiral by virtue of very subtle differences such as isotopic substitution or small differences in alkyl chain length. NMR analysis using CSAs can often be useful for such problems, but the traditional approach to selection of an appropriate CSA and the development of an NMR-based analysis method often involves a trial-and-error approach that can be relatively slow and tedious. In this study we describe a high-throughput experimentation approach to the selection of NMR CSAs that employs automation-enabled screening of prepared libraries of CSAs in a systematic fashion. This approach affords excellent results for a standard set of enantioenriched compounds, providing a valuable comparative data set for the effectiveness of CSAs for different classes of compounds. In addition, the technique has been successfully applied to challenging pharmaceutical development problems that are not amenable to chromatographic solutions. Overall, this methodology provides a rapid and powerful approach for investigating enantiopurity that compliments and augments conventional chromatographic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Yang
- Department
of Process & Analytical Chemistry, Merck
Research Laboratories, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Thomas Wenzel
- Department
of Chemistry, Bates College, Lewiston, Maine 04240, United States
| | - R. Thomas Williamson
- Department
of Process & Analytical Chemistry, Merck
Research Laboratories, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Melodie Christensen
- Department
of Process & Analytical Chemistry, Merck
Research Laboratories, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Wes Schafer
- Department
of Process & Analytical Chemistry, Merck
Research Laboratories, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Christopher J. Welch
- Department
of Process & Analytical Chemistry, Merck
Research Laboratories, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
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Suzuki Y, Hyodo K, Tanaka Y, Ishihara H. siRNA-lipid nanoparticles with long-term storage stability facilitate potent gene-silencing in vivo. J Control Release 2015; 220:44-50. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2015.10.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2015] [Revised: 09/28/2015] [Accepted: 10/14/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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Swaminathan G, Thoryk EA, Cox KS, Meschino S, Dubey SA, Vora KA, Celano R, Gindy M, Casimiro DR, Bett AJ. A novel lipid nanoparticle adjuvant significantly enhances B cell and T cell responses to sub-unit vaccine antigens. Vaccine 2015; 34:110-9. [PMID: 26555351 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2015.10.132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2015] [Revised: 10/01/2015] [Accepted: 10/30/2015] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Sub-unit vaccines are primarily designed to include antigens required to elicit protective immune responses and to be safer than whole-inactivated or live-attenuated vaccines. But their purity and inability to self-adjuvant often result in weaker immunogenicity. Emerging evidence suggests that bio-engineered nanoparticles can be used as immunomodulatory adjuvants. Therefore, in this study we explored the potential of novel Merck-proprietary lipid nanoparticle (LNP) formulations to enhance immune responses to sub-unit viral antigens. Immunization of BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice revealed that LNPs alone or in combination with a synthetic TLR9 agonist, immune-modulatory oligonucleotides, IMO-2125 (IMO), significantly enhanced immune responses to hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg) and ovalbumin (OVA). LNPs enhanced total B-cell responses to both antigens tested, to levels comparable to known vaccine adjuvants including aluminum based adjuvant, IMO alone and a TLR4 agonist, 3-O-deactytaled monophosphoryl lipid A (MPL). Investigation of the quality of B-cell responses demonstrated that the combination of LNP with IMO agonist elicited a stronger Th1-type response (based on the IgG2a:IgG1 ratio) than levels achieved with IMO alone. Furthermore, the LNP adjuvant significantly enhanced antigen specific cell-mediated immune responses. In ELISPOT assays, depletion of specific subsets of T cells revealed that the LNPs elicited potent antigen-specific CD4(+) and CD8(+)T cell responses. Intracellular FACS analyses revealed that LNP and LNP+IMO formulated antigens led to higher frequency of antigen-specific IFNγ(+)TNFα(+)IL-2(+), multi-functional CD8(+)T cell responses, than unadjuvanted vaccine or vaccine with IMO only. Overall, our results demonstrate that lipid nanoparticles can serve as future sub-unit vaccine adjuvants to boost both B-cell and T-cell responses in vivo, and that addition of IMO can be used to manipulate the quality of immune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gokul Swaminathan
- Infectious Diseases and Vaccine Research, Merck Research Laboratories, Merck & Co. Inc., Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., West Point, PA, United States
| | - Elizabeth A Thoryk
- Infectious Diseases and Vaccine Research, Merck Research Laboratories, Merck & Co. Inc., Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., West Point, PA, United States
| | - Kara S Cox
- Infectious Diseases and Vaccine Research, Merck Research Laboratories, Merck & Co. Inc., Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., West Point, PA, United States
| | - Steven Meschino
- Medical Affairs, Merck Global Human Health, Merck & Co. Inc., Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., North Wales, PA, United States
| | - Sheri A Dubey
- Infectious Diseases and Vaccine Research, Merck Research Laboratories, Merck & Co. Inc., Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., West Point, PA, United States
| | - Kalpit A Vora
- Infectious Diseases and Vaccine Research, Merck Research Laboratories, Merck & Co. Inc., Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., West Point, PA, United States
| | - Robert Celano
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, Merck Research Laboratories, Merck & Co. Inc., Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., West Point, PA, United States
| | - Marian Gindy
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, Merck Research Laboratories, Merck & Co. Inc., Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., West Point, PA, United States
| | - Danilo R Casimiro
- Infectious Diseases and Vaccine Research, Merck Research Laboratories, Merck & Co. Inc., Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., West Point, PA, United States
| | - Andrew J Bett
- Infectious Diseases and Vaccine Research, Merck Research Laboratories, Merck & Co. Inc., Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., West Point, PA, United States.
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Effective Small Interfering RNA Therapy to Treat CLCN7-dependent Autosomal Dominant Osteopetrosis Type 2. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2015; 4:e248. [PMID: 26325626 PMCID: PMC4877447 DOI: 10.1038/mtna.2015.21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2015] [Accepted: 06/15/2015] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
In about 70% of patients affected by autosomal dominant osteopetrosis type 2 (ADO2), osteoclast activity is reduced by heterozygous mutations of the CLCN7 gene, encoding the ClC-7 chloride/hydrogen antiporter. CLCN7(G215R)-, CLCN7(R767W)-, and CLCN7(R286W)-specific siRNAs silenced transfected mutant mRNA/EGFP in HEK293 cells, in RAW264.7 cells and in human osteoclasts, with no change of CLCN7(WT) mRNA and no effect of scrambled siRNA on the mutant transcripts. Osteoclasts from Clcn7(G213R) ADO2 mice showed reduced bone resorption, a condition rescued by Clcn7(G213R)-specific siRNA. Treatment of ADO2 mice with Clcn7(G213R)-specific siRNA induced increase of bone resorption variables and decrease of trabecular bone mass, leading to an overall improvement of the osteopetrotic bone phenotype. Treatment did not induce overt adverse effects and was effective also with siRNAs specific for other mutants. These results demonstrate that a siRNA-based experimental treatment of ADO2 is feasible, and underscore a translational impact for future strategy to cure this therapeutically neglected form of osteopetrosis.
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Proof-of-concept Studies for siRNA-mediated Gene Silencing for Coagulation Factors in Rat and Rabbit. MOLECULAR THERAPY-NUCLEIC ACIDS 2015; 4:e224. [PMID: 25625614 PMCID: PMC4345307 DOI: 10.1038/mtna.2014.75] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2014] [Accepted: 11/26/2014] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The present study aimed at establishing feasibility of delivering short interfering RNA (siRNA) to target the coagulation cascade in rat and rabbit, two commonly used species for studying thrombosis and hemostasis. siRNAs that produced over 90% mRNA knockdown of rat plasma prekallikrein and rabbit Factor X (FX) were identified from in vitro screens. An ionizable amino lipid based lipid nanoparticle (LNP) formulation for siRNA in vivo delivery was characterized as tolerable and exerting no appreciable effect on coagulability at day 7 postdosing in both species. Both prekallikrein siRNA-LNP and FX siRNA-LNP resulted in dose-dependent and selective knockdown of target gene mRNA in the liver with maximum reduction of over 90% on day 7 following a single dose of siRNA-LNP. Knockdown of plasma prekallikrein was associated with modest clot weight reduction in the rat arteriovenous shunt thrombosis model and no increase in the cuticle bleeding time. Knockdown of FX in the rabbit was accompanied with prolongation in ex vivo clotting times. Results fit the expectations with both targets and demonstrate for the first time, the feasibility of targeting coagulation factors in rat, and, more broadly, targeting a gene of interest in rabbit, via systemic delivery of ionizable LNP formulated siRNA.
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