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Zhang S, Liu Y, Xie Y, Ding C, Zuo R, Guo Z, Qi S, Fu T, Chen W. Fe 3O 4@R837 Nanoplatform Enhances Chemical Dynamic Therapy and Immunotherapy: Integrated Transcriptomic Analysis Reveals Key Genes in Breast Cancer Prognosis. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2024; 10:5274-5289. [PMID: 39056174 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.4c00776] [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] [Indexed: 07/28/2024]
Abstract
Breast cancer represents a substantial contributor to mortality rates among women with cancer. Chemical dynamic therapy is a promising anticancer strategy that utilizes the Fenton reaction to transform naturally occurring hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) into hydroxyl radicals (•OH). Additionally, cancer immunotherapy using immune drugs, such as imiquimod (R837), has shown promise in activating T cells to kill tumor cells. In this study, we proposed a Fe3O4@R837 smart nanoplatform that can trigger the Fenton reaction and induce immune responses in breast cancer treatment. Furthermore, we performed transcriptome sequencing on breast cancer samples and used the R package (limma) to analyze differential expression profiles and select differentially expressed genes (DEGs). We obtained clinical information and RNA expression matrix data from The Cancer Genome Atlas database to perform survival analysis and identify prognostic-related genes (PRGs) and molecular subtypes with distinct prognoses. We used the TIMER 2.0 web and other methods to determine the tumor immune microenvironment and immune status of different prognostic subtypes. We identified DPGs by taking the intersection of DEGs and PRGs and performed functional analyses, including gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis, to elucidate potential mechanisms. Subsequently, we constructed a protein-protein interaction network using the STRING database to visualize the interactions between the DPGs. We screened hub genes from the DPGs using the Cytoscape plugin and identified six hub genes: CD3E, GZMK, CD27, SH2D1A, ZAP70, and TIGIT. Our results indicate that these six key genes regulate immune cell recruitment to increase T-cell cytotoxicity and kill tumors. Targeting these key genes can enhance immunotherapy and improve the breast cancer prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shichao Zhang
- Zhongshan Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361000, P. R. China
- The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300211, P. R. China
| | - Yijiang Liu
- First Affiliate Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361000, P. R. China
| | - Yuhan Xie
- The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300211, P. R. China
| | - Chenchun Ding
- Zhongshan Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361000, P. R. China
| | - Renjie Zuo
- Zhongshan Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361000, P. R. China
| | - Zhenzhen Guo
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, P. R. China
| | - Shiyong Qi
- The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300211, P. R. China
| | - Tingting Fu
- School of Basic Medical Science, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750004, P. R. China
| | - Weibin Chen
- Zhongshan Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361000, P. R. China
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2
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Zhang RY, Wen Y, He CB, Zhou SH, Wu YH, Wang EY, Feng RR, Ding D, Du JJ, Gao XF, Guo J. Conjugation of TLR7 and TLR7/8 agonists onto weak protein antigen via versatile oxime ligation for enhanced vaccine efficacy. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 278:134620. [PMID: 39127274 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.134620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2024] [Revised: 08/07/2024] [Accepted: 08/07/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024]
Abstract
Protein-based subunit vaccines are weakly immunogenic, and developing self-adjuvanting vaccines with adjuvant conjugated to antigen is a promising approach for generating optimal immune responses. Here, we report a novel adjuvant-protein conjugate vaccine based on versatile oxime ligation technique. Firstly, the adjuvant properties of a series of TLR7 and TLR7/8 small molecule agonists in self-adjuvanting vaccines were systematically compared by coupling them to proteins in consistent ratio via p-carboxybenzaldehyde (p-CBA) for the first time. All conjugate vaccines induced cytokine secretion in murine and human macrophages in vitro, and promoted specific antibody production in vivo. Notably, a conjugate containing imidazoquinoline TLR7/8 agonist (TLR7/8a1) showed the greatest enhancement in Th1/2 balanced antibody response. To minimize the interference with the protein antigenic integrity, we further developed a systematic glycoconjugation strategy to conjugate this TLR7/8a1 onto the glycan chains of SARS-CoV-2 S1 glycoprotein via oxime ligation, in which S1 containing different numbers of aldehyde groups were obtained by differential periodate oxidation. The resulting TLR7/8a1-S1 conjugate triggered a potent humoral and cellular immunity in vivo. Together these data demonstrate the promise of these TLR7 and TLR7/8 agonists as effective built-in adjuvants, and the versatile oxime ligation strategy might broaden potential applications in designing different conjugate vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ru-Yan Zhang
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensing Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Kidney Disease Pathogenesis and Intervention, College of Medicine, Hubei Polytechnic University, Huangshi 435003, China
| | - Yu Wen
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensing Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Chen-Bin He
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensing Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Shi-Hao Zhou
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensing Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Ye-Hui Wu
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensing Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - En-Yang Wang
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensing Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Ran-Ran Feng
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensing Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Dong Ding
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensing Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Jing-Jing Du
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Kidney Disease Pathogenesis and Intervention, College of Medicine, Hubei Polytechnic University, Huangshi 435003, China
| | - Xiao-Fei Gao
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory for Mass Spectrometry and Instrumentation, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, East China University of Technology, Nanchang 330013, China
| | - Jun Guo
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensing Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China.
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3
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Xu Y, Yang J, Meng X, Meng S, Sun T, Ding N, Zong C. The synthesis and preliminary immunological evaluation of a dual-adjuvant SARS-CoV-2 RBD vaccine: Covalent integration of TLR7/8 and iNKT cell agonists. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 270:132258. [PMID: 38735613 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.132258] [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: 02/29/2024] [Revised: 05/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
Covalently linking an adjuvant to an antigenic protein enhances its immunogenicity by ensuring a synergistic delivery to the immune system, fostering a more robust and targeted immune response. Most adjuvant-protein conjugate vaccines incorporate only one adjuvant due to the difficulties in its synthesis. However, there is a growing interest in developing vaccines with multiple adjuvants designed to elicit a more robust and targeted immune response by engaging different aspects of the immune system for complex diseases where traditional vaccines fall short. Here, we pioneer the synthesis of a dual-adjuvants protein conjugate Vaccine 1 by assembling a toll-like receptor 7/8 (TLR7/8) agonist, an invariant natural killer T cell (iNKT) agonist with a clickable bicyclononyne (BCN). The BCN group can bio-orthogonally react with azide-modified severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 receptor-binding domain (SARS-CoV-2 RBD) trimer antigen to give the three-component Vaccine 1. Notably, with a mere 3 μg antigen, it elicited a balanced subclass of IgG titers and 20-fold more IgG2a than control vaccines, highlighting its potential for enhancing antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity. This strategy provides a practicable way to synthesize covalently linked dual immunostimulants. It expands the fully synthetic self-adjuvant protein vaccine that uses a single adjuvant to include two different types of adjuvants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Xu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Marine Biology and Fisheries, Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | - Jing Yang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Marine Biology and Fisheries, Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | - Xiongyan Meng
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Marine Biology and Fisheries, Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | - Shuai Meng
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Marine Biology and Fisheries, Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | - Tiantian Sun
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Marine Biology and Fisheries, Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China.
| | - Ning Ding
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, 826 Zhangheng Road, Shanghai 201203, China.
| | - Chengli Zong
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Marine Biology and Fisheries, Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China.
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4
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Rahman S, Chiou CC, Ahmad S, Islam ZU, Tanaka T, Alouffi A, Chen CC, Almutairi MM, Ali A. Subtractive Proteomics and Reverse-Vaccinology Approaches for Novel Drug Target Identification and Chimeric Vaccine Development against Bartonella henselae Strain Houston-1. Bioengineering (Basel) 2024; 11:505. [PMID: 38790371 PMCID: PMC11118080 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering11050505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2024] [Revised: 05/03/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Bartonella henselae is a Gram-negative bacterium causing a variety of clinical symptoms, ranging from cat-scratch disease to severe systemic infections, and it is primarily transmitted by infected fleas. Its status as an emerging zoonotic pathogen and its capacity to persist within host erythrocytes and endothelial cells emphasize its clinical significance. Despite progress in understanding its pathogenesis, limited knowledge exists about the virulence factors and regulatory mechanisms specific to the B. henselae strain Houston-1. Exploring these aspects is crucial for targeted therapeutic strategies against this versatile pathogen. Using reverse-vaccinology-based subtractive proteomics, this research aimed to identify the most antigenic proteins for formulating a multi-epitope vaccine against the B. henselae strain Houston-1. One crucial virulent and antigenic protein, the PAS domain-containing sensor histidine kinase protein, was identified. Subsequently, the identification of B-cell and T-cell epitopes for the specified protein was carried out and the evaluated epitopes were checked for their antigenicity, allergenicity, solubility, MHC binding capability, and toxicity. The filtered epitopes were merged using linkers and an adjuvant to create a multi-epitope vaccine construct. The structure was then refined, with 92.3% of amino acids falling within the allowed regions. Docking of the human receptor (TLR4) with the vaccine construct was performed and demonstrated a binding energy of -1047.2 Kcal/mol with more interactions. Molecular dynamic simulations confirmed the stability of this docked complex, emphasizing the conformation and interactions between the molecules. Further experimental validation is necessary to evaluate its effectiveness against B. henselae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sudais Rahman
- Department of Zoology, Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan 23200, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan;
| | - Chien-Chun Chiou
- Department of Dermatology, Ditmanson Medical Foundation Chia-Yi Christian Hospital, Chiayi 600, Taiwan;
| | - Shabir Ahmad
- Institute of Chemistry and Center for Computing in Engineering and Sciences, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas 13084-862, Brazil;
| | - Zia Ul Islam
- Department of Biotechnology, Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan 23200, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Tetsuya Tanaka
- Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima 890-0065, Japan
| | - Abdulaziz Alouffi
- King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Riyadh 12354, Saudi Arabia
| | - Chien-Chin Chen
- Department of Pathology, Ditmanson Medical Foundation Chia-Yi Christian Hospital, Chiayi 600, Taiwan
- Department of Cosmetic Science, Chia Nan University of Pharmacy and Science, Tainan 717, Taiwan
- Ph.D. Program in Translational Medicine, Rong Hsing Research Center for Translational Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioindustry Sciences, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan
| | - Mashal M. Almutairi
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Abid Ali
- Department of Zoology, Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan 23200, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan;
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Wen Y, Zhang RY, Wang J, Zhou SH, Peng XQ, Ding D, Zhang ZM, Wei HW, Guo J. Novel sialoglycan linkage for constructing adjuvant-protein conjugate as potent vaccine for COVID-19. J Control Release 2023; 355:238-247. [PMID: 36716860 PMCID: PMC9907060 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2023.01.062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Self-adjuvanting protein vaccines have been proved to be highly immunogenic with efficient codelivery of adjuvant and antigen. Current protein vaccines with built-in adjuvants are all modified at the peptide backbone of antigen protein, which could not achieve minor epitope interference and adjuvant multivalency at the same time. Herein, we developed a new conjugate strategy to construct effective adjuvant-protein vaccine with adjuvant cluster effect and minimal epitope interference. The toll-like receptor 7 agonist (TLR7a) is covalently conjugated on the terminal sialoglycans of SARS-CoV-2-S1 protein, leading to intracellular release of the small-molecule stimulators with greatly reduced risks of systemic toxicity. The resulting TLR7a-S1 conjugate elicited strong activation of immune cells in vitro, and potent antibody and cellular responses with a significantly enhanced Th1-bias in vivo. TLR7a-S1-induced antibody also effectively cross-neutralized all variants of concern. This sialoglycoconjugation approach to construct protein conjugate vaccines will have more applications to combat SARS-CoV-2 and other diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Wen
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensing Technology and Health, Hubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Pesticide and Green Synthesis, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Ru-Yan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensing Technology and Health, Hubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Pesticide and Green Synthesis, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Jian Wang
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensing Technology and Health, Hubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Pesticide and Green Synthesis, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Shi-Hao Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensing Technology and Health, Hubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Pesticide and Green Synthesis, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Xiao-Qian Peng
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensing Technology and Health, Hubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Pesticide and Green Synthesis, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Dong Ding
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensing Technology and Health, Hubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Pesticide and Green Synthesis, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Zhi-Ming Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensing Technology and Health, Hubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Pesticide and Green Synthesis, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Hua-Wei Wei
- Jiangsu East-Mab Biomedical Technology Co. Ltd, Nantong 226499, China
| | - Jun Guo
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensing Technology and Health, Hubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Pesticide and Green Synthesis, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China.
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6
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Sharfin Rahman M, De Alwis Watuthanthrige N, Chandrarathne BM, Page RC, Konkolewicz D. Polymer modification of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein impacts its ability to bind key receptor. Eur Polym J 2023; 184:111767. [PMID: 36531158 PMCID: PMC9749382 DOI: 10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2022.111767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The global spread of SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2) has caused the loss of many human lives and severe economic losses. SARS-CoV-2 mediates its infection in humans via the spike glycoprotein. The receptor binding domain of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein binds to its cognate receptor, angiotensin converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) to initiate viral entry. In this study, we examine how polymer modification of the spike protein receptor binding domain impacts binding to ACE2. The horseradish peroxidase conjugated receptor binding domain was modified with a range of polymers including hydrophilic N,N-dimethylacrylamide, hydrophobic N-isopropylacrylamide, cationic 3-(N,N-dimethylamino)propylacrylamide, and anionic 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid polymers. The effect of polymer chain length was observed using N,N-dimethylacrylamide polymers with degrees of polymerization of 5, 10 and 25. Polymer conjugation of the receptor binding domain significantly reduced the interaction with ACE2 protein, as determined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Stability analysis showed that these conjugates remained highly stable even after seven days incubation at physiological temperature. Hence, this study provides a detailed view of the effect specific type of modification using a library of polymers with different functionalities in interrupting RBD-ACE2 interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Richard C. Page
- Corresponding authors at: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, 651 East High Street, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA
| | - Dominik Konkolewicz
- Corresponding authors at: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, 651 East High Street, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA
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7
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Somogyi E, Kremlitzka M, Csiszovszki Z, Molnár L, Lőrincz O, Tóth J, de Waal L, Pattijn S, Reineking W, Beineke A, Tőke ER. T cell immunity ameliorates COVID-19 disease severity and provides post-exposure prophylaxis after peptide-vaccination, in Syrian hamsters. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1111629. [PMID: 36761759 PMCID: PMC9902696 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1111629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The emergence of novel SARS-CoV-2 variants that resist neutralizing antibodies drew the attention to cellular immunity and calls for the development of alternative vaccination strategies to combat the pandemic. Here, we have assessed the kinetics of T cell responses and protective efficacy against severe COVID-19 in pre- and post-exposure settings, elicited by PolyPEPI-SCoV-2, a peptide based T cell vaccine. Methods 75 Syrian hamsters were immunized subcutaneously with PolyPEPI-SCoV-2 on D0 and D14. On D42, hamsters were intranasally challenged with 102 TCID50 of the virus. To analyze immunogenicity by IFN-γ ELISPOT and antibody secretion, lymphoid tissues were collected both before (D0, D14, D28, D42) and after challenge (D44, D46, D49). To measure vaccine efficacy, lung tissue, throat swabs and nasal turbinate samples were assessed for viral load and histopathological changes. Further, body weight was monitored on D0, D28, D42 and every day after challenge. Results The vaccine induced robust activation of T cells against all SARS-CoV-2 structural proteins that were rapidly boosted after virus challenge compared to control animals (~4-fold, p<0.05). A single dose of PolyPEPI-SCoV-2 administered one day after challenge also resulted in elevated T cell response (p<0.01). The vaccination did not induce virus-specific antibodies and viral load reduction. Still, peptide vaccination significantly reduced body weight loss (p<0.001), relative lung weight (p<0.05) and lung lesions (p<0.05), in both settings. Conclusion Our study provides first proof of concept data on the contribution of T cell immunity on disease course and provide rationale for the use of T cell-based peptide vaccines against both novel SARS-CoV-2 variants and supports post-exposure prophylaxis as alternative vaccination strategy against COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eszter Somogyi
- Treos Bio Ltd, London, United Kingdom,Treos Bio Zrt, Veszprém, Hungary,PepTC Vaccines Ltd, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mariann Kremlitzka
- Treos Bio Ltd, London, United Kingdom,Treos Bio Zrt, Veszprém, Hungary,PepTC Vaccines Ltd, London, United Kingdom
| | - Zsolt Csiszovszki
- Treos Bio Ltd, London, United Kingdom,Treos Bio Zrt, Veszprém, Hungary,PepTC Vaccines Ltd, London, United Kingdom
| | - Levente Molnár
- Treos Bio Ltd, London, United Kingdom,Treos Bio Zrt, Veszprém, Hungary,PepTC Vaccines Ltd, London, United Kingdom
| | - Orsolya Lőrincz
- Treos Bio Ltd, London, United Kingdom,Treos Bio Zrt, Veszprém, Hungary,PepTC Vaccines Ltd, London, United Kingdom
| | - József Tóth
- Treos Bio Ltd, London, United Kingdom,Treos Bio Zrt, Veszprém, Hungary,PepTC Vaccines Ltd, London, United Kingdom
| | - Leon de Waal
- Viroclinics Biosciences B.V., Viroclinics Xplore, Schaijk, Netherlands
| | - Sofie Pattijn
- ImmunXperts Société Anonyme, Q2 Solutions Company, Gosselies, Belgium
| | - Wencke Reineking
- Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Andreas Beineke
- Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Enikő R. Tőke
- Treos Bio Ltd, London, United Kingdom,Treos Bio Zrt, Veszprém, Hungary,PepTC Vaccines Ltd, London, United Kingdom,*Correspondence: Enikő R. Tőke,
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8
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Radwanska M, de Lemos Esteves F, Linsen L, Coltel N, Cencig S, Widart J, Massart AC, Colson S, Di Paolo A, Percier P, Ait Djebbara S, Guillonneau F, Flamand V, De Pauw E, Frère JM, Carlier Y, Truyens C. Macrophage-infectivity potentiator of Trypanosoma cruzi (TcMIP) is a new pro-type 1 immuno-stimulating protein for neonatal human cells and vaccines in mice. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1138526. [PMID: 37033946 PMCID: PMC10077492 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1138526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
This work identifies the protein "macrophage infectivity potentiator" of Trypanosoma cruzi trypomastigotes, as supporting a new property, namely a pro-type 1 immunostimulatory activity on neonatal cells. In its recombinant form (rTcMIP), this protein triggers the secretion of the chemokines CCL2 and CCL3 by human umbilical cord blood cells from healthy newborns, after 24h in vitro culture. Further stimulation for 72h results in secretion of IFN-γ, provided cultures are supplemented with IL-2 and IL-18. rTcMIP activity is totally abolished by protease treatment and is not associated with its peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase enzymatic activity. The ability of rTcMIP to act as adjuvant was studied in vivo in neonatal mouse immunization models, using acellular diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis-vaccine (DTPa) or ovalbumin, and compared to the classical alum adjuvant. As compared to the latter, rTcMIP increases the IgG antibody response towards several antigens meanwhile skewing antibody production towards the Th-1 dependent IgG2a isotype. The amplitude of the rTcMIP adjuvant effect varied depending on the antigen and the co-presence of alum. rTcMIP did by contrast not increase the IgE response to OVA combined with alum. The discovery of the rTcMIP immunostimulatory effect on neonatal cells opens new possibilities for potential use as pro-type 1 adjuvant for neonatal vaccines. This, in turn, may facilitate the development of more efficient vaccines that can be given at birth, reducing infection associated morbidity and mortality which are the highest in the first weeks after birth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Radwanska
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, and ULB Center for Research in Immunology (UCRI), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | | | - Loes Linsen
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, and ULB Center for Research in Immunology (UCRI), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Nicolas Coltel
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, and ULB Center for Research in Immunology (UCRI), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sabrina Cencig
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, and ULB Center for Research in Immunology (UCRI), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Joelle Widart
- Laboratory of Mass Spectrometry (LSM), Department of Chemistry, Université de Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Anne-Cécile Massart
- Laboratory of Mass Spectrometry (LSM), Department of Chemistry, Université de Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Séverine Colson
- Center for Protein Engineering (CIP), Université de Liège (ULg), Liège, Belgium
| | - Alexandre Di Paolo
- Center for Protein Engineering (CIP), Université de Liège (ULg), Liège, Belgium
| | - Pauline Percier
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, and ULB Center for Research in Immunology (UCRI), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sarra Ait Djebbara
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, and ULB Center for Research in Immunology (UCRI), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - François Guillonneau
- Laboratory of Mass Spectrometry (LSM), Department of Chemistry, Université de Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Véronique Flamand
- Institute for Medical Immunology (IMI), and ULB Center for Research in Immunology (U-CRI), Gosselies, Belgium
| | - Edwin De Pauw
- Laboratory of Mass Spectrometry (LSM), Department of Chemistry, Université de Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Jean-Marie Frère
- Center for Protein Engineering (CIP), Université de Liège (ULg), Liège, Belgium
| | - Yves Carlier
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, and ULB Center for Research in Immunology (UCRI), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Tropical Medicine, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, MA, United States
| | - Carine Truyens
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, and ULB Center for Research in Immunology (UCRI), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
- *Correspondence: Carine Truyens,
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9
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Gong HR, Hu YF, Li X, Yau T, Zhang BZ, Huang JD. Non-Neutralizing Epitopes Shade Neutralizing Epitopes against Omicron in a Multiple Epitope-Based Vaccine. ACS Infect Dis 2022; 8:2586-2593. [PMID: 36357959 PMCID: PMC9662650 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.2c00488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has raised concerns about the risk of re-infection. Non-neutralizing epitopes are one of the major reasons for antibody-dependent enhancement. Past studies on the ancestral severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have revealed an infectivity-enhancing site on the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. However, infection enhancement associated with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain remains elusive. In this study, we examined the antibodies induced by a multiple epitope-based vaccine, which showed infection enhancement for the Omicron strain but not for the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 or Delta strain. By examining the antibodies induced by single epitope-based vaccines, we identified a conserved epitope, IDf (450-469), with neutralizing activity against ancestral SARS-CoV-2, Delta, and Omicron. Although neutralizing epitopes are present in the multiple epitope-based vaccine, other immunodominant non-neutralizing epitopes such as IDg (480-499) can shade their neutralizing activity, leading to infection enhancement of Omicron. Our study provides up-to-date epitope information on SARS-CoV-2 variants to help design better vaccines or antibody-based therapeutics against future variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua-Rui Gong
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of
Medicine, University of Hong Kong, 3/F, Laboratory Block, 21
Sassoon Road, Hong kong999077, China
| | - Ye-fan Hu
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of
Medicine, University of Hong Kong, 3/F, Laboratory Block, 21
Sassoon Road, Hong kong999077, China
- Department of Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine,
University of Hong Kong, 4/F Professional Block, Queen Mary
Hospital, 102 Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong999077, China
| | - Xuechen Li
- Department of Chemistry, University of Hong
Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong999077, China
| | - Thomas Yau
- Department of Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine,
University of Hong Kong, 4/F Professional Block, Queen Mary
Hospital, 102 Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong999077, China
| | - Bao-Zhong Zhang
- Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Key
Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology,
Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences,
Shenzhen518055, China
| | - Jian-Dong Huang
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of
Medicine, University of Hong Kong, 3/F, Laboratory Block, 21
Sassoon Road, Hong kong999077, China
- Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Key
Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology,
Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences,
Shenzhen518055, China
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Shenzhen Key Laboratory
for Cancer Metastasis and Personalized Therapy, The University of Hong
Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen518055, China
- Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA Medicine,
Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou510120,
China
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10
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Fujii SI, Yamasaki S, Iyoda T, Shimizu K. Association of cellular immunity with severity of COVID-19 from the perspective of antigen-specific memory T cell responses and cross-reactivity. Inflamm Regen 2022; 42:50. [PMCID: PMC9706959 DOI: 10.1186/s41232-022-00239-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractCoronaviruses regularly cause outbreaks of zoonotic diseases characterized by severe pneumonia. The new coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has caused the global pandemic disease COVID-19 that began at the end of 2019 and spread rapidly owing to its infectious nature and rapidly progressing pneumonia. Although the infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 is high, indicated by the worldwide spread of the disease in a very short period, many individuals displayed only subclinical infection, and some of them transmitted the disease to individuals who then developed a severe symptomatic infection. Furthermore, there are differences in the severity of infection across countries, which can be attributed to factors such as the emergence of viral mutations in a short period of time as well as to the immune responses to viral factors. Anti-viral immunity generally consists of neutralizing antibodies that block viral infection and cytotoxic CD8+ T cells that eliminate the virus-infected cells. There is compelling evidence for the role of neutralizing antibodies in protective immunity in SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, the role of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells after the viral entry is complex and warrants a comprehensive discussion. Here, we discuss the protection afforded by cellular immunity against initial infection and development of severe disease. The initial failure of cellular immunity to control the infection worsens the clinical outcomes and functional profiles that inflict tissue damage without effectively eliminating viral reservoirs, while robust T cell responses are associated with mild outcomes. We also discuss persistent long-lasting memory T cell-mediated protection after infection or vaccination, which is rather complicated as it may involve SARS-CoV-2-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes or cross-reactivity with previously infected seasonal coronaviruses, which are largely related to HLA genotypes. In addition, cross-reactivity with mutant strains is also discussed. Lastly, we discuss appropriate measures to be taken against the disease for immunocompromised patients. In conclusion, we provide evidence and discuss the causal relationship between natural infection- or vaccine-mediated memory T cell immunity and severity of COVID-19. This review is expected to provide a basis to develop strategies for the next generation of T cell-focused vaccines and aid in ending the current pandemic.
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11
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Chavda VP, Solanki HK, Davidson M, Apostolopoulos V, Bojarska J. Peptide-Drug Conjugates: A New Hope for Cancer Management. Molecules 2022; 27:7232. [PMID: 36364057 PMCID: PMC9658517 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27217232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 08/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer remains the leading cause of death worldwide despite advances in treatment options for patients. As such, safe and effective therapeutics are required. Short peptides provide advantages to be used in cancer management due to their unique properties, amazing versatility, and progress in biotechnology to overcome peptide limitations. Several appealing peptide-based therapeutic strategies have been developed. Here, we provide an overview of peptide conjugates, the better equivalents of antibody-drug conjugates, as the next generation of drugs for required precise targeting, enhanced cellular permeability, improved drug selectivity, and reduced toxicity for the efficient treatment of cancers. We discuss the basic components of drug conjugates and their release action, including the release of cytotoxins from the linker. We also present peptide-drug conjugates under different stages of clinical development as well as regulatory and other challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vivek P. Chavda
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, L M College of Pharmacy, Ahmedabad 380008, Gujarat, India
| | - Hetvi K. Solanki
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, L M College of Pharmacy, Ahmedabad 380008, Gujarat, India
| | - Majid Davidson
- Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University, Melbourne, VIC 3030, Australia
| | - Vasso Apostolopoulos
- Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University, Melbourne, VIC 3030, Australia
- Immunology Program, Australian Institute for Musculoskeletal Science, Melbourne, VIC 3021, Australia
| | - Joanna Bojarska
- Institute of General and Ecological Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Lodz University of Technology, 116 Zeromskiego Street, 90-924 Lodz, Poland
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12
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Apostolopoulos V, Bojarska J, Feehan J, Matsoukas J, Wolf W. Smart therapies against global pandemics: A potential of short peptides. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:914467. [PMID: 36046832 PMCID: PMC9420997 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.914467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Vasso Apostolopoulos
- Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Immunology Program, Australian Institute for Musculoskeletal Science (AIMSS), Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Joanna Bojarska
- Technical University of Lodz, Department of Chemistry, Institute of General and Ecological Chemistry, Lodz, Poland
| | - Jack Feehan
- Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - John Matsoukas
- Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- NewDrug, Patras Science Park, Patras, Greece
| | - Wojciech Wolf
- Technical University of Lodz, Department of Chemistry, Institute of General and Ecological Chemistry, Lodz, Poland
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13
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Jiang C, Li J, Zhang W, Zhuang Z, Liu G, Hong W, Li B, Zhang X, Chao CC. Potential association factors for developing effective peptide-based cancer vaccines. Front Immunol 2022; 13:931612. [PMID: 35967400 PMCID: PMC9364268 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.931612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Peptide-based cancer vaccines have been shown to boost immune systems to kill tumor cells in cancer patients. However, designing an effective T cell epitope peptide-based cancer vaccine still remains a challenge and is a major hurdle for the application of cancer vaccines. In this study, we constructed for the first time a library of peptide-based cancer vaccines and their clinical attributes, named CancerVaccine (https://peptidecancervaccine.weebly.com/). To investigate the association factors that influence the effectiveness of cancer vaccines, these peptide-based cancer vaccines were classified into high (HCR) and low (LCR) clinical responses based on their clinical efficacy. Our study highlights that modified peptides derived from artificially modified proteins are suitable as cancer vaccines, especially for melanoma. It may be possible to advance cancer vaccines by screening for HLA class II affinity peptides may be an effective therapeutic strategy. In addition, the treatment regimen has the potential to influence the clinical response of a cancer vaccine, and Montanide ISA-51 might be an effective adjuvant. Finally, we constructed a high sensitivity and specificity machine learning model to assist in designing peptide-based cancer vaccines capable of providing high clinical responses. Together, our findings illustrate that a high clinical response following peptide-based cancer vaccination is correlated with the right type of peptide, the appropriate adjuvant, and a matched HLA allele, as well as an appropriate treatment regimen. This study would allow for enhanced development of cancer vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chongming Jiang
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston TX, United States
- Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
- Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
- *Correspondence: Chongming Jiang, ; Cheng-Chi Chao,
| | - Jianrong Li
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston TX, United States
- Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
- Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Wei Zhang
- Institute of Super Cell, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | | | - Geng Liu
- Institute of Super Cell, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Wei Hong
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston TX, United States
- Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
- Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Bo Li
- Institute of Super Cell, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xiuqing Zhang
- Institute of Super Cell, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Cheng-Chi Chao
- Department of Pipeline Development, Biomap, Inc, San Francisco, CA, United States
- *Correspondence: Chongming Jiang, ; Cheng-Chi Chao,
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14
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Farooq M, Khan AW, Ahmad B, Kim MS, Choi S. Therapeutic Targeting of Innate Immune Receptors Against SARS-CoV-2 Infection. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:915565. [PMID: 35847031 PMCID: PMC9280161 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.915565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The innate immune system is the first line of host's defense against invading pathogens. Multiple cellular sensors that detect viral components can induce innate antiviral immune responses. As a result, interferons and pro-inflammatory cytokines are produced which help in the elimination of invading viruses. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) belongs to Coronaviridae family, and has a single-stranded, positive-sense RNA genome. It can infect multiple hosts; in humans, it is responsible for the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Successful, timely, and appropriate detection of SARS-CoV-2 can be very important for the early generation of the immune response. Several drugs that target the innate immune receptors as well as other signaling molecules generated during the innate immune response are currently being investigated in clinical trials. In this review, we summarized the current knowledge of the mechanisms underlying host sensing and innate immune responses against SARS-CoV-2 infection, as well as the role of innate immune receptors in terms of their therapeutic potential against SARS-CoV-2. Moreover, we discussed the drugs undergoing clinical trials and the FDA approved drugs against SARS-CoV-2. This review will help in understanding the interactions between SARS-CoV-2 and innate immune receptors and thus will point towards new dimensions for the development of new therapeutics, which can be beneficial in the current pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariya Farooq
- Department of Molecular Science and Technology, Ajou University, Suwon, South Korea
- S&K Therapeutics, Ajou University, Suwon, South Korea
| | - Abdul Waheed Khan
- Department of Molecular Science and Technology, Ajou University, Suwon, South Korea
| | - Bilal Ahmad
- Department of Molecular Science and Technology, Ajou University, Suwon, South Korea
- S&K Therapeutics, Ajou University, Suwon, South Korea
| | - Moon Suk Kim
- Department of Molecular Science and Technology, Ajou University, Suwon, South Korea
| | - Sangdun Choi
- Department of Molecular Science and Technology, Ajou University, Suwon, South Korea
- S&K Therapeutics, Ajou University, Suwon, South Korea
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