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Liu J, Sun J, Ding X, Liu W, Wang Y, Wang Z, Peng H, Zhang Y, Su W, Jiang C. A nucleoside-modified mRNA vaccine forming rabies virus-like particle elicits strong cellular and humoral immune responses against rabies virus infection in mice. Emerg Microbes Infect 2024; 13:2389115. [PMID: 39129566 PMCID: PMC11328811 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2024.2389115] [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] [Revised: 07/31/2024] [Accepted: 08/01/2024] [Indexed: 08/13/2024]
Abstract
Rabies is a lethal zoonotic disease that threatens human health. As the only viral surface protein, the rabies virus (RABV) glycoprotein (G) induces main neutralizing antibody (Nab) responses; however, Nab titre is closely correlated with the conformation of G. Virus-like particles (VLP) formed by the co-expression of RABV G and matrix protein (M) improve retention and antigen presentation, inducing broad, durable immune responses. RABV nucleoprotein (N) can elicit humoral and cellular immune responses. Hence, we developed a series of nucleoside-modified RABV mRNA vaccines encoding wild-type G, soluble trimeric RABV G formed by an artificial trimer motif (tG-MTQ), membrane-anchored prefusion-stabilized G (preG). Furthermore, we also developed RABV VLP mRNA vaccine co-expressing preG and M to generate VLPs, and VLP/N mRNA vaccine co-expressing preG, M, and N. The RABV mRNA vaccines induced higher humoral and cellular responses than inactivated rabies vaccine, and completely protected mice against intracerebral challenge. Additionally, the IgG and Nab titres in RABV preG, VLP and VLP/N mRNA groups were significantly higher than those in G and tG-MTQ groups. A single administration of VLP or VLP/N mRNA vaccines elicited protective Nab responses, the Nab titres were significantly higher than that in inactivated rabies vaccine group at day 7. Moreover, RABV VLP and VLP/N mRNA vaccines showed superior capacities to elicit potent germinal centre, long-lived plasma cell and memory B cell responses, which linked to high titre and durable Nab responses. In summary, our data demonstrated that RABV VLP and VLP/N mRNA vaccines could be promising candidates against rabies.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Rabies Vaccines/immunology
- Rabies Vaccines/administration & dosage
- Rabies Vaccines/genetics
- Rabies/prevention & control
- Rabies/immunology
- Rabies virus/immunology
- Rabies virus/genetics
- Mice
- Immunity, Humoral
- Antibodies, Viral/blood
- Antibodies, Viral/immunology
- Antibodies, Neutralizing/immunology
- Antibodies, Neutralizing/blood
- Immunity, Cellular
- Vaccines, Virus-Like Particle/immunology
- Vaccines, Virus-Like Particle/administration & dosage
- Vaccines, Virus-Like Particle/genetics
- Female
- mRNA Vaccines/immunology
- Mice, Inbred BALB C
- Nucleosides/immunology
- Glycoproteins/immunology
- Glycoproteins/genetics
- Humans
- Vaccines, Synthetic/immunology
- Vaccines, Synthetic/administration & dosage
- Vaccines, Synthetic/genetics
- Viral Matrix Proteins/immunology
- Viral Matrix Proteins/genetics
- Antigens, Viral/immunology
- Antigens, Viral/genetics
- Viral Envelope Proteins/immunology
- Viral Envelope Proteins/genetics
- RNA, Messenger/genetics
- RNA, Messenger/immunology
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Liu
- National Engineering Laboratory for AIDS Vaccine, School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, People's Republic of China
| | - Jie Sun
- National Engineering Laboratory for AIDS Vaccine, School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, People's Republic of China
| | - Xue Ding
- National Engineering Laboratory for AIDS Vaccine, School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenhao Liu
- National Engineering Laboratory for AIDS Vaccine, School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, People's Republic of China
| | - Yipeng Wang
- National Engineering Laboratory for AIDS Vaccine, School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, People's Republic of China
| | - Zihan Wang
- National Engineering Laboratory for AIDS Vaccine, School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, People's Republic of China
| | - Hanyu Peng
- National Engineering Laboratory for AIDS Vaccine, School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, People's Republic of China
| | - Yong Zhang
- National Engineering Laboratory for AIDS Vaccine, School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory for Molecular Enzymology and Engineering of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, People's Republic of China
| | - Weiheng Su
- National Engineering Laboratory for AIDS Vaccine, School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory for Molecular Enzymology and Engineering of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, People's Republic of China
| | - Chunlai Jiang
- National Engineering Laboratory for AIDS Vaccine, School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory for Molecular Enzymology and Engineering of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, People's Republic of China
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2
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Sun D, Wang R, Du Q, Chen H, Shi Z, Zhang Y, Zhang N, Wang X, Zhou H. Integrating genetic and proteomic data to elucidate the association between immune system and blood-brain barrier dysfunction with multiple sclerosis risk and severity. J Affect Disord 2024; 362:652-660. [PMID: 39029667 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.07.135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2024] [Revised: 07/09/2024] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/21/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immune system dysfunction and blood-brain barrier (BBB) impairment are implicated in multiple sclerosis (MS) risk and severity. However, the causal relationships and potential therapeutic targets remain unclear. METHODS Leveraging the MRC IEU OpenGWAS data infrastructure, we extracted 1254 peripheral immune systems and 792 BBB biomarkers as genetic instruments for exposure. MS risk data from the International Multiple Sclerosis Genetics Consortium (IMSGC) (47,429 MS cases, 68,374 controls) served as one outcome, replicated in FinnGen (1048 cases, 217,141 controls) and the UK Biobank (1679 cases, 461,254 controls). Genetic associations with MS severity derived from IMSGC and MultipleMS Consortium GWAS data (12,584 cases). Two-sample, bidirectional, and protein drug-target MR analyses were conducted, along with interaction analysis of identified proteins and druggability assessment. RESULTS Causal relationships between 45 immunological markers, 15 BBB markers, and MS risk were strongly supported. In peripheral immunity, the causal associations with MS are predominantly concentrated in CD4+ T cells and CD8+ T cells. Notably, anti-Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen (EBNA) IgG levels exhibited the most significant causal effect on MS risk (OR = 225.62, P = 5.63E-208), replicated in the MS severity (OR = 1.11, P = 0.04). Weak causal evidence was found between 62 immunological markers, 35 BBB markers, and MS severity. Reverse MR analysis suggested potential causal effects of MS risk on 8 markers. Drug-targeted MR analysis indicated potential therapeutic benefits in reducing MS risk for CD40 (OR = 0.71, P = 7.24E-13, PPH4 = 97.6 %), AHSG (OR = 0.88, P = 2.91E-05, PPH4 = 94.4 %), and FCRL3 (Sun BB et al.: OR = 0.83, P = 8.93E-09, PPH4 = 94.2 %, Suhre K et al.: OR = 0.88, P = 5.20E-08, PPH4 = 99.2 %). CONCLUSIONS This study provides evidence supporting the causal effects of immune system and BBB dysfunction on MS risk and severity. It emphasizes the significant role of anti-EBNA IgG levels, CD4+ T cells, and CD8+ T cells in MS, and delineates the potential therapeutic benefits of targeting three proteins associated with MS risk: CD40, AHSG, and FCRL3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongren Sun
- Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Guo Xuexiang No. 37, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Rui Wang
- Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Guo Xuexiang No. 37, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Qin Du
- Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Guo Xuexiang No. 37, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Hongxi Chen
- Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Guo Xuexiang No. 37, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Ziyan Shi
- Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Guo Xuexiang No. 37, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Yangyang Zhang
- Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Guo Xuexiang No. 37, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Nana Zhang
- Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Guo Xuexiang No. 37, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Xiaofei Wang
- Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Guo Xuexiang No. 37, Chengdu 610041, China.
| | - Hongyu Zhou
- Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Guo Xuexiang No. 37, Chengdu 610041, China.
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3
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Liu C, Li S, Qiao M, Zeng C, Liu X, Tang Y. GB and gH/gL fusion machinery: a promising target for vaccines to prevent Epstein-Barr virus infection. Arch Virol 2024; 169:167. [PMID: 39020055 DOI: 10.1007/s00705-024-06095-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 07/19/2024]
Abstract
Epstein‒Barr virus (EBV) is a double-stranded DNA virus belonging to the family Orthoherpesviridae that is associated with the development of various tumors, such as lymphoma, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and gastric cancer. There are no uniformly effective treatments for human EBV infection, and vaccines and immunotherapies are currently the main research directions. The glycoproteins gB and gH/gL are surface glycoproteins that are common to all herpesviruses, with subtle differences in structure and function between different viruses. The core membrane fusion machinery constituted by EBV gB and gH/gL is an important target of neutralizing antibodies in epithelial EBV infection due to its essential role in the fusion of viral and target cell membranes. In this article, we review the main modes of EBV infection, the structure and function of the core fusion machinery gB and gH/gL, and the development of neutralizing antibodies and prophylactic vaccines based on this target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changqing Liu
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Cellular and Molecular Pathology in Hunan Province, Cancer Research Institute of Hengyang Medical College, University of South China, 28 Changsheng Road, Hengyang, 421001, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Shan Li
- Department of Pathology, People's Hospital of Shaoyang County, Shaoyang, Hunan Province, China
| | - Muchuan Qiao
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Cellular and Molecular Pathology in Hunan Province, Cancer Research Institute of Hengyang Medical College, University of South China, 28 Changsheng Road, Hengyang, 421001, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Chenlu Zeng
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Cellular and Molecular Pathology in Hunan Province, Cancer Research Institute of Hengyang Medical College, University of South China, 28 Changsheng Road, Hengyang, 421001, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaomin Liu
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Cellular and Molecular Pathology in Hunan Province, Cancer Research Institute of Hengyang Medical College, University of South China, 28 Changsheng Road, Hengyang, 421001, Hunan, People's Republic of China.
| | - Yunlian Tang
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Cellular and Molecular Pathology in Hunan Province, Cancer Research Institute of Hengyang Medical College, University of South China, 28 Changsheng Road, Hengyang, 421001, Hunan, People's Republic of China.
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Cui G, Sun Y, Qu L, Shen C, Sun Y, Meng F, Zheng Y, Zhong Z. Uplifting Antitumor Immunotherapy with Lymph-Node-Targeted and Ratio-Controlled Codelivery of Tumor Cell Lysate and Adjuvant. Adv Healthc Mater 2024; 13:e2303690. [PMID: 38458152 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202303690] [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: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024]
Abstract
Cancer vaccines provide a potential strategy to cure patients. Their clinical utilization and efficacy is, however, limited by incomplete coverage of tumor neoantigens and unspecific and restricted activation of dendritic cells (DCs). Tumor cell lysates (TCLs) containing a broad spectrum of neoantigens, while are considered ideal in formulating personalized vaccines, induce generally poor antigen presentation and transient antitumor immune response. Here, intelligent polymersomal nanovaccines (PNVs) that quantitatively coload, efficiently codeliver, and responsively corelease TCL and CpG adjuvant to lymph node (LN) DCs are developed to boost antigen presentation and to induce specific and robust antitumor immunity. PNVs carrying CpG and ovalbumin (OVA) markedly enhance the maturation, antigen presentation, and downstream T cell activation ability of bone-marrow-derived dendritic cells and induce strong systemic immune response after tail base injection. Remarkably, PNVs carrying CpG and TCL cure 85% of B16-F10 melanoma-bearing mice and generate long-lasting anticancer immune memory at a low dose, protecting all cured mice from tumor rechallenge. These LN-directed PNVs being highly versatile and straightforward opens a new door for personalized cancer vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guanhong Cui
- Biomedical Polymers Laboratory, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, and State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, P. R. China
| | - Yinping Sun
- Biomedical Polymers Laboratory, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, and State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, P. R. China
| | - Liping Qu
- Biomedical Polymers Laboratory, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, and State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, P. R. China
| | - Cui Shen
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, P. R. China
| | - Yu Sun
- Biomedical Polymers Laboratory, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, and State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, P. R. China
| | - Fenghua Meng
- Biomedical Polymers Laboratory, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, and State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, P. R. China
| | - Yiran Zheng
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, P. R. China
| | - Zhiyuan Zhong
- Biomedical Polymers Laboratory, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, and State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, P. R. China
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, P. R. China
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5
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Yeo SP, Kua L, Tan JW, Lim JK, Wong FHS, Santos MD, Poh CM, Goh AXH, Koh XY, Zhou X, Rajarethinam R, Chen Q, Her Z, Horak ID, Low L, Tan KW. B7-H3-Targeting Chimeric Antigen Receptors Epstein-Barr Virus-specific T Cells Provides a Tumor Agnostic Off-The-Shelf Therapy Against B7-H3-positive Solid Tumors. CANCER RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS 2024; 4:1410-1429. [PMID: 38717140 PMCID: PMC11149603 DOI: 10.1158/2767-9764.crc-23-0538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2024] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
Encouraged by the observations of significant B7-H3 protein overexpression in many human solid tumors compared to healthy tissues, we directed our focus towards targeting B7-H3 using chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells. We utilized a nanobody as the B7-H3-targeting domain in our CAR construct to circumvent the stability issues associated with single-chain variable fragment-based domains. In efforts to expand patient access to CAR T-cell therapy, we engineered our nanobody-based CAR into human Epstein-Barr virus-specific T cells (EBVST), offering a readily available off-the-shelf treatment. B7H3.CAR-armored EBVSTs demonstrated potent in vitro and in vivo activities against multiple B7-H3-positive human tumor cell lines and patient-derived xenograft models. Murine T cells expressing a murine equivalent of our B7H3.CAR exhibited no life-threatening toxicities in immunocompetent mice bearing syngeneic tumors. Further in vitro evaluation revealed that while human T, B, and natural killer cells were unaffected by B7H3.CAR EBVSTs, monocytes were targeted because of upregulation of B7-H3. Such targeting of myeloid cells, which are key mediators of cytokine release syndrome (CRS), contributed to a low incidence of CRS in humanized mice after B7H3.CAR EBVST treatment. Notably, we showed that B7H3.CAR EBVSTs can target B7-H3-expressing myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC), thereby mitigating MDSC-driven immune suppression. In summary, our data demonstrate that our nanobody-based B7H3.CAR EBVSTs are effective as an off-the-shelf therapy for B7-H3-positive solid tumors. These cells also offer an avenue to modulate the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, highlighting their promising clinical potential in targeting solid tumors. SIGNIFICANCE Clinical application of EBVSTs armored with B7-H3-targeting CARs offer an attractive solution to translate off-the-shelf CAR T cells as therapy for solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lindsay Kua
- Tessa Therapeutics Ltd, Singapore
- Tikva Allocell Pte Ltd, Singapore
| | - Jin Wei Tan
- Tessa Therapeutics Ltd, Singapore
- Tikva Allocell Pte Ltd, Singapore
| | | | - Fiona HS Wong
- Tessa Therapeutics Ltd, Singapore
- Tikva Allocell Pte Ltd, Singapore
| | | | | | - Angeline XH Goh
- Tessa Therapeutics Ltd, Singapore
- Tikva Allocell Pte Ltd, Singapore
| | | | | | - Ravisankar Rajarethinam
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Republic of Singapore
| | - Qingfeng Chen
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Republic of Singapore
| | - Zhisheng Her
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Republic of Singapore
| | - Ivan D. Horak
- Tessa Therapeutics Ltd, Singapore
- Tikva Allocell Pte Ltd, Singapore
| | - Lionel Low
- Tessa Therapeutics Ltd, Singapore
- Tikva Allocell Pte Ltd, Singapore
| | - Kar Wai Tan
- Tessa Therapeutics Ltd, Singapore
- Tikva Allocell Pte Ltd, Singapore
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Egli L, Kaulfuss M, Mietz J, Picozzi A, Verhoeyen E, Münz C, Chijioke O. CAR T cells outperform CAR NK cells in CAR-mediated effector functions in head-to-head comparison. Exp Hematol Oncol 2024; 13:51. [PMID: 38745250 PMCID: PMC11092129 DOI: 10.1186/s40164-024-00522-6] [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: 10/29/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND CAR NK cells as vehicles for engineered "off-the-shelf" cellular cancer immunotherapy have attracted significant interest. Nonetheless, a comprehensive comparative assessment of the anticancer activity of CAR T cells and CAR NK cells carrying approved benchmark anti-CD19 CAR constructs is missing. Here, we report a direct head-to-head comparison of CD19-directed human T and NK cells. METHODS We generated CAR T and CAR NK cells derived from healthy donor PBMC by retroviral transduction with the same benchmark second-generation anti-CD19 CAR construct, FMC63.28z. We investigated IFN-γ secretion and direct cytotoxicity in vitro against various CD19+ cancer cell lines as well as in autologous versus allogeneic settings. Furthermore, we have assessed anticancer activity of CAR T and CAR NK cells in vivo using a xenograft lymphoma model in an autologous versus allogeneic setting and a leukemia model. RESULTS Our main findings are a drastically reduced capacity for CAR-mediated IFN-γ production and lower CAR-mediated cytotoxicity of CAR NK cells relative to CAR T cells in vitro. Consistent with these in vitro findings, we report superior anticancer activity of autologous CAR T cells compared with allogeneic CAR NK cells in vivo. CONCLUSIONS CAR T cells had significantly higher CAR-mediated effector functions than CAR NK cells in vitro against several cancer cell lines and autologous CAR T cells outperformed allogeneic CAR NK cells both in vitro and in vivo. CAR NK cells will likely benefit from further engineering to enhance anticancer activity to ultimately fulfill the promise of an effective off-the-shelf product.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas Egli
- Cellular Immunotherapy, Institute of Experimental Immunology, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Meike Kaulfuss
- Cellular Immunotherapy, Institute of Experimental Immunology, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Juliane Mietz
- Cellular Immunotherapy, Institute of Experimental Immunology, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Arianna Picozzi
- Cellular Immunotherapy, Institute of Experimental Immunology, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Els Verhoeyen
- International Center for Infectiology, research team Enveloped Viruses, Vectors and Innate Responses, Institut national de la Santé et de la recherche médicale, unité 1111, Unité mixte de recherche 5308, Centre national de la recherche scientifique, École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, University of Lyon, Lyon, France
- Université Côte d'Azur, Institut National de La Santé Et de La Recherche Médicale, Centre Méditerranéen de Médecine Moléculaire, Nice, France
| | - Christian Münz
- Viral Immunobiology, Institute of Experimental Immunology, University of Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Obinna Chijioke
- Cellular Immunotherapy, Institute of Experimental Immunology, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland.
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Pathology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
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Lu Q, Wu H, Meng J, Wang J, Wu J, Liu S, Tong J, Nie J, Huang W. Multi-epitope vaccine design for hepatitis E virus based on protein ORF2 and ORF3. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1372069. [PMID: 38577684 PMCID: PMC10991829 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1372069] [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: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Hepatitis E virus (HEV), with heightened virulence in immunocompromised individuals and pregnant women, is a pervasive threat in developing countries. A globaly available vaccine against HEV is currently lacking. Methods We designed a multi-epitope vaccine based on protein ORF2 and ORF3 of HEV using immunoinformatics. Results The vaccine comprised 23 nontoxic, nonallergenic, soluble peptides. The stability of the docked peptide vaccine-TLR3 complex was validated by molecular dynamic simulations. The induction of effective cellular and humoral immune responses by the multi-peptide vaccine was verified by simulated immunization. Discussion These findings provide a foundation for future HEV vaccine studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiong Lu
- Division of HIV/AIDS and Sex-transmitted Virus Vaccines, Institute for Biological Product Control, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control and WHO Collaborating Center for Standardization and Evaluation of Biologicals, Beijing, China
| | - Hao Wu
- Division of HIV/AIDS and Sex-transmitted Virus Vaccines, Institute for Biological Product Control, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control and WHO Collaborating Center for Standardization and Evaluation of Biologicals, Beijing, China
- Wuhan Institute of Biological Products Co., Ltd., Wuhan, China
| | - Jing Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Common Mechanism Research for Major Diseases, Suzhou Institute of Systems Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | | | - Jiajing Wu
- Research and Development Department, Beijing Yunling Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Beijing, China
| | - Shuo Liu
- Changping Laboratory, Beijing, China
- Graduate School of Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Jincheng Tong
- Division of HIV/AIDS and Sex-transmitted Virus Vaccines, Institute for Biological Product Control, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control and WHO Collaborating Center for Standardization and Evaluation of Biologicals, Beijing, China
| | - Jianhui Nie
- Division of HIV/AIDS and Sex-transmitted Virus Vaccines, Institute for Biological Product Control, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control and WHO Collaborating Center for Standardization and Evaluation of Biologicals, Beijing, China
| | - Weijin Huang
- Division of HIV/AIDS and Sex-transmitted Virus Vaccines, Institute for Biological Product Control, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control and WHO Collaborating Center for Standardization and Evaluation of Biologicals, Beijing, China
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8
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Bednarska K, Chowdhury R, Tobin JWD, Swain F, Keane C, Boyle S, Khanna R, Gandhi MK. Epstein-Barr virus-associated lymphomas decoded. Br J Haematol 2024; 204:415-433. [PMID: 38155519 DOI: 10.1111/bjh.19255] [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: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated lymphomas cover a range of histological B- and T-cell non-Hodgkin and Hodgkin lymphoma subtypes. The role of EBV on B-cell malignant pathogenesis and its impact on the tumour microenvironment are intriguing but incompletely understood. Both the International Consensus Classification (ICC) and 5th Edition of the World Health Organization (WHO-HAEM5) proposals give prominence to the distinct clinical, prognostic, genetic and tumour microenvironmental features of EBV in lymphoproliferative disorders. There have been major advances in our biological understanding, in how to harness features of EBV and its host immune response for targeted therapy, and in using EBV as a method to monitor disease response. In this article, we showcase the latest developments and how they may be integrated to stimulate new and innovative approaches for further lines of investigation and therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karolina Bednarska
- Mater Research Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Rakin Chowdhury
- Frazer Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Department of Haematology, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Joshua W D Tobin
- Mater Research Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Department of Haematology, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Fiona Swain
- Frazer Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Department of Haematology, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Colm Keane
- Frazer Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Department of Haematology, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Stephen Boyle
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Rajiv Khanna
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Maher K Gandhi
- Mater Research Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Department of Haematology, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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9
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Pant S, Wainberg ZA, Weekes CD, Furqan M, Kasi PM, Devoe CE, Leal AD, Chung V, Basturk O, VanWyk H, Tavares AM, Seenappa LM, Perry JR, Kheoh T, McNeil LK, Welkowsky E, DeMuth PC, Haqq CM, O'Reilly EM. Lymph-node-targeted, mKRAS-specific amphiphile vaccine in pancreatic and colorectal cancer: the phase 1 AMPLIFY-201 trial. Nat Med 2024; 30:531-542. [PMID: 38195752 PMCID: PMC10878978 DOI: 10.1038/s41591-023-02760-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
Pancreatic and colorectal cancers are often KRAS mutated and are incurable when tumor DNA or protein persists or recurs after curative intent therapy. Cancer vaccine ELI-002 2P enhances lymph node delivery and immune response using amphiphile (Amph) modification of G12D and G12R mutant KRAS (mKRAS) peptides (Amph-Peptides-2P) together with CpG oligonucleotide adjuvant (Amph-CpG-7909). We treated 25 patients (20 pancreatic and five colorectal) who were positive for minimal residual mKRAS disease (ctDNA and/or serum tumor antigen) after locoregional treatment in a phase 1 study of fixed-dose Amph-Peptides-2P and ascending-dose Amph-CpG-7909; study enrollment is complete with patient follow-up ongoing. Primary endpoints included safety and recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D). The secondary endpoint was tumor biomarker response (longitudinal ctDNA or tumor antigen), with exploratory endpoints including immunogenicity and relapse-free survival (RFS). No dose-limiting toxicities were observed, and the RP2D was 10.0 mg of Amph-CpG-7909. Direct ex vivo mKRAS-specific T cell responses were observed in 21 of 25 patients (84%; 59% both CD4+ and CD8+); tumor biomarker responses were observed in 21 of 25 patients (84%); biomarker clearance was observed in six of 25 patients (24%; three pancreatic and three colorectal); and the median RFS was 16.33 months. Efficacy correlated with T cell responses above or below the median fold increase over baseline (12.75-fold): median tumor biomarker reduction was -76.0% versus -10.2% (P < 0.0014), and the median RFS was not reached versus 4.01 months (hazard ratio = 0.14; P = 0.0167). ELI-002 2P was safe and induced considerable T cell responses in patients with immunotherapy-recalcitrant KRAS-mutated tumors. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04853017 .
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Affiliation(s)
- Shubham Pant
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
| | - Zev A Wainberg
- University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Alexis D Leal
- University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | | | - Olca Basturk
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
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10
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Barry PA, Iyer SS, Gibson L. Re-Evaluating Human Cytomegalovirus Vaccine Design: Prediction of T Cell Epitopes. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:1629. [PMID: 38005961 PMCID: PMC10674879 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11111629] [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: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
HCMV vaccine development has traditionally focused on viral antigens identified as key targets of neutralizing antibody (NAb) and/or T cell responses in healthy adults with chronic HCMV infection, such as glycoprotein B (gB), the glycoprotein H-anchored pentamer complex (PC), and the unique long 83 (UL83)-encoded phosphoprotein 65 (pp65). However, the protracted absence of a licensed HCMV vaccine that reduces the risk of infection in pregnancy regardless of serostatus warrants a systematic reassessment of assumptions informing vaccine design. To illustrate this imperative, we considered the hypothesis that HCMV proteins infrequently detected as targets of T cell responses may contain important vaccine antigens. Using an extant dataset from a T cell profiling study, we tested whether HCMV proteins recognized by only a small minority of participants encompass any T cell epitopes. Our analyses demonstrate a prominent skewing of T cell responses away from most viral proteins-although they contain robust predicted CD8 T cell epitopes-in favor of a more restricted set of proteins. Our findings raise the possibility that HCMV may benefit from evading the T cell recognition of certain key proteins and that, contrary to current vaccine design approaches, including them as vaccine antigens could effectively take advantage of this vulnerability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter A. Barry
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Center for Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA;
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Smita S. Iyer
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA;
| | - Laura Gibson
- Departments of Medicine and of Pediatrics, Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
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