1
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Stocks BB, Thibeault MP, L'Abbé D, Umer M, Liu Y, Stuible M, Durocher Y, Melanson JE. Characterization of biotinylated human ACE2 and SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.4/5 spike protein reference materials. Anal Bioanal Chem 2024:10.1007/s00216-024-05413-7. [PMID: 38942955 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-024-05413-7] [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: 02/29/2024] [Revised: 06/14/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/30/2024]
Abstract
Accurate diagnostic and serology assays are required for the continued management of the COVID-19 pandemic yet spike protein mutations and intellectual property concerns with antigens and antibodies used in various test kits render comparability assessments difficult. As the use of common, well-characterized reagents can help address this lack of standardization, the National Research Council Canada has produced two protein reference materials (RMs) for use in SARS-CoV-2 serology assays: biotinylated human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 RM, ACE2-1, and SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.4/5 spike protein RM, OMIC-1. Reference values were assigned through a combination of amino acid analysis via isotope dilution liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry following acid hydrolysis, and ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectrophotometry at 280 nm. Vial-to-vial homogeneity was established using UV-Vis measurements, and protein oligomeric status, monitored by size exclusion liquid chromatography (LC-SEC), was used to evaluate transportation, storage, and freeze-thaw stabilities. The molar protein concentration in ACE2-1 was 25.3 ± 1.7 µmol L-1 (k = 2, 95% CI) and consisted almost exclusively (98%) of monomeric ACE2, while OMIC-1 contained 5.4 ± 0.5 µmol L-1 (k = 2) spike protein in a mostly (82%) trimeric form. Glycoprotein molar mass determination by LC-SEC with multi-angle light scattering detection facilitated calculation of corresponding mass concentrations. To confirm protein functionality, the binding of OMIC-1 to immobilized ACE2-1 was investigated with surface plasmon resonance and the resulting dissociation constant, KD ~ 4.4 nM, was consistent with literature values.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bradley B Stocks
- Metrology, National Research Council Canada, 1200 Montreal Road, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0R6, Canada.
| | - Marie-Pier Thibeault
- Metrology, National Research Council Canada, 1200 Montreal Road, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0R6, Canada
| | - Denis L'Abbé
- Human Health Therapeutics, National Research Council Canada, 6100 Royalmount Avenue, Montreal, QC, H4P 2R2, Canada
| | - Muhammad Umer
- Metrology, National Research Council Canada, 1200 Montreal Road, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0R6, Canada
| | - Yali Liu
- Human Health Therapeutics, National Research Council Canada, 6100 Royalmount Avenue, Montreal, QC, H4P 2R2, Canada
| | - Matthew Stuible
- Human Health Therapeutics, National Research Council Canada, 6100 Royalmount Avenue, Montreal, QC, H4P 2R2, Canada
| | - Yves Durocher
- Human Health Therapeutics, National Research Council Canada, 6100 Royalmount Avenue, Montreal, QC, H4P 2R2, Canada
| | - Jeremy E Melanson
- Metrology, National Research Council Canada, 1200 Montreal Road, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0R6, Canada
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2
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Agbayani G, Akache B, Renner TM, Tran A, Stuible M, Dudani R, Harrison BA, Duque D, Bavananthasivam J, Deschatelets L, Hemraz UD, Régnier S, Durocher Y, McCluskie MJ. Intranasal administration of unadjuvanted SARS-CoV-2 spike antigen boosts antigen-specific immune responses induced by parenteral protein subunit vaccine prime in mice and hamsters. Eur J Immunol 2024:e2350620. [PMID: 38561974 DOI: 10.1002/eji.202350620] [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: 06/20/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
With the continued transmission of SARS-CoV-2 across widely vaccinated populations, it remains important to develop new vaccines and vaccination strategies capable of providing protective immunity and limiting the spread of disease. Heterologous prime-boost vaccination based on the selection of different vaccine formulations and administration routes for priming and booster doses presents a promising strategy for inducing broader immune responses in key systemic and respiratory mucosal compartments. Intranasal vaccination can induce mucosal immune responses at the site of SARS-CoV-2 infection; however, the lack of clinically approved mucosal adjuvants makes it difficult to induce robust immune responses with protein subunit vaccines. Herein, we evaluated the immunogenicity of heterologous prime-boost regimens in mice and hamsters based on a parenteral vaccination of the antigen in combination with sulfated lactosylarchaeol (SLA) archaeosomes, a liposome adjuvant comprised of a single semisynthetic archaeal lipid, followed by an intranasally administered unadjuvanted SARS-CoV-2 spike antigen. Intranasal administration of unadjuvanted spike to mice and hamsters increased serum spike-specific IgG titers and spike-neutralizing activity compared with nonboosted animals. Spike-specific IgA responses were also detected in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in the lungs of mice that received an intranasal boost. In hamsters, the intranasal boost showed high efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 infection by protecting from body weight loss and reducing viral titers in the lungs and nasal turbinate. Overall, our heterologous intramuscular prime-intranasal boost with SLA-adjuvanted and unadjuvanted spike, respectively, demonstrated the potential of protein subunit formulations to promote antigen-specific systemic and mucosal immune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerard Agbayani
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Bassel Akache
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Tyler M Renner
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Anh Tran
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Matthew Stuible
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Renu Dudani
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Blair A Harrison
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Diana Duque
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jegarubee Bavananthasivam
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lise Deschatelets
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Usha D Hemraz
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Sophie Régnier
- Aquatic and Crop Resource Development Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Yves Durocher
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Michael J McCluskie
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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3
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Coria LM, Rodriguez JM, Demaria A, Bruno LA, Medrano MR, Castro CP, Castro EF, Del Priore SA, Hernando Insua AC, Kaufmann IG, Saposnik LM, Stone WB, Prado L, Notaro US, Amweg AN, Diaz PU, Avaro M, Ortega H, Ceballos A, Krum V, Zurvarra FM, Sidabra JE, Drehe I, Baqué JA, Li Causi M, De Nichilo AV, Payes CJ, Southard T, Vega JC, Auguste AJ, Álvarez DE, Flo JM, Pasquevich KA, Cassataro J. A Gamma-adapted subunit vaccine induces broadly neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 variants and protects mice from infection. Nat Commun 2024; 15:997. [PMID: 38307851 PMCID: PMC10837449 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45180-8] [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: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2024] Open
Abstract
In the context of continuous emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs), one strategy to prevent the severe outcomes of COVID-19 is developing safe and effective broad-spectrum vaccines. Here, we present preclinical studies of a RBD vaccine derived from the Gamma SARS-CoV-2 variant adjuvanted with Alum. The Gamma-adapted RBD vaccine is more immunogenic than the Ancestral RBD vaccine in terms of inducing broader neutralizing antibodies. The Gamma RBD presents more immunogenic B-cell restricted epitopes and induces a higher proportion of specific-B cells and plasmablasts than the Ancestral RBD version. The Gamma-adapted vaccine induces antigen specific T cell immune responses and confers protection against Ancestral and Omicron BA.5 SARS-CoV-2 challenge in mice. Moreover, the Gamma RBD vaccine induces higher and broader neutralizing antibody activity than homologous booster vaccination in mice previously primed with different SARS-CoV-2 vaccine platforms. Our study indicates that the adjuvanted Gamma RBD vaccine is highly immunogenic and a broad-spectrum vaccine candidate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorena M Coria
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de San Martín (UNSAM) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), San Martín (1650), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- Escuela de Bio y Nanotecnologías (EByN), Universidad Nacional de San Martín, San Martín (1650), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Juan Manuel Rodriguez
- Laboratorio Pablo Cassará, Unidad de I+D de Biofármacos, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, C1440FFX, Argentina
- Fundación Pablo Cassará, Unidad de I+D de Biofármacos, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, C1440FFX, Argentina
| | - Agostina Demaria
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de San Martín (UNSAM) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), San Martín (1650), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Escuela de Bio y Nanotecnologías (EByN), Universidad Nacional de San Martín, San Martín (1650), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Laura A Bruno
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de San Martín (UNSAM) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), San Martín (1650), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Escuela de Bio y Nanotecnologías (EByN), Universidad Nacional de San Martín, San Martín (1650), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mayra Rios Medrano
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de San Martín (UNSAM) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), San Martín (1650), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Escuela de Bio y Nanotecnologías (EByN), Universidad Nacional de San Martín, San Martín (1650), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Celeste Pueblas Castro
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de San Martín (UNSAM) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), San Martín (1650), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Escuela de Bio y Nanotecnologías (EByN), Universidad Nacional de San Martín, San Martín (1650), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Eliana F Castro
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de San Martín (UNSAM) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), San Martín (1650), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Escuela de Bio y Nanotecnologías (EByN), Universidad Nacional de San Martín, San Martín (1650), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Sabrina A Del Priore
- Laboratorio Pablo Cassará, Unidad de I+D de Biofármacos, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, C1440FFX, Argentina
| | - Andres C Hernando Insua
- Laboratorio Pablo Cassará, Unidad de I+D de Biofármacos, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, C1440FFX, Argentina
- Fundación Pablo Cassará, Unidad de I+D de Biofármacos, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, C1440FFX, Argentina
| | - Ingrid G Kaufmann
- Laboratorio Pablo Cassará, Unidad de I+D de Biofármacos, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, C1440FFX, Argentina
| | - Lucas M Saposnik
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de San Martín (UNSAM) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), San Martín (1650), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Escuela de Bio y Nanotecnologías (EByN), Universidad Nacional de San Martín, San Martín (1650), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - William B Stone
- Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Fralin Life Science Institute, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Lineia Prado
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de San Martín (UNSAM) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), San Martín (1650), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Escuela de Bio y Nanotecnologías (EByN), Universidad Nacional de San Martín, San Martín (1650), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Ulises S Notaro
- Centro de Medicina Comparada, ICiVet-Litoral, Universidad Nacional del Litoral-CONICET; Esperanza, Santa Fe, 3080, Argentina
| | - Ayelen N Amweg
- Centro de Medicina Comparada, ICiVet-Litoral, Universidad Nacional del Litoral-CONICET; Esperanza, Santa Fe, 3080, Argentina
| | - Pablo U Diaz
- Centro de Medicina Comparada, ICiVet-Litoral, Universidad Nacional del Litoral-CONICET; Esperanza, Santa Fe, 3080, Argentina
| | - Martin Avaro
- Servicio Virosis Respiratorias, Laboratorio de Referencia de Influenza, SARS-CoV-2 y otros Virus Respiratorios, Centro Nacional de Influenza de OPS/OMS, Departamento de Virología, Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas - ANLIS "Dr. Carlos G. Malbrán". Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, C1282AFF, Argentina
| | - Hugo Ortega
- Centro de Medicina Comparada, ICiVet-Litoral, Universidad Nacional del Litoral-CONICET; Esperanza, Santa Fe, 3080, Argentina
| | - Ana Ceballos
- Facultad de Medicina UBA, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y SIDA, INBIRS-CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Valeria Krum
- Laboratorio Pablo Cassará, Unidad de I+D de Biofármacos, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, C1440FFX, Argentina
| | - Francisco M Zurvarra
- Laboratorio Pablo Cassará, Unidad de I+D de Biofármacos, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, C1440FFX, Argentina
- Fundación Pablo Cassará, Unidad de I+D de Biofármacos, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, C1440FFX, Argentina
| | - Johanna E Sidabra
- Laboratorio Pablo Cassará, Unidad de I+D de Biofármacos, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, C1440FFX, Argentina
| | - Ignacio Drehe
- Laboratorio Pablo Cassará, Unidad de I+D de Biofármacos, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, C1440FFX, Argentina
| | - Jonathan A Baqué
- Laboratorio Pablo Cassará, Unidad de I+D de Biofármacos, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, C1440FFX, Argentina
| | - Mariana Li Causi
- Laboratorio Pablo Cassará, Unidad de I+D de Biofármacos, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, C1440FFX, Argentina
| | - Analia V De Nichilo
- Laboratorio Pablo Cassará, Unidad de I+D de Biofármacos, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, C1440FFX, Argentina
- Fundación Pablo Cassará, Unidad de I+D de Biofármacos, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, C1440FFX, Argentina
| | - Cristian J Payes
- Laboratorio Pablo Cassará, Unidad de I+D de Biofármacos, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, C1440FFX, Argentina
| | - Teresa Southard
- Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Fralin Life Science Institute, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Julio C Vega
- Laboratorio Pablo Cassará - I+D+i, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, C1408GBV, Argentina
| | - Albert J Auguste
- Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Fralin Life Science Institute, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
- Center for Emerging, Zoonotic, and Arthropod-borne Pathogens, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Diego E Álvarez
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de San Martín (UNSAM) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), San Martín (1650), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Escuela de Bio y Nanotecnologías (EByN), Universidad Nacional de San Martín, San Martín (1650), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Juan M Flo
- Laboratorio Pablo Cassará, Unidad de I+D de Biofármacos, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, C1440FFX, Argentina
| | - Karina A Pasquevich
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de San Martín (UNSAM) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), San Martín (1650), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Escuela de Bio y Nanotecnologías (EByN), Universidad Nacional de San Martín, San Martín (1650), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Juliana Cassataro
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de San Martín (UNSAM) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), San Martín (1650), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- Escuela de Bio y Nanotecnologías (EByN), Universidad Nacional de San Martín, San Martín (1650), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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4
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Gashti AB, Agbayani G, Hrapovic S, Nassoury N, Coulombe N, Dudani R, Harrison BA, Akache B, Gilbert R, Chahal PS. Production, purification and immunogenicity of Gag virus-like particles carrying SARS-CoV-2 components. Vaccine 2024; 42:40-52. [PMID: 38042697 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2023.11.048] [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: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 10/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/04/2023]
Abstract
The virus-like particle (VLP) platform is a robust inducer of humoral and cellular immune responses; hence, it has been used in vaccine development for several infectious diseases. In the current work, VLPs carrying SARS-CoV-2 Spike (S) protein (Wuhan strain) with an HIV-1 Gag core were produced using suspension HEK 293SF-3F6 cells by transient transfection. The Gag was fused with green fluorescent protein (GFP) for rapid quantification of the VLPs. Five different versions of Gag-Spike VLPs (Gag-S-VLPs) consisting of Gag-S alone or combined with other SARS-CoV-2 components, namely Gag-S-Nucleocapsid (N), Gag-S-Matrix (M), Gag-S-Envelope (E), Gag-S-MEN, along with Gag alone were produced and processed by clarification, nuclease treatment, concentration by tangential flow filtration (TFF) and diafiltration. A pilot mouse study was performed to evaluate the immunogenicity of the Gag-S-VLPs through the measurement of the humoral and/or cellular responses against all the mentioned SARS-CoV-2 components. Antibody response to Spike was observed in all variants. The highest number of Spike-specific IFN-γ + T cells was detected with Gag-S-VLPs. No induction of antigen-specific cellular responses to M, N or E proteins were detected with any of the Gag-S, M, E/or N VLPs tested. Therefore, the Gag-S-VLP, by reason of consistently eliciting strong antigen-specific cellular and antibody responses, was selected for further evaluation. The purification process was improved by replacing the conventional centrifugation by serial microfiltration in the clarification step, followed by Spike-affinity chromatography to get concentrated VLPs with higher purity. Three different doses of Gag-S-VLP in conjunction with two adjuvants (Quil-A or AddaVax) were used to assess the dose-dependent antigen-specific cellular and antibody responses in mice. The Gag-S-VLP adjuvanted with Quil-A resulted in a stronger Spike-specific cellular response compared to that adjuvanted with AddaVax. A strong spike neutralisation activity was observed for all doses, independent of the adjuvant combination.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gerard Agbayani
- Human Health Therapeutics, National Research Council Canada Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Sabahudin Hrapovic
- Aquatic and Crop Resource Development Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Montréal, Canada
| | - Nasha Nassoury
- Human Health Therapeutics, National Research Council Canada, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Nathalie Coulombe
- Human Health Therapeutics, National Research Council Canada, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Renu Dudani
- Human Health Therapeutics, National Research Council Canada Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Blair A Harrison
- Human Health Therapeutics, National Research Council Canada Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Bassel Akache
- Human Health Therapeutics, National Research Council Canada Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Rénald Gilbert
- Human Health Therapeutics, National Research Council Canada, Montreal, QC, Canada; Department of Bioengineering, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
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5
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Stuible M, Schrag JD, Sheff J, Zoubchenok D, Lord-Dufour S, Cass B, L'Abbé D, Pelletier A, Rossotti MA, Tanha J, Gervais C, Maurice R, El Bakkouri M, Acchione M, Durocher Y. Influence of variant-specific mutations, temperature and pH on conformations of a large set of SARS-CoV-2 spike trimer vaccine antigen candidates. Sci Rep 2023; 13:16498. [PMID: 37779126 PMCID: PMC10543594 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-43661-2] [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: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 subunit vaccines continue to be the focus of intense clinical development worldwide. Protein antigens in these vaccines most commonly consist of the spike ectodomain fused to a heterologous trimerization sequence, designed to mimic the compact, prefusion conformation of the spike on the virus surface. Since 2020, we have produced dozens of such constructs in CHO cells, consisting of spike variants with different mutations fused to different trimerization sequences. This set of constructs displayed notable conformational heterogeneity, with two distinct trimer species consistently detected by analytical size exclusion chromatography. A recent report showed that spike ectodomain fusion constructs can adopt an alternative trimer conformation consisting of loosely associated ectodomain protomers. Here, we applied multiple biophysical and immunological techniques to demonstrate that this alternative conformation is formed to a significant extent by several SARS-CoV-2 variant spike proteins. We have also examined the influence of temperature and pH, which can induce inter-conversion of the two forms. The substantial structural differences between these trimer types may impact their performance as vaccine antigens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Stuible
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, 6100 Royalmount Avenue, Montreal, QC, H4P 2R2, Canada
| | - Joseph D Schrag
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, 6100 Royalmount Avenue, Montreal, QC, H4P 2R2, Canada
| | - Joey Sheff
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Daria Zoubchenok
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, 6100 Royalmount Avenue, Montreal, QC, H4P 2R2, Canada
| | - Simon Lord-Dufour
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, 6100 Royalmount Avenue, Montreal, QC, H4P 2R2, Canada
| | - Brian Cass
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, 6100 Royalmount Avenue, Montreal, QC, H4P 2R2, Canada
| | - Denis L'Abbé
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, 6100 Royalmount Avenue, Montreal, QC, H4P 2R2, Canada
| | - Alex Pelletier
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, 6100 Royalmount Avenue, Montreal, QC, H4P 2R2, Canada
| | - Martin A Rossotti
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Jamshid Tanha
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Christian Gervais
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, 6100 Royalmount Avenue, Montreal, QC, H4P 2R2, Canada
| | - Roger Maurice
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, 6100 Royalmount Avenue, Montreal, QC, H4P 2R2, Canada
| | - Majida El Bakkouri
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, 6100 Royalmount Avenue, Montreal, QC, H4P 2R2, Canada
| | - Mauro Acchione
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, 6100 Royalmount Avenue, Montreal, QC, H4P 2R2, Canada
| | - Yves Durocher
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, 6100 Royalmount Avenue, Montreal, QC, H4P 2R2, Canada.
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6
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Sukhova M, Byazrova M, Mikhailov A, Yusubalieva G, Maslova I, Belovezhets T, Chikaev N, Vorobiev I, Baklaushev V, Filatov A. Humoral Immune Responses in Patients with Severe COVID-19: A Comparative Pilot Study between Individuals Infected by SARS-CoV-2 during the Wild-Type and the Delta Periods. Microorganisms 2023; 11:2347. [PMID: 37764191 PMCID: PMC10536989 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11092347] [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: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, humanity has experienced the spread and circulation of several SARS-CoV-2 variants that differed in transmissibility, contagiousness, and the ability to escape from vaccine-induced neutralizing antibodies. However, issues related to the differences in the variant-specific immune responses remain insufficiently studied. The aim of this study was to compare the parameters of the humoral immune responses in two groups of patients with acute COVID-19 who were infected during the circulation period of the D614G and the Delta variants of SARS-CoV-2. Sera from 48 patients with acute COVID-19 were tested for SARS-CoV-2 binding and neutralizing antibodies using six assays. We found that serum samples from the D614G period demonstrated 3.9- and 1.6-fold increases in RBD- and spike-specific IgG binding with wild-type antigens compared with Delta variant antigens (p < 0.01). Cluster analysis showed the existence of two well-separated clusters. The first cluster mainly consisted of D614G-period patients and the second cluster predominantly included patients from the Delta period. The results thus obtained indicate that humoral immune responses in D614G- and Delta-specific infections can be characterized by variant-specific signatures. This can be taken into account when developing new variant-specific vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Sukhova
- Laboratory of Immunochemistry, National Research Center Institute of Immunology, Federal Medical Biological Agency of Russia, 115522 Moscow, Russia; (M.S.); (M.B.); (A.M.)
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119234 Moscow, Russia
| | - Maria Byazrova
- Laboratory of Immunochemistry, National Research Center Institute of Immunology, Federal Medical Biological Agency of Russia, 115522 Moscow, Russia; (M.S.); (M.B.); (A.M.)
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119234 Moscow, Russia
- Department of Immunology, Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University) of Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, 117198 Moscow, Russia
| | - Artem Mikhailov
- Laboratory of Immunochemistry, National Research Center Institute of Immunology, Federal Medical Biological Agency of Russia, 115522 Moscow, Russia; (M.S.); (M.B.); (A.M.)
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119234 Moscow, Russia
| | - Gaukhar Yusubalieva
- Laboratory of Cell Technology, Federal Research and Clinical Center for Specialized Types of Medical Care and Medical Technologies of the FMBA of Russia, 115682 Moscow, Russia; (G.Y.); (V.B.)
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Irina Maslova
- Clinical Hospital #85, Federal Medical Biological Agency of Russia, 115409 Moscow, Russia;
| | - Tatyana Belovezhets
- Laboratory of Immunogenetics, Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia; (T.B.); (N.C.)
| | - Nikolay Chikaev
- Laboratory of Immunogenetics, Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia; (T.B.); (N.C.)
| | - Ivan Vorobiev
- Laboratory of Mammalian Cell Bioengineering, Skryabin Institute of Bioengineering, Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 117312 Moscow, Russia;
| | - Vladimir Baklaushev
- Laboratory of Cell Technology, Federal Research and Clinical Center for Specialized Types of Medical Care and Medical Technologies of the FMBA of Russia, 115682 Moscow, Russia; (G.Y.); (V.B.)
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexander Filatov
- Laboratory of Immunochemistry, National Research Center Institute of Immunology, Federal Medical Biological Agency of Russia, 115522 Moscow, Russia; (M.S.); (M.B.); (A.M.)
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119234 Moscow, Russia
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7
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Perera DJ, Domenech P, Babuadze GG, Naghibosadat M, Alvarez F, Koger-Pease C, Labrie L, Stuible M, Durocher Y, Piccirillo CA, Lametti A, Fiset PO, Elahi SM, Kobinger GP, Gilbert R, Olivier M, Kozak R, Reed MB, Ndao M. BCG administration promotes the long-term protection afforded by a single-dose intranasal adenovirus-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. iScience 2023; 26:107612. [PMID: 37670783 PMCID: PMC10475483 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107612] [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: 06/03/2023] [Revised: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent publications have explored intranasal (i.n.) adenovirus-based (Ad) vaccines as an effective strategy for SARS-CoV-2 in pre-clinical models. However, the effects of prior immunizations and infections have yet to be considered. Here, we investigate the immunomodulatory effects of Mycobacterium bovis BCG pre-immunization followed by vaccination with an S-protein-expressing i.n. Ad, termed Ad(Spike). While i.n. Ad(Spike) retains some protective effect after 6 months, a single administration of BCG-Danish prior to Ad(Spike) potentiates its ability to control viral replication of the B.1.351 SARS-CoV-2 variant within the respiratory tract. Though BCG-Danish did not affect Ad(Spike)-generated humoral immunity, it promoted the generation of cytotoxic/Th1 responses over suppressive FoxP3+ TREG cells in the lungs of infected mice. Thus, this vaccination strategy may prove useful in limiting future pandemics by potentiating the long-term efficacy of mucosal vaccines within the context of the widely distributed BCG vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dilhan J. Perera
- Division of Experimental Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Infectious Diseases and Immunity in Global Health Program, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Pilar Domenech
- Infectious Diseases and Immunity in Global Health Program, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, QC, Canada
- McGill International TB Centre, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - George Giorgi Babuadze
- Department of Biological Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Maedeh Naghibosadat
- Department of Biological Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Fernando Alvarez
- Infectious Diseases and Immunity in Global Health Program, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Cal Koger-Pease
- Division of Experimental Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Infectious Diseases and Immunity in Global Health Program, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Lydia Labrie
- Infectious Diseases and Immunity in Global Health Program, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Matthew Stuible
- Department of Production Platforms & Analytics, Human Health Therapeutics Research Center, National Research Council Canada, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Yves Durocher
- Department of Production Platforms & Analytics, Human Health Therapeutics Research Center, National Research Council Canada, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Ciriaco A. Piccirillo
- Division of Experimental Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Infectious Diseases and Immunity in Global Health Program, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - André Lametti
- Department of Pathology, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | | | - Seyyed Mehdy Elahi
- Department of Production Platforms & Analytics, Human Health Therapeutics Research Center, National Research Council Canada, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Gary P. Kobinger
- Département de Microbiologie-Infectiologie et Immunologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Rénald Gilbert
- Department of Production Platforms & Analytics, Human Health Therapeutics Research Center, National Research Council Canada, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Martin Olivier
- Division of Experimental Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Infectious Diseases and Immunity in Global Health Program, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Robert Kozak
- Department of Biological Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Molecular Diagnostics, Division of Microbiology, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Michael B. Reed
- Infectious Diseases and Immunity in Global Health Program, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, QC, Canada
- McGill International TB Centre, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Momar Ndao
- Division of Experimental Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Infectious Diseases and Immunity in Global Health Program, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
- National Reference Centre for Parasitology, McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, QC, Canada
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8
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Akache B, Read AJ, Dudani R, Harrison BA, Williams D, Deschatelets L, Jia Y, Chandan V, Stark FC, Agbayani G, Makinen SR, Hemraz UD, Lam E, Régnier S, Zou W, Kirkland PD, McCluskie MJ. Sulfated Lactosyl Archaeol Archaeosome-Adjuvanted Vaccine Formulations Targeting Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus Are Immunogenic and Efficacious. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:1043. [PMID: 37376432 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11061043] [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: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Vaccines play an important role in maintaining human and animal health worldwide. There is continued demand for effective and safe adjuvants capable of enhancing antigen-specific responses to a target pathogen. Rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) is a highly contagious calicivirus that often induces high mortality rates in rabbits. Herein, we evaluated the activity of an experimental sulfated lactosyl archaeol (SLA) archaeosome adjuvant when incorporated in subunit vaccine formulations targeting RHDV. The subunit antigens consisted of RHDV-CRM197 peptide conjugates or recombinant RHDV2 VP60. SLA was able to enhance antigen-specific antibody titers and cellular responses in mice and rabbits. Three weeks following immunization, antigen-specific antibody levels in rabbits vaccinated with RHDV2 VP60 + SLA were significantly higher than those immunized with antigen alone, with geomean titers of 7393 vs. 117. In addition, the SLA-adjuvanted VP60-based formulations were highly efficacious in a rabbit RHDV2 challenge model with up to 87.5% animals surviving the viral challenge. These findings demonstrate the potential utility of SLA adjuvants in veterinary applications and highlight its activity in different types of mammalian species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bassel Akache
- National Research Council Canada, Human Health Therapeutics, Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6, Canada
| | - Andrew J Read
- Virology Laboratory, Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Menangle, NSW 2567, Australia
| | - Renu Dudani
- National Research Council Canada, Human Health Therapeutics, Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6, Canada
| | - Blair A Harrison
- National Research Council Canada, Human Health Therapeutics, Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6, Canada
| | - Dean Williams
- National Research Council Canada, Human Health Therapeutics, Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6, Canada
| | - Lise Deschatelets
- National Research Council Canada, Human Health Therapeutics, Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6, Canada
| | - Yimei Jia
- National Research Council Canada, Human Health Therapeutics, Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6, Canada
| | - Vandana Chandan
- National Research Council Canada, Human Health Therapeutics, Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6, Canada
| | - Felicity C Stark
- National Research Council Canada, Human Health Therapeutics, Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6, Canada
| | - Gerard Agbayani
- National Research Council Canada, Human Health Therapeutics, Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6, Canada
| | - Shawn R Makinen
- National Research Council Canada, Human Health Therapeutics, Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6, Canada
| | - Usha D Hemraz
- National Research Council Canada, Aquatic and Crop Resource Development, Montreal, QC H4P 2R2, Canada
| | - Edmond Lam
- National Research Council Canada, Aquatic and Crop Resource Development, Montreal, QC H4P 2R2, Canada
| | - Sophie Régnier
- National Research Council Canada, Aquatic and Crop Resource Development, Montreal, QC H4P 2R2, Canada
| | - Wei Zou
- National Research Council Canada, Human Health Therapeutics, Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6, Canada
| | - Peter D Kirkland
- Virology Laboratory, Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Menangle, NSW 2567, Australia
| | - Michael J McCluskie
- National Research Council Canada, Human Health Therapeutics, Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6, Canada
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9
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Joubert S, Stuible M, Lord-Dufour S, Lamoureux L, Vaillancourt F, Perret S, Ouimet M, Pelletier A, Bisson L, Mahimkar R, Pham PL, L Ecuyer-Coelho H, Roy M, Voyer R, Baardsnes J, Sauvageau J, St-Michael F, Robotham A, Kelly J, Acel A, Schrag JD, El Bakkouri M, Durocher Y. A CHO stable pool production platform for rapid clinical development of trimeric SARS-CoV-2 spike subunit vaccine antigens. Biotechnol Bioeng 2023. [PMID: 36987713 DOI: 10.1002/bit.28387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
Abstract
Protein expression from stably transfected Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) clones is an established but time-consuming method for manufacturing therapeutic recombinant proteins. The use of faster, alternative approaches, such as non-clonal stable pools, has been restricted due to lower productivity and longstanding regulatory guidelines. Recently, the performance of stable pools has improved dramatically, making them a viable option for quickly producing drug substance for GLP-toxicology and early-phase clinical trials in scenarios such as pandemics that demand rapid production timelines. Compared to stable CHO clones which can take several months to generate and characterize, stable pool development can be completed in only a few weeks. Here, we compared the productivity and product quality of trimeric SARS-CoV-2 spike protein ectodomains produced from stable CHO pools or clones. Using a set of biophysical and biochemical assays we show that product quality is very similar and that CHO pools demonstrate sufficient productivity to generate vaccine candidates for early clinical trials. Based on these data, we propose that regulatory guidelines should be updated to permit production of early clinical trial material from CHO pools to enable more rapid and cost-effective clinical evaluation of potentially life-saving vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Joubert
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Matthew Stuible
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Simon Lord-Dufour
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Linda Lamoureux
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - François Vaillancourt
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Sylvie Perret
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Manon Ouimet
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Alex Pelletier
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Louis Bisson
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Rohan Mahimkar
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Phuong Lan Pham
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Helene L Ecuyer-Coelho
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Marjolaine Roy
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Robert Voyer
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Jason Baardsnes
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Janelle Sauvageau
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Frank St-Michael
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Anna Robotham
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - John Kelly
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Andrea Acel
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Joseph D Schrag
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Majida El Bakkouri
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Yves Durocher
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
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10
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Zhang Z, Zhou J, Ni P, Hu B, Jolicoeur N, Deng S, Xiao Q, He Q, Li G, Xia Y, Liu M, Wang C, Fang Z, Xia N, Zhang ZR, Zhang B, Cai K, Xu Y, Liu B. PF-D-Trimer, a protective SARS-CoV-2 subunit vaccine: immunogenicity and application. NPJ Vaccines 2023; 8:38. [PMID: 36922524 PMCID: PMC10015519 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-023-00636-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, has had and continues to have a significant impact on global public health. One of the characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 is a surface homotrimeric spike protein, which is primarily responsible for the host immune response upon infection. Here we present the preclinical studies of a broadly protective SARS-CoV-2 subunit vaccine developed from our trimer domain platform using the Delta spike protein, from antigen design through purification, vaccine evaluation and manufacturability. The pre-fusion trimerized Delta spike protein, PF-D-Trimer, was highly expressed in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, purified by a rapid one-step anti-Trimer Domain monoclonal antibody immunoaffinity process and prepared as a vaccine formulation with an adjuvant. Immunogenicity studies have shown that this vaccine candidate induces robust immune responses in mouse, rat and Syrian hamster models. It also protects K18-hACE2 transgenic mice in a homologous viral challenge. Neutralizing antibodies induced by this vaccine show cross-reactivity against the ancestral WA1, Delta and several Omicrons, including BA.5.2. The formulated PF-D Trimer is stable for up to six months without refrigeration. The Trimer Domain platform was proven to be a key technology in the rapid production of PF-D-Trimer vaccine and may be crucial to accelerate the development and accessibility of updated versions of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhihao Zhang
- National "111" Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Hubei Provincial Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.,Wuhan Binhui Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd, Wuhan, China
| | - Jinhu Zhou
- Wuhan Binhui Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd, Wuhan, China
| | - Peng Ni
- Wuhan Binhui Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd, Wuhan, China
| | - Bing Hu
- Institute of Health Inspection and Testing, Hubei Provincial Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Hubei CDC), Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | | | - Shuang Deng
- Nova Biologiques Inc. Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Qian Xiao
- Wuhan Binhui Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd, Wuhan, China
| | - Qian He
- Wuhan Binhui Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd, Wuhan, China.,School of Pharmacy, Hubei University of Science and Technology, Xian Ning, China
| | - Gai Li
- Nova Biologiques Inc. Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Yan Xia
- Nova Biologiques Inc. Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Mei Liu
- National "111" Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Hubei Provincial Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.,Wuhan Binhui Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd, Wuhan, China
| | - Cong Wang
- Wuhan Binhui Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhizheng Fang
- Wuhan Binhui Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd, Wuhan, China
| | - Nan Xia
- Wuhan Binhui Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhe-Rui Zhang
- Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Bo Zhang
- Wuhan Binhui Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd, Wuhan, China. .,Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China.
| | - Kun Cai
- Institute of Health Inspection and Testing, Hubei Provincial Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Hubei CDC), Wuhan, Hubei, China.
| | - Yan Xu
- Wuhan Binhui Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd, Wuhan, China. .,Nova Biologiques Inc. Montréal, Québec, Canada.
| | - Binlei Liu
- National "111" Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Hubei Provincial Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China. .,Wuhan Binhui Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd, Wuhan, China. .,School of Pharmacy, Hubei University of Science and Technology, Xian Ning, China.
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11
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Romero EL, Morilla MJ. Ether lipids from archaeas in nano-drug delivery and vaccination. Int J Pharm 2023; 634:122632. [PMID: 36690132 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2023.122632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 12/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Archaea are microorganisms more closely related to eukaryotes than bacteria. Almost 50 years after being defined as a new domain of life on earth, new species continue to be discovered and their phylogeny organized. The study of the relationship between their genetics and metabolism and some of their extreme habitats has even positioned them as a model of extraterrestrial life forms. Archaea, however, are deeply connected to the life of our planet: they can be found in arid, acidic, warm areas; on most of the earth's surface, which is cold (below 5 °C), playing a prominent role in the cycles of organic materials on a global scale and they are even part of our microbiota. The constituent materials of these microorganisms differ radically from those produced by eukaryotes and bacteria, and the nanoparticles that can be manufactured using their ether lipids as building blocks exhibit unique properties that are of interest in nanomedicine. Here, we present for the first time a complete overview of the pre-clinical applications of nanomedicines based on ether archaea lipids, focused on drug delivery and adjuvancy over the last 25 years, along with a discussion on their pros, cons and their future industrial implementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eder Lilia Romero
- Nanomedicines Research and Development Centre (NARD), Science and Technology Department, National University of Quilmes, Roque Sáenz Peña 352, Bernal, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Maria Jose Morilla
- Nanomedicines Research and Development Centre (NARD), Science and Technology Department, National University of Quilmes, Roque Sáenz Peña 352, Bernal, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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12
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Khan MS, Kim E, Huang S, Kenniston TW, Gambotto A. Trivalent SARS-CoV-2 S1 Subunit Protein Vaccination Induces Broad Humoral Responses in BALB/c Mice. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:314. [PMID: 36851191 PMCID: PMC9967783 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11020314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
This paper presents a novel approach for improving the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines against emergent SARS-CoV-2 variants. We have evaluated the immunogenicity of unadjuvanted wild-type (WU S1-RS09cg) and variant-specific (Delta S1-RS09cg and OM S1-RS09cg) S1 subunit protein vaccines delivered either as a monovalent or a trivalent antigen in BALB/c mice. Our results show that a trivalent approach induced a broader humoral response with more coverage against antigenically distinct variants, especially when compared to monovalent Omicron-specific S1. This trivalent approach was also found to have increased or equivalent ACE2 binding inhibition, and increased S1 IgG endpoint titer at early timepoints, against SARS-CoV-2 spike variants when compared monovalent Wuhan, Delta, or Omicron S1. Our results demonstrate the utility of protein subunit vaccines against COVID-19 and provide insights into the impact of variant-specific COVID-19 vaccine approaches on the immune response in the current SARS-CoV-2 variant landscape. Particularly, our study provides insight into effects of further increasing valency of currently approved SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, a promising approach for improving protection to curtail emerging viral variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad S. Khan
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Eun Kim
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Shaohua Huang
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Thomas W. Kenniston
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Andrea Gambotto
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15232, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
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13
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Renner TM, Akache B, Stuible M, Rohani N, Cepero-Donates Y, Deschatelets L, Dudani R, Harrison BA, Baardsnes J, Koyuturk I, Hill JJ, Hemraz UD, Régnier S, Lenferink AEG, Durocher Y, McCluskie MJ. Tuning the immune response: sulfated archaeal glycolipid archaeosomes as an effective vaccine adjuvant for induction of humoral and cell-mediated immunity towards the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant of concern. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1182556. [PMID: 37122746 PMCID: PMC10140330 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1182556] [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: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Liposomes composed of sulfated lactosyl archaeol (SLA) have been shown to be a safe and effective vaccine adjuvant with a multitude of antigens in preclinical studies. In particular, SLA-adjuvanted SARS-CoV-2 subunit vaccines based on trimeric spike protein antigens were shown to be immunogenic and efficacious in mice and hamsters. With the continued emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants, we sought to evaluate next-generation vaccine formulations with an updated antigenic identity. This was of particular interest for the widespread Omicron variant, given the abundance of mutations and structural changes observed within its spike protein compared to other variants. An updated version of our resistin-trimerized SmT1 corresponding to the B.1.1.529 variant was successfully generated in our Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cell-based antigen production platform and characterized, revealing some differences in protein profile and ACE2 binding affinity as compared to reference strain-based SmT1. We next evaluated this Omicron-based spike antigen for its immunogenicity and ability to generate robust antigen-specific immune responses when paired with SLA liposomes or AddaS03 (a mimetic of the AS03 oil-in-water emulsion adjuvant system found in commercialized SARS-CoV-2 protein vaccines). Immunization of mice with vaccine formulations containing this updated antigen with either adjuvant stimulated neutralizing antibody responses favouring Omicron over the reference strain. Cell-mediated responses, which play an important role in the neutralization of intracellular infections, were induced to a much higher degree with the SLA adjuvant relative to the AddaS03-adjuvanted formulations. As such, updated vaccines that are better capable of targeting towards SARS-CoV-2 variants can be generated through an optimized combination of antigen and adjuvant components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler M. Renner
- National Research Council Canada, Human Health Therapeutics, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Bassel Akache
- National Research Council Canada, Human Health Therapeutics, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Matthew Stuible
- National Research Council Canada, Human Health Therapeutics, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Nazanin Rohani
- National Research Council Canada, Human Health Therapeutics, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | | | - Lise Deschatelets
- National Research Council Canada, Human Health Therapeutics, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Renu Dudani
- National Research Council Canada, Human Health Therapeutics, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Blair A. Harrison
- National Research Council Canada, Human Health Therapeutics, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Jason Baardsnes
- National Research Council Canada, Human Health Therapeutics, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Izel Koyuturk
- National Research Council Canada, Human Health Therapeutics, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Jennifer J. Hill
- National Research Council Canada, Human Health Therapeutics, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Usha D. Hemraz
- National Research Council Canada, Aquatic and Crop Resource Development, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Sophie Régnier
- National Research Council Canada, Aquatic and Crop Resource Development, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Anne E. G. Lenferink
- National Research Council Canada, Human Health Therapeutics, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Yves Durocher
- National Research Council Canada, Human Health Therapeutics, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Michael J. McCluskie
- National Research Council Canada, Human Health Therapeutics, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- *Correspondence: Michael J. McCluskie,
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