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Zhou F, Huang L, Li S, Yang W, Chen F, Cai Z, Liu X, Xu W, Lehto V, Lächelt U, Huang R, Shi Y, Lammers T, Tao W, Xu ZP, Wagner E, Xu Z, Yu H. From structural design to delivery: mRNA therapeutics for cancer immunotherapy. EXPLORATION (BEIJING, CHINA) 2024; 4:20210146. [PMID: 38855617 PMCID: PMC11022630 DOI: 10.1002/exp.20210146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
mRNA therapeutics have emerged as powerful tools for cancer immunotherapy in accordance with their superiority in expressing all sequence-known proteins in vivo. In particular, with a small dosage of delivered mRNA, antigen-presenting cells (APCs) can synthesize mutant neo-antigens and multi-antigens and present epitopes to T lymphocytes to elicit antitumor effects. In addition, expressing receptors like chimeric antigen receptor (CAR), T-cell receptor (TCR), CD134, and immune-modulating factors including cytokines, interferons, and antibodies in specific cells can enhance immunological response against tumors. With the maturation of in vitro transcription (IVT) technology, large-scale and pure mRNA encoding specific proteins can be synthesized quickly. However, the clinical translation of mRNA-based anticancer strategies is restricted by delivering mRNA into target organs or cells and the inadequate endosomal escape efficiency of mRNA. Recently, there have been some advances in mRNA-based cancer immunotherapy, which can be roughly classified as modifications of the mRNA structure and the development of delivery systems, especially the lipid nanoparticle platforms. In this review, the latest strategies for overcoming the limitations of mRNA-based cancer immunotherapies and the recent advances in delivering mRNA into specific organs and cells are summarized. Challenges and opportunities for clinical applications of mRNA-based cancer immunotherapy are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Center of Pharmaceutics, Shanghai Institute of Materia MedicaChinese Academy of SciencesShanghaiChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Lujia Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Center of Pharmaceutics, Shanghai Institute of Materia MedicaChinese Academy of SciencesShanghaiChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Shiqin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Center of Pharmaceutics, Shanghai Institute of Materia MedicaChinese Academy of SciencesShanghaiChina
| | - Wenfang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Center of Pharmaceutics, Shanghai Institute of Materia MedicaChinese Academy of SciencesShanghaiChina
| | - Fangmin Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Center of Pharmaceutics, Shanghai Institute of Materia MedicaChinese Academy of SciencesShanghaiChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Zhixiong Cai
- The United Innovation of Mengchao Hepatobiliary Technology Key Laboratory of Fujian ProvinceMengchao Hepatobiliary Hospital of Fujian Medical UniversityFuzhouChina
| | - Xiaolong Liu
- The United Innovation of Mengchao Hepatobiliary Technology Key Laboratory of Fujian ProvinceMengchao Hepatobiliary Hospital of Fujian Medical UniversityFuzhouChina
| | - Wujun Xu
- Department of Applied PhysicsUniversity of Eastern FinlandKuopioFinland
| | - Vesa‐Pekka Lehto
- Department of Applied PhysicsUniversity of Eastern FinlandKuopioFinland
| | - Ulrich Lächelt
- Department of Pharmaceutical SciencesUniversity of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Rongqin Huang
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Smart Drug DeliveryMinistry of Education, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Yang Shi
- Department of Nanomedicine and Theranostics, Institute for Experimental Molecular ImagingRWTH Aachen University ClinicAachenGermany
| | - Twan Lammers
- Department of Nanomedicine and Theranostics, Institute for Experimental Molecular ImagingRWTH Aachen University ClinicAachenGermany
| | - Wei Tao
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anaesthesiology, Brigham and Women's HospitalHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Zhi Ping Xu
- Institute of Biomedical Health Technology and Engineering and Institute of Systems and Physical BiologyShenzhen Bay LaboratoryShenzhenChina
| | - Ernst Wagner
- Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Center for NanoscienceLudwig‐Maximilians‐UniversitätMunichGermany
| | - Zhiai Xu
- School of Chemistry and Molecular EngineeringEast China Normal UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Haijun Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Center of Pharmaceutics, Shanghai Institute of Materia MedicaChinese Academy of SciencesShanghaiChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
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Murewanhema G, Musuka G, Denhere K, Chingombe I, Mapingure MP, Dzinamarira T. The Landscape of COVID-19 Vaccination in Zimbabwe: A Narrative Review and Analysis of the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats of the Programme. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:262. [PMID: 35214720 PMCID: PMC8877028 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10020262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic brought unprecedented challenges for the population. The advent of national COVID-19 vaccination programmes was therefore welcome as a key control strategy for the COVID-19 pandemic, as evidence has shown that vaccination is the best strategy to reduce the adverse individual and population level adverse outcomes associated with infectious diseases such as COVID-19. Zimbabwe rolled out its vaccination programme in February 2021 with an ambitious target to vaccinate at least 60% of its eligible population by December 2021. However, by that time, the country was still to reach that target. To move the vaccination programme towards achieving this target, it is crucial to understand the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to the programme. We, therefore, with this narrative review, discuss some of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to the programme since its rollout in February 2021. Though the programme has several strengths and opportunities to leverage on, we argue that among other challenges, the emergence of new variants of concern poses one of the biggest threats to local, regional and international vaccination programmes and requires concerted multistakeholder efforts to deal with. Additionally, addressing vaccine hesitancy remains as important as availing the vaccines to the population, to obtain the most benefits out of the programme.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grant Murewanhema
- Unit of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Department of Primary Health Care Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Zimbabwe, Harare P.O. Box MP167, Zimbabwe;
| | - Godfrey Musuka
- ICAP, Columbia University, Harare P.O. Box MP167, Zimbabwe; (G.M.); (I.C.); (M.P.M.)
| | | | - Innocent Chingombe
- ICAP, Columbia University, Harare P.O. Box MP167, Zimbabwe; (G.M.); (I.C.); (M.P.M.)
| | | | - Tafadzwa Dzinamarira
- ICAP, Columbia University, Harare P.O. Box MP167, Zimbabwe; (G.M.); (I.C.); (M.P.M.)
- School of Health Systems & Public Health, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa
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5
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Zhang M, Song W, Tang Y, Xu X, Huang Y, Yu D. Polymer-Based Nanofiber-Nanoparticle Hybrids and Their Medical Applications. Polymers (Basel) 2022; 14:351. [PMID: 35054758 PMCID: PMC8780324 DOI: 10.3390/polym14020351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The search for higher-quality nanomaterials for medicinal applications continues. There are similarities between electrospun fibers and natural tissues. This property has enabled electrospun fibers to make significant progress in medical applications. However, electrospun fibers are limited to tissue scaffolding applications. When nanoparticles and nanofibers are combined, the composite material can perform more functions, such as photothermal, magnetic response, biosensing, antibacterial, drug delivery and biosensing. To prepare nanofiber and nanoparticle hybrids (NNHs), there are two primary ways. The electrospinning technology was used to produce NNHs in a single step. An alternate way is to use a self-assembly technique to create nanoparticles in fibers. This paper describes the creation of NNHs from routinely used biocompatible polymer composites. Single-step procedures and self-assembly methodologies are used to discuss the preparation of NNHs. It combines recent research discoveries to focus on the application of NNHs in drug release, antibacterial, and tissue engineering in the last two years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingxin Zhang
- School of Materials and Chemistry, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China; (M.Z.); (Y.T.); (X.X.); (Y.H.)
| | - Wenliang Song
- School of Materials and Chemistry, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China; (M.Z.); (Y.T.); (X.X.); (Y.H.)
| | - Yunxin Tang
- School of Materials and Chemistry, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China; (M.Z.); (Y.T.); (X.X.); (Y.H.)
| | - Xizi Xu
- School of Materials and Chemistry, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China; (M.Z.); (Y.T.); (X.X.); (Y.H.)
| | - Yingning Huang
- School of Materials and Chemistry, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China; (M.Z.); (Y.T.); (X.X.); (Y.H.)
| | - Dengguang Yu
- School of Materials and Chemistry, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China; (M.Z.); (Y.T.); (X.X.); (Y.H.)
- Shanghai Engineering Technology Research Center for High-Performance Medical Device Materials, Shanghai 200093, China
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6
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Young A, Isaacs A, Scott CAP, Modhiran N, McMillan CLD, Cheung STM, Barr J, Marsh G, Thakur N, Bailey D, Li KSM, Luk HKH, Kok KH, Lau SKP, Woo PCY, Furuyama W, Marzi A, Young PR, Chappell KJ, Watterson D. A platform technology for generating subunit vaccines against diverse viral pathogens. Front Immunol 2022; 13:963023. [PMID: 36059532 PMCID: PMC9436389 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.963023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic response has shown how vaccine platform technologies can be used to rapidly and effectively counteract a novel emerging infectious disease. The speed of development for mRNA and vector-based vaccines outpaced those of subunit vaccines, however, subunit vaccines can offer advantages in terms of safety and stability. Here we describe a subunit vaccine platform technology, the molecular clamp, in application to four viruses from divergent taxonomic families: Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), Ebola virus (EBOV), Lassa virus (LASV) and Nipah virus (NiV). The clamp streamlines subunit antigen production by both stabilising the immunologically important prefusion epitopes of trimeric viral fusion proteins while enabling purification without target-specific reagents by acting as an affinity tag. Conformations for each viral antigen were confirmed by monoclonal antibody binding, size exclusion chromatography and electron microscopy. Notably, all four antigens tested remained stable over four weeks of incubation at 40°C. Of the four vaccines tested, a neutralising immune response was stimulated by clamp stabilised MERS-CoV spike, EBOV glycoprotein and NiV fusion protein. Only the clamp stabilised LASV glycoprotein precursor failed to elicit virus neutralising antibodies. MERS-CoV and EBOV vaccine candidates were both tested in animal models and found to provide protection against viral challenge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Young
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,The Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Ariel Isaacs
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Connor A P Scott
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Naphak Modhiran
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,The Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Christopher L D McMillan
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Stacey T M Cheung
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Jennifer Barr
- CSIRO, Health and Biosecurity, Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness, Geelong, VIC, Australia
| | - Glenn Marsh
- CSIRO, Health and Biosecurity, Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness, Geelong, VIC, Australia
| | - Nazia Thakur
- The Pirbright Institute, Woking, United Kingdom.,Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, Medical Sciences Division, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | | | - Kenneth S M Li
- Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Hayes K H Luk
- Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Kin-Hang Kok
- Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Susanna K P Lau
- Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Patrick C Y Woo
- Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Wakako Furuyama
- Laboratory of Virology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, United States
| | - Andrea Marzi
- Laboratory of Virology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, United States
| | - Paul R Young
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,The Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Australian Infectious Disease Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Keith J Chappell
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,The Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Australian Infectious Disease Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Daniel Watterson
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,The Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Australian Infectious Disease Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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