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Chang CM, Awanye AM, Marsay L, Dold C, Pollard AJ, Rollier CS, Feavers IM, Maiden MCJ, Derrick JP. Application of a Neisseria meningitidis antigen microarray to identify candidate vaccine proteins from a human Phase I clinical trial. Vaccine 2022; 40:3835-3842. [PMID: 35610106 PMCID: PMC7616631 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2022.05.032] [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: 03/17/2022] [Revised: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Meningococcal meningitis is a rare but serious condition affecting mainly children and young adults. Outer membrane vesicles (OMV) from Neisseria meningitidis have been used successfully as vaccines against the disease, although they only provide protection against a limited number of the many existing variants. There have been many attempts to identify suitable protein antigens for use in defined vaccines that provide broad protection against the disease, such as that leading to the development of the four component 4CMenB vaccine. We previously reported the use of a protein antigen microarray to screen for IgG antibodies in sera derived from human recipients of an OMV-based vaccine, as part of a Phase I clinical trial. Here, we show that computational methods can be used to cluster antigens that elicit similar responses in the same individuals. Fitting of IgG antibody binding data to 4,005 linear regressions identified pairs of antigens that exhibited significant correlations. Some were from the same antigens in different quaternary states, whilst others might be correlated for functional or immunological reasons. We also conducted statistical analyses to examine correlations between individual serum bactericidal antibody (SBA) titres and IgG reactivity against specific antigens. Both Kendall's tau and Spearman's rank correlation coefficient statistics identified specific antigens that correlated with log(SBA) titre in five different isolates. The principal antigens identified were PorA and PorB, RmpM, OpcA, and the type IV pilus assembly secretin, PilQ. Other minor antigens identified included a lipoprotein, two proteins from the BAM complex and the efflux channel MtrE. Our results suggest that consideration of the entire antigen composition, and allowance for potential interaction between antigens, could be valuable in designing future meningococcal vaccines. Such an approach has the advantages that it uses data derived from human, rather than animal, immunization and that it avoids the need to screen individual antigens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Mien Chang
- Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Amaka M Awanye
- Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Leanne Marsay
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, and the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford OX3 7LE, UK
| | - Christina Dold
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, and the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford OX3 7LE, UK
| | - Andrew J Pollard
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, and the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford OX3 7LE, UK
| | - Christine S Rollier
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, and the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford OX3 7LE, UK; School of Biosciences and Medicine, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK
| | - Ian M Feavers
- National Institute for Biological Standards and Control, Blanche Lane, South Mimms, Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, UK; Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK
| | - Martin C J Maiden
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK
| | - Jeremy P Derrick
- Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK.
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Human B Cell Responses to Dominant and Subdominant Antigens Induced by a Meningococcal Outer Membrane Vesicle Vaccine in a Phase I Trial. mSphere 2022; 7:e0067421. [PMID: 35080470 PMCID: PMC8791392 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00674-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Neisseria meningitidis outer membrane vesicle (OMV) vaccines are safe and provide strain-specific protection against invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) primarily by inducing serum bactericidal antibodies against the outer membrane proteins (OMP). To design broader coverage vaccines, knowledge of the immunogenicity of all the antigens contained in OMVs is needed. In a Phase I clinical trial, an investigational meningococcal OMV vaccine, MenPF1, made from a meningococcus genetically modified to constitutively express the iron-regulated FetA induced bactericidal responses to both the PorA and the FetA antigen present in the OMP. Using peripheral blood mononuclear cells collected from this trial, we analyzed the kinetics of and relationships between IgG, IgA, and IgM B cell responses against recombinant PorA and FetA, including (i) antibody-secreting cells, (ii) memory B cells, and (iii) functional antibody responses (opsonophagocytic and bactericidal activities). Following MenPF1vaccination, PorA-specific IgG secreting cell responses were detected in up to 77% of participants and FetA-specific responses in up to 36%. Memory B cell responses to the vaccine were low or absent and mainly detected in participants who had evidence of preexisting immunity (P = 0.0069). Similarly, FetA-specific antibody titers and bactericidal activity increased in participants with preexisting immunity and is consistent with the idea that immune responses are elicited to minor antigens during asymptomatic Neisseria carriage, which can be boosted by OMV vaccines. IMPORTANCENeisseria meningitidis outer membrane vesicles (OMV) are a component of the capsular group B meningococcal vaccine 4CMenB (Bexsero) and have been shown to induce 30% efficacy against gonococcal infection. They are composed of multiple antigens and are considered an interesting delivery platform for vaccines against several bacterial diseases. However, the protective antibody response after two or three doses of OMV-based meningococcal vaccines appears short-lived. We explored the B cell response induced to a dominant and a subdominant antigen in a meningococcal OMV vaccine in a clinical trial and showed that immune responses are elicited to minor antigens. However, memory B cell responses to the OMV were low or absent and mainly detected in participants who had evidence of preexisting immunity against the antigens. Failure to induce a strong B cell response may be linked with the low persistence of protective responses.
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Rossi O, Citiulo F, Mancini F. Outer membrane vesicles: moving within the intricate labyrinth of assays that can predict risks of reactogenicity in humans. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2020; 17:601-613. [PMID: 32687736 PMCID: PMC7899674 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2020.1780092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Outer membrane vesicles (OMV) are exosomes naturally released from the surface of Gram-negative bacteria. Since the ’80s, OMVs have been proposed as powerful vaccine platforms due to their intrinsic self-adjuvanticity and ability to present multiple antigens in natural conformation. However, the presence of several pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), especially lipid A, has raised concerns about potential systemic reactogenicity in humans. Recently, chemical and genetic approaches allowed to efficiently modulate the balance between reactogenicity and immunogenicity for the use of OMV in humans. Several assays (monocyte activation test, rabbit pyrogenicity test, limulus amebocyte lysate, human transfectant cells, and toxicology studies) were developed to test, with highly predictive potential, the risk of reactogenicity in humans before moving to clinical use. In this review, we provide a historical perspective on how different assays were and can be used to successfully evaluate systemic reactogenicity during clinical development and after licensure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omar Rossi
- GSK Vaccines Institute for Global Health S.r.l (GVGH) , Siena, Italy
| | - Francesco Citiulo
- GSK Vaccines Institute for Global Health S.r.l (GVGH) , Siena, Italy
| | - Francesca Mancini
- GSK Vaccines Institute for Global Health S.r.l (GVGH) , Siena, Italy
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Active and passive immunizations with HtsA, a streptococcal heme transporter protein, protect mice from subcutaneous group A Streptococcus infection. JOURNAL OF MICROBIOLOGY, IMMUNOLOGY, AND INFECTION = WEI MIAN YU GAN RAN ZA ZHI 2020; 53:87-93. [PMID: 29807723 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmii.2018.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2017] [Revised: 12/26/2017] [Accepted: 03/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/PURPOSE HtsA (Streptococcus heme transporter A) is the lipoprotein component of the streptococcal heme ABC transporter (HtsABC). The aim of this study is to investigate whether the HtsA protein has immunoprotective effect against group A Streptococcus (GAS) infection in mice. METHODS The HtsA protein was purified by sequential chromatography on Ni-sepharose, DEAE-sepharose and Phenyl-sepharose, CD-1 mice were actively immunized with ALUM (control) or HtsA/ALUM, and passively immunized with control or anti-HtsA serum. Mice were challenged with GAS after immunization, and the survival rate, skin lesion size and systemic GAS dissemination were determined. RESULTS The HtsA gene was cloned, and the recombinant protein HtsA was successfully purified. HtsA has a strong antigenicity, and active immunization with the HtsA protein significantly protected mice against lethal subcutaneous GAS infection, inhibited invasion of the skin by GAS, and reduced GAS systemic dissemination in blood and organs. In addition, passive immunization with anti-HtsA serum also significantly protected mice against subcutaneous GAS infection, and inhibited invasion of the skin by GAS. CONCLUSION The results showed that both active and passive immunization with the HtsA protein protected mice against subcutaneous GAS infection, suggesting that HtsA may be a candidate of GAS vaccine to protect against GAS infection.
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Schuh CMAP, Cuenca J, Alcayaga-Miranda F, Khoury M. Exosomes on the border of species and kingdom intercommunication. Transl Res 2019; 210:80-98. [PMID: 30998903 DOI: 10.1016/j.trsl.2019.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2019] [Revised: 03/25/2019] [Accepted: 03/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Over the last decades exosomes have become increasingly popular in the field of medicine. While until recently they were believed to be involved in the removal of obsolete particles from the cell, it is now known that exosomes are key players in cellular communication, carrying source-specific molecules such as proteins, growth factors, miRNA/mRNA, among others. The discovery that exosomes are not bound to intraspecies interactions, but are also capable of interkingdom communication, has once again revolutionized the field of exosomes research. A rapidly growing body of literature is shedding light at novel sources and participation of exosomes in physiological or regenerative processes, infection and disease. For the purpose of this review we have categorized 6 sources of interest (animal products, body fluids, plants, bacteria, fungus and parasites) and linked their innate roles to the clinics and potential medical applications, such as cell-based therapy, diagnostics or drug delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina M A P Schuh
- Consorcio Regenero, Chilean Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, Santiago, Chile; Cells for Cells, Santiago, Chile; Laboratory of Nano-Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de los Andes, Santiago, Chile; Centro de Medicina Regenerativa, Facultad de Medicina Clínica Alemana-Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile.
| | - Jimena Cuenca
- Consorcio Regenero, Chilean Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, Santiago, Chile; Cells for Cells, Santiago, Chile; Laboratory of Nano-Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de los Andes, Santiago, Chile
| | - Francisca Alcayaga-Miranda
- Consorcio Regenero, Chilean Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, Santiago, Chile; Cells for Cells, Santiago, Chile; Laboratory of Nano-Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de los Andes, Santiago, Chile
| | - Maroun Khoury
- Consorcio Regenero, Chilean Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, Santiago, Chile; Cells for Cells, Santiago, Chile; Laboratory of Nano-Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de los Andes, Santiago, Chile.
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Awanye AM, Chang CM, Wheeler JX, Chan H, Marsay L, Dold C, Rollier CS, Bird LE, Nettleship JE, Owens RJ, Pollard AJ, Derrick JP. Immunogenicity profiling of protein antigens from capsular group B Neisseria meningitidis. Sci Rep 2019; 9:6843. [PMID: 31048732 PMCID: PMC6497663 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-43139-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2018] [Accepted: 04/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Outer membrane vesicle (OMV)- based vaccines have been used to provide strain-specific protection against capsular group B Neisseria meningitidis infections, but the full breadth of the immune response against the components of the OMV has not been established. Sera from adults vaccinated with an OMV vaccine were used to screen 91 outer membrane proteins (OMPs) incorporated in an antigen microarray panel. Antigen-specific IgG levels were quantified pre-vaccination, and after 12 and 18 weeks. These results were compared with IgG levels from mice vaccinated with the same OMV vaccine. The repertoires of highly responding antigens in humans and mice overlapped, but were not identical. The highest responding antigens to human IgG comprised four integral OMPs (PorA, PorB, OpcA and PilQ), a protein which promotes the stability of PorA and PorB (RmpM) and two lipoproteins (BamC and GNA1162). These observations will assist in evaluating the role of minor antigen components within OMVs in providing protection against meningococcal infection. In addition, the relative dominance of responses to integral OMPs in humans emphasizes the importance of this subclass and points to the value of maintaining conformational epitopes from integral membrane proteins in vaccine formulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amaka M Awanye
- Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - Chun-Mien Chang
- Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - Jun X Wheeler
- National Institute for Biological Standards and Control, Blanche Lane, South Mimms, Hertfordshire, EN6 3QG, UK
| | - Hannah Chan
- National Institute for Biological Standards and Control, Blanche Lane, South Mimms, Hertfordshire, EN6 3QG, UK
| | - Leanne Marsay
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, and the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, OX3 7LE, UK
| | - Christina Dold
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, and the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, OX3 7LE, UK
| | - Christine S Rollier
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, and the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, OX3 7LE, UK
| | - Louise E Bird
- Oxford Protein Production Facility, Research Complex at Harwell, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell, Didcot, OX11 0FA, UK
| | - Joanne E Nettleship
- Oxford Protein Production Facility, Research Complex at Harwell, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell, Didcot, OX11 0FA, UK
| | - Raymond J Owens
- Oxford Protein Production Facility, Research Complex at Harwell, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell, Didcot, OX11 0FA, UK
| | - Andrew J Pollard
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, and the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, OX3 7LE, UK
| | - Jeremy P Derrick
- Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK.
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Kis Z, Shattock R, Shah N, Kontoravdi C. Emerging Technologies for Low-Cost, Rapid Vaccine Manufacture. Biotechnol J 2018; 14:e1800376. [PMID: 30537361 DOI: 10.1002/biot.201800376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2018] [Revised: 10/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
To stop the spread of future epidemics and meet infant vaccination demands in low- and middle-income countries, flexible, rapid and low-cost vaccine development and manufacturing technologies are required. Vaccine development platform technologies that can produce a wide range of vaccines are emerging, including: a) humanized, high-yield yeast recombinant protein vaccines; b) insect cell-baculovirus ADDomer vaccines; c) Generalized Modules for Membrane Antigens (GMMA) vaccines; d) RNA vaccines. Herein, existing and future platforms are assessed in terms of addressing challenges of scale, cost, and responsiveness. To assess the risk and feasibility of the four emerging platforms, the following six metrics are applied: 1) technology readiness; 2) technological complexity; 3) ease of scale-up; 4) flexibility for the manufacturing of a wide range of vaccines; 5) thermostability of the vaccine product at tropical ambient temperatures; and 6) speed of response from threat identification to vaccine deployment. The assessment indicated that technologies in the order of increasing feasibility and decreasing risk are the yeast platform, ADDomer platform, followed by RNA and GMMA platforms. The comparative strengths and weaknesses of each technology are discussed in detail, illustrating the associated development and manufacturing needs and priorities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoltán Kis
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Robin Shattock
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Nilay Shah
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Cleo Kontoravdi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Imperial College London, London, UK
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Abstract
Outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) (∼50-250 nm in diameter) are produced by both pathogenic and nonpathogenic bacteria as a canonical end product of secretion. In this review, we focus on the OMVs produced by gram-negative bacteria. We provide an overview of the OMV structure, various factors regulating their production, and their role in modulating host immune response using a few representative examples. In light of the importance of the diverse cargoes carried by OMVs, we discuss the different modes of their entry into the host cell and advances in the high-throughput detection of these OMVs. A conspicuous application of OMVs lies in the field of vaccination; we discuss its success in immunization against human diseases such as pertussis, meningitis, shigellosis and aqua-farming endangering diseases like edwardsiellosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepak Anand
- a Max-Planck-Institut für terrestrische Mikrobiologie , Marburg , Germany
| | - Arunima Chaudhuri
- b Department of Cell Biology , Yale School of Medicine , New Haven , CT , USA
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