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Lee YR, Liou CW, Liu IH, Chang JM. A nonadjuvanted HLA-restricted peptide vaccine induced both T and B cell immunity against SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Sci Rep 2024; 14:20579. [PMID: 39242614 PMCID: PMC11379847 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-71663-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2024] [Accepted: 08/29/2024] [Indexed: 09/09/2024] Open
Abstract
During COVID-19 pandemic, cases of postvaccination infections and restored SARS-CoV-2 virus have increased after full vaccination, which might be contributed to by immune surveillance escape or virus rebound. Here, artificial linear 9-mer human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-restricted UC peptides were designed based on the well-conserved S2 region of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein regardless of rapid mutation and glycosylation hindrance. The UC peptides were characterized for its effect on immune molecules and cells by HLA-tetramer refolding assay for HLA-binding ability, by HLA-tetramer specific T cell assay for engaged cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) involvement, by HLA-dextramer T cell assay for B cell activation, by intracellular cytokine release assay for polarization of immune response, Th1 or Th2. The specific lysis activity assay of T cells was performed for direct activation of cytotoxic T lymphocytes by UC peptides. Mice were immunized for immunogenicity of UC peptides in vivo and immunized sera was assay for complement cytotoxicity assay. Results appeared that through the engagement of UC peptides and immune molecules, HLA-I and II, that CTLs elicited cytotoxic activity by recognizing SARS-CoV-2 spike-bearing cells and preferably secreting Th1 cytokines. The UC peptides also showed immunogenicity and generated a specific antibody in mice by both intramuscular injection and oral delivery without adjuvant formulation. In conclusion, a T-cell vaccine could provide long-lasting protection against SARS-CoV-2 either during reinfection or during SARS-CoV-2 rebound. Due to its ability to eradicate SARS-CoV-2 virus-infected cells, a COVID-19 T-cell vaccine might provide a solution to lower COVID-19 severity and long COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Ru Lee
- Vacino Biotech Co., Ltd., 4F, No. 99, Lane 130, Sec 1, Academia Rd., Nangang District, Taipei, 11571, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Chiung-Wen Liou
- Vacino Biotech Co., Ltd., 4F, No. 99, Lane 130, Sec 1, Academia Rd., Nangang District, Taipei, 11571, Taiwan, ROC
| | - I-Hua Liu
- Vacino Biotech Co., Ltd., 4F, No. 99, Lane 130, Sec 1, Academia Rd., Nangang District, Taipei, 11571, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Jia-Ming Chang
- Vacino Biotech Co., Ltd., 4F, No. 99, Lane 130, Sec 1, Academia Rd., Nangang District, Taipei, 11571, Taiwan, ROC.
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2
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Hosseini Z, Groves CJ, Anders P, Cave K, Krunkosky M, Chappell B, Pattyn S, Davis D, Janetzki S, Reap E. Performance and Stability of New Class of Fetal Bovine Sera (FBS) and Its Lyophilized Form in ELISpot and FluoroSpot Assays: Applications for Monitoring the Immune Response in Vaccine, and Cell and Gene Immunotherapy in Clinical Trials. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2768:305-316. [PMID: 38502401 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3690-9_18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
Interferon-gamma (IFNγ) ELISpot and FluoroSpot are widely used assays to detect functional cell responses in immunotherapy clinical studies. Recognized for their importance in vaccine development studies to quantitate immune responses, these assays have more recently risen to the forefront in cell and gene therapy as well as cancer immunotherapy fields where responses against cancer neoantigens are not easily detectable above assay background. Here, we test a new class of fetal bovine serum (FBS), CultraPure FBS, in ex vivo ELISpot and FluoroSpot assays and cultured FluoroSpot assays following in vitro expansion. Several CultraPure FBS lots that have been specially formulated through the process of lyophilization (lyo-FBS) were compared to liquid CultraPure FBS. We stimulated human PBMCs with antigen-specific peptide pools diluted in media supplemented with liquid CultraPure FBS or lyo-FBS and found equivalent cytokine production with negligible to no assay background with both liquid and lyo-FBS formats. Moreover, the lyo-FBS showed lot-to-lot consistency and 90-day refrigerated (4 °C) stability in both ex vivo direct and in vitro cultured assays. In addition, we present here a method using lyo-FBS for the expansion of low-frequency antigen-specific T cells, mimicking the low frequency seen with cancer neoantigens by utilizing a cultured FluoroSpot assay. Our results demonstrate the presence of Granzyme B, interferon-gamma (IFNγ), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) production by antigen-specific polyfunctional T cells following a 9-day culture using media supplemented with lyo-FBS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhinous Hosseini
- Translational Science and Innovation Laboratory (TSAIL), Q Solutions, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Christopher J Groves
- Translational Science and Innovation Laboratory (TSAIL), Q Solutions, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Penny Anders
- Translational Science and Innovation Laboratory (TSAIL), Q Solutions, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Kristen Cave
- Translational Science and Innovation Laboratory (TSAIL), Q Solutions, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Madelyn Krunkosky
- Translational Science and Innovation Laboratory (TSAIL), Q Solutions, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Brandi Chappell
- Translational Science and Innovation Laboratory (TSAIL), Q Solutions, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Sofie Pattyn
- ImmunXperts, a Q Solutions Company, Gosselies, Belgium
| | | | | | - Elizabeth Reap
- Translational Science and Innovation Laboratory (TSAIL), Q Solutions, Durham, NC, USA.
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3
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Yang G, Wang J, Sun P, Qin J, Yang X, Chen D, Zhang Y, Zhong N, Wang Z. SARS-CoV-2 epitope-specific T cells: Immunity response feature, TCR repertoire characteristics and cross-reactivity. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1146196. [PMID: 36969254 PMCID: PMC10036809 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1146196] [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: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The devastating COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 and multiple variants or subvariants remains an ongoing global challenge. SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell responses play a critical role in early virus clearance, disease severity control, limiting the viral transmission and underpinning COVID-19 vaccine efficacy. Studies estimated broad and robust T cell responses in each individual recognized at least 30 to 40 SARS-CoV-2 antigen epitopes and associated with COVID-19 clinical outcome. Several key immunodominant viral proteome epitopes, including S protein- and non-S protein-derived epitopes, may primarily induce potent and long-lasting antiviral protective effects. In this review, we summarized the immune response features of immunodominant epitope-specific T cells targeting different SRAS-CoV-2 proteome structures after infection and vaccination, including abundance, magnitude, frequency, phenotypic features and response kinetics. Further, we analyzed the epitopes immunodominance hierarchy in combination with multiple epitope-specific T cell attributes and TCR repertoires characteristics, and discussed the significant implications of cross-reactive T cells toward HCoVs, SRAS-CoV-2 and variants of concern, especially Omicron. This review may be essential for mapping the landscape of T cell responses toward SARS-CoV-2 and optimizing the current vaccine strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gang Yang
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China
- Guangzhou Laboratory, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The First People’s Hospital of Yunnan Province, Kunming, China
| | - Junxiang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease & National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ping Sun
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China
| | - Jian Qin
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The First People’s Hospital of Yunnan Province, Kunming, China
| | - Xiaoyun Yang
- Guangzhou Laboratory, Guangzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease & National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Daxiang Chen
- Guangzhou Laboratory, Guangzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease & National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yunhui Zhang
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The First People’s Hospital of Yunnan Province, Kunming, China
| | - Nanshan Zhong
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China
- Guangzhou Laboratory, Guangzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease & National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhongfang Wang
- Guangzhou Laboratory, Guangzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease & National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
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4
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Somogyi E, Kremlitzka M, Csiszovszki Z, Molnár L, Lőrincz O, Tóth J, de Waal L, Pattijn S, Reineking W, Beineke A, Tőke ER. T cell immunity ameliorates COVID-19 disease severity and provides post-exposure prophylaxis after peptide-vaccination, in Syrian hamsters. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1111629. [PMID: 36761759 PMCID: PMC9902696 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1111629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The emergence of novel SARS-CoV-2 variants that resist neutralizing antibodies drew the attention to cellular immunity and calls for the development of alternative vaccination strategies to combat the pandemic. Here, we have assessed the kinetics of T cell responses and protective efficacy against severe COVID-19 in pre- and post-exposure settings, elicited by PolyPEPI-SCoV-2, a peptide based T cell vaccine. Methods 75 Syrian hamsters were immunized subcutaneously with PolyPEPI-SCoV-2 on D0 and D14. On D42, hamsters were intranasally challenged with 102 TCID50 of the virus. To analyze immunogenicity by IFN-γ ELISPOT and antibody secretion, lymphoid tissues were collected both before (D0, D14, D28, D42) and after challenge (D44, D46, D49). To measure vaccine efficacy, lung tissue, throat swabs and nasal turbinate samples were assessed for viral load and histopathological changes. Further, body weight was monitored on D0, D28, D42 and every day after challenge. Results The vaccine induced robust activation of T cells against all SARS-CoV-2 structural proteins that were rapidly boosted after virus challenge compared to control animals (~4-fold, p<0.05). A single dose of PolyPEPI-SCoV-2 administered one day after challenge also resulted in elevated T cell response (p<0.01). The vaccination did not induce virus-specific antibodies and viral load reduction. Still, peptide vaccination significantly reduced body weight loss (p<0.001), relative lung weight (p<0.05) and lung lesions (p<0.05), in both settings. Conclusion Our study provides first proof of concept data on the contribution of T cell immunity on disease course and provide rationale for the use of T cell-based peptide vaccines against both novel SARS-CoV-2 variants and supports post-exposure prophylaxis as alternative vaccination strategy against COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eszter Somogyi
- Treos Bio Ltd, London, United Kingdom
- Treos Bio Zrt, Veszprém, Hungary
- PepTC Vaccines Ltd, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mariann Kremlitzka
- Treos Bio Ltd, London, United Kingdom
- Treos Bio Zrt, Veszprém, Hungary
- PepTC Vaccines Ltd, London, United Kingdom
| | - Zsolt Csiszovszki
- Treos Bio Ltd, London, United Kingdom
- Treos Bio Zrt, Veszprém, Hungary
- PepTC Vaccines Ltd, London, United Kingdom
| | - Levente Molnár
- Treos Bio Ltd, London, United Kingdom
- Treos Bio Zrt, Veszprém, Hungary
- PepTC Vaccines Ltd, London, United Kingdom
| | - Orsolya Lőrincz
- Treos Bio Ltd, London, United Kingdom
- Treos Bio Zrt, Veszprém, Hungary
- PepTC Vaccines Ltd, London, United Kingdom
| | - József Tóth
- Treos Bio Ltd, London, United Kingdom
- Treos Bio Zrt, Veszprém, Hungary
- PepTC Vaccines Ltd, London, United Kingdom
| | - Leon de Waal
- Viroclinics Biosciences B.V., Viroclinics Xplore, Schaijk, Netherlands
| | - Sofie Pattijn
- ImmunXperts Société Anonyme, Q2 Solutions Company, Gosselies, Belgium
| | - Wencke Reineking
- Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Andreas Beineke
- Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Enikő R. Tőke
- Treos Bio Ltd, London, United Kingdom
- Treos Bio Zrt, Veszprém, Hungary
- PepTC Vaccines Ltd, London, United Kingdom
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5
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Jin X, Liu X, Shen C. A systemic review of T-cell epitopes defined from the proteome of SARS-CoV-2. Virus Res 2023; 324:199024. [PMID: 36526016 PMCID: PMC9757803 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2022.199024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Revised: 12/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection remains in a global pandemic, and no eradicative therapy is currently available. Host T cells have been shown to play a crucial role in the antiviral immune protection and pathology in Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients; thus, identifying sufficient T-cell epitopes from the SARS-CoV-2 proteome can contribute greatly to the development of T-cell epitope vaccines and the precise evaluation of host SARS-CoV-2-specific cellular immunity. This review presents a comprehensive map of T-cell epitopes functionally validated from SARS-CoV-2 antigens, the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) supertypes to present these epitopes, and the strategies to screen and identify T-cell epitopes. To the best of our knowledge, a total of 1349 CD8+ T-cell epitopes and 790 CD4+ T-cell epitopes have been defined by functional experiments thus far, but most are presented by approximately twenty common HLA supertypes, such as HLA-A0201, A2402, B0702, DR15, DR7 and DR11 molecules, and 74-80% of the T-cell epitopes are derived from S protein and nonstructural protein. These data provide useful insight into the development of vaccines and specific T-cell detection systems. However, the currently defined T-cell epitope repertoire cannot cover the HLA polymorphism of major populations in an indicated geographic region. More research is needed to depict an overall landscape of T-cell epitopes, which covers the overall SARS-CoV-2 proteome and global patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxiao Jin
- Northern Jiangsu People's Hospital, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China 225002; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China 210009
| | - Xiaotao Liu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China 210009
| | - Chuanlai Shen
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China 210009.
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6
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Mentzer AJ, O'Connor D, Bibi S, Chelysheva I, Clutterbuck EA, Demissie T, Dinesh T, Edwards NJ, Felle S, Feng S, Flaxman AL, Karp-Tatham E, Li G, Liu X, Marchevsky N, Godfrey L, Makinson R, Bull MB, Fowler J, Alamad B, Malinauskas T, Chong AY, Sanders K, Shaw RH, Voysey M, Snape MD, Pollard AJ, Lambe T, Knight JC. Human leukocyte antigen alleles associate with COVID-19 vaccine immunogenicity and risk of breakthrough infection. Nat Med 2023; 29:147-157. [PMID: 36228659 PMCID: PMC9873562 DOI: 10.1038/s41591-022-02078-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccine immunogenicity varies between individuals, and immune responses correlate with vaccine efficacy. Using data from 1,076 participants enrolled in ChAdOx1 nCov-19 vaccine efficacy trials in the United Kingdom, we found that inter-individual variation in normalized antibody responses against SARS-CoV-2 spike and its receptor-binding domain (RBD) at 28 days after first vaccination shows genome-wide significant association with major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II alleles. The most statistically significant association with higher levels of anti-RBD antibody was HLA-DQB1*06 (P = 3.2 × 10-9), which we replicated in 1,677 additional vaccinees. Individuals carrying HLA-DQB1*06 alleles were less likely to experience PCR-confirmed breakthrough infection during the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 virus and subsequent Alpha variant waves compared to non-carriers (hazard ratio = 0.63, 0.42-0.93, P = 0.02). We identified a distinct spike-derived peptide that is predicted to bind differentially to HLA-DQB1*06 compared to other similar alleles, and we found evidence of increased spike-specific memory B cell responses in HLA-DQB1*06 carriers at 84 days after first vaccination. Our results demonstrate association of HLA type with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine antibody response and risk of breakthrough infection, with implications for future vaccine design and implementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander J Mentzer
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Daniel O'Connor
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre and Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
| | - Sagida Bibi
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre and Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
| | - Irina Chelysheva
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre and Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
| | - Elizabeth A Clutterbuck
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre and Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
| | - Tesfaye Demissie
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre and Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
| | - Tanya Dinesh
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre and Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
| | - Nick J Edwards
- The Jenner Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Sally Felle
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre and Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
| | - Shuo Feng
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre and Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
| | - Amy L Flaxman
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre and Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
| | - Eleanor Karp-Tatham
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Grace Li
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre and Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
| | - Xinxue Liu
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre and Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
| | - Natalie Marchevsky
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre and Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
| | - Leila Godfrey
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre and Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
| | - Rebecca Makinson
- The Jenner Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Maireid B Bull
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Chinese Academy of Medical Science (CAMS) Oxford Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Jamie Fowler
- The Jenner Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Bana Alamad
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Tomas Malinauskas
- Division of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Amanda Y Chong
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Katherine Sanders
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre and Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
| | - Robert H Shaw
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre and Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
| | - Merryn Voysey
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre and Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
| | - Matthew D Snape
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre and Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
| | - Andrew J Pollard
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre and Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
| | - Teresa Lambe
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre and Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
- Chinese Academy of Medical Science (CAMS) Oxford Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Julian C Knight
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre and Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK.
- Chinese Academy of Medical Science (CAMS) Oxford Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
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7
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Farshidi H, Farshidi N, Ghaedi T, Hassaniazad M, Eftekhar E, Gouklani H, Asadi Karam MR, Shahbazi B, Kalani M, Ahmadi K. Preparation and pre-clinical evaluation of flagellin-adjuvanted NOM vaccine candidate formulated with Spike protein against SARS-CoV-2 in mouse model. Microb Pathog 2022; 171:105736. [PMID: 36030048 PMCID: PMC9400380 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2022.105736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2022] [Revised: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
From December 2019, the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was started as a cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. The disturbing statistics of SARS-CoV-2 promoted scientists to develop an effective vaccine against this infection. NOM protein is a multi-epitope protein that designed based on Nucleocapsid, ORF3a, and Membrane proteins of SARS-CoV-2. Flagellin is a structural protein that binds to the Toll-like receptor 5 and can enhance the immune response to a particular antigen. In this study, NOM protein as vaccine candidate was linked to the carboxyl and amino terminals of flagellin adjuvant derived from Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Dublin. Then, informatics evaluations were performed for both NOM protein and NOM protein linked to flagellin (FNOM). The interaction between the NOM and FNOM proteins with the TLR5 were assessed using docking analysis. The FNOM protein, which compared to the NOM protein, had a more suitable 3D structure and a stronger interaction with TLR5, was selected for experimental study. The FNOM and Spike (S) proteins expressed and then purified by Ni-NTA column as vaccine candidates. For analysis of immune response, anti-FNOM and anti-S proteins total IgG and IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-10, IL-22 and IL-17 cytokines were evaluated after vaccination of mice with vaccine candidates. The results indicated that the specific antisera (Total IgG) raised in mice that received FNOM protein formulated with S protein were higher than mice that received FNOM and S proteins alone. Also, IFN-γ and TNF-α levels after the spleen cells stimulation were significantly increased in mice that received the FNOM protein formulated with S protein compared to other groups. Immunogenic evaluations showed that, the FNOM chimeric protein could simultaneously elicit humoral and cell-mediated immune responses. Finally, it could be concluded that the FNOM protein formulated with S protein could be considered as potential vaccine candidate for protection against SARS-CoV-2 in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hossein Farshidi
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran
| | - Narges Farshidi
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran
| | - Tayebeh Ghaedi
- Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Hormozgan Health Institute, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran
| | - Mehdi Hassaniazad
- Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Hormozgan Health Institute, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran
| | - Ebrahim Eftekhar
- Molecular Medicine Research Center، Hormozgan Health Institute, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran
| | - Hamed Gouklani
- Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Hormozgan Health Institute, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran
| | | | - Behzad Shahbazi
- Molecular Medicine Department, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehdi Kalani
- Professor Alborzi Clinical Microbiology Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
| | - Khadijeh Ahmadi
- Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Hormozgan Health Institute, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran.
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8
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Development of a T Cell-Based COVID-19 Vaccine Using a Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine Viral Vector. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:vaccines10071142. [PMID: 35891306 PMCID: PMC9318028 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10071142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic emerged in 2020 and has caused an unprecedented burden to all countries in the world. SARS-CoV-2 continues to circulate and antigenically evolve, enabling multiple reinfections. To address the issue of the virus antigenic variability, T cell-based vaccines are being developed, which are directed to more conserved viral epitopes. We used live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) virus vector to generate recombinant influenza viruses expressing various T-cell epitopes of SARS-CoV-2 from either neuraminidase (NA) or non-structural (NS1) genes, via the P2A self-cleavage site. Intranasal immunization of human leukocyte antigen-A*0201 (HLA-A2.1) transgenic mice with these recombinant viruses did not result in significant SARS-CoV-2-specific T-cell responses, due to the immunodominance of NP366 influenza T-cell epitope. However, side-by-side stimulation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of COVID-19 convalescents with recombinant viruses and LAIV vector demonstrated activation of memory T cells in samples stimulated with LAIV/SARS-CoV-2, but not LAIV alone. Hamsters immunized with a selected LAIV/SARS-CoV-2 prototype were protected against challenge with influenza virus and a high dose of SARS-CoV-2 of Wuhan and Delta lineages, which was confirmed by reduced weight loss, milder clinical symptoms and less pronounced histopathological signs of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the lungs, compared to LAIV- and mock-immunized animals. Overall, LAIV is a promising platform for the development of a bivalent vaccine against influenza and SARS-CoV-2.
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In Silico Model Estimates the Clinical Trial Outcome of Cancer Vaccines. Cells 2021; 10:cells10113048. [PMID: 34831269 PMCID: PMC8616443 DOI: 10.3390/cells10113048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Over 30 years after the first cancer vaccine clinical trial (CT), scientists still search the missing link between immunogenicity and clinical responses. A predictor able to estimate the outcome of cancer vaccine CTs would greatly benefit vaccine development. Published results of 94 CTs with 64 therapeutic vaccines were collected. We found that preselection of CT subjects based on a single matching HLA allele does not increase immune response rates (IRR) compared with non-preselected CTs (median 60% vs. 57%, p = 0.4490). A representative in silico model population (MP) comprising HLA-genotyped subjects was used to retrospectively calculate in silico IRRs of CTs based on the percentage of MP-subjects having epitope(s) predicted to bind ≥ 1–4 autologous HLA allele(s). We found that in vitro measured IRRs correlated with the frequency of predicted multiple autologous allele-binding epitopes (AUC 0.63–0.79). Subgroup analysis of multi-antigen targeting vaccine CTs revealed correlation between clinical response rates (CRRs) and predicted multi-epitope IRRs when HLA threshold was ≥ 3 (r = 0.7463, p = 0.0004) but not for single HLA allele-binding epitopes (r = 0.2865, p = 0.2491). Our results suggest that CRR depends on the induction of broad T-cell responses and both IRR and CRR can be predicted when epitopes binding to multiple autologous HLAs are considered.
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