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Kaiser FK, Hernandez MG, Krüger N, Englund E, Du W, Mykytyn AZ, Raadsen MP, Lamers MM, Rodrigues Ianiski F, Shamorkina TM, Snijder J, Armando F, Beythien G, Ciurkiewicz M, Schreiner T, Gruber-Dujardin E, Bleyer M, Batura O, Erffmeier L, Hinkel R, Rocha C, Mirolo M, Drabek D, Bosch BJ, Emalfarb M, Valbuena N, Tchelet R, Baumgärtner W, Saloheimo M, Pöhlmann S, Grosveld F, Haagmans BL, Osterhaus ADME. Filamentous fungus-produced human monoclonal antibody provides protection against SARS-CoV-2 in hamster and non-human primate models. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2319. [PMID: 38485931 PMCID: PMC10940701 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46443-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Monoclonal antibodies are an increasingly important tool for prophylaxis and treatment of acute virus infections like SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, their use is often restricted due to the time required for development, variable yields and high production costs, as well as the need for adaptation to newly emerging virus variants. Here we use the genetically modified filamentous fungus expression system Thermothelomyces heterothallica (C1), which has a naturally high biosynthesis capacity for secretory enzymes and other proteins, to produce a human monoclonal IgG1 antibody (HuMab 87G7) that neutralises the SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Omicron. Both the mammalian cell and C1 produced HuMab 87G7 broadly neutralise SARS-CoV-2 VOCs in vitro and also provide protection against VOC Omicron in hamsters. The C1 produced HuMab 87G7 is also able to protect against the Delta VOC in non-human primates. In summary, these findings show that the C1 expression system is a promising technology platform for the development of HuMabs in preventive and therapeutic medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska K Kaiser
- Research Center for Emerging Infections and Zoonosis, University of Veterinary Medicine, Foundation, Hannover, Germany
| | - Mariana Gonzalez Hernandez
- Research Center for Emerging Infections and Zoonosis, University of Veterinary Medicine, Foundation, Hannover, Germany
| | - Nadine Krüger
- German Primate Center - Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Ellinor Englund
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd, 02150, Espoo, Finland
| | - Wenjuan Du
- Virology Section, Infectious Diseases and Immunology Division, Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Anna Z Mykytyn
- Department of Viroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Mathijs P Raadsen
- Department of Viroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Mart M Lamers
- Department of Viroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Francine Rodrigues Ianiski
- Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research and Utrecht Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584, CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Tatiana M Shamorkina
- Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research and Utrecht Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584, CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Joost Snijder
- Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research and Utrecht Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584, CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Federico Armando
- Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Foundation, Hannover, Germany
| | - Georg Beythien
- Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Foundation, Hannover, Germany
| | - Malgorzata Ciurkiewicz
- Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Foundation, Hannover, Germany
| | - Tom Schreiner
- Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Foundation, Hannover, Germany
| | - Eva Gruber-Dujardin
- German Primate Center - Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Martina Bleyer
- German Primate Center - Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Olga Batura
- German Primate Center - Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Lena Erffmeier
- German Primate Center - Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Rabea Hinkel
- German Primate Center - Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Cheila Rocha
- German Primate Center - Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Monica Mirolo
- Research Center for Emerging Infections and Zoonosis, University of Veterinary Medicine, Foundation, Hannover, Germany
| | - Dubravka Drabek
- Department of Cell Biology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands and Harbour BioMed, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Berend-Jan Bosch
- Virology Section, Infectious Diseases and Immunology Division, Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | | | | | | | - Wolfgang Baumgärtner
- Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Foundation, Hannover, Germany
| | - Markku Saloheimo
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd, 02150, Espoo, Finland
| | - Stefan Pöhlmann
- German Primate Center - Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Frank Grosveld
- Department of Cell Biology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands and Harbour BioMed, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Bart L Haagmans
- Department of Viroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Albert D M E Osterhaus
- Research Center for Emerging Infections and Zoonosis, University of Veterinary Medicine, Foundation, Hannover, Germany.
- Global Virus Network, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA.
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Peng Y, Yan H, Zhang J, Peng R, Feng X, Su J, Yi H, Lu Y, Chen Z. Potent immune responses against thermostable Foot-and-Mouth disease virus VP1 nanovaccine adjuvanted with polymeric thermostable scaffold. Vaccine 2024; 42:732-737. [PMID: 38220487 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2023.12.079] [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: 06/17/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is an acute zoonosis causes significant economic losses. Vaccines able to stimulate efficient protective immune responses are urgently needed. In this study, Escherichia coli-derived recombinant VP1 of serotype A and O FMD virus (FMDV) was conjugated to thermostable scaffold lumazine synthase (LS) or Quasibacillus thermotolerans encapsulin (QtEnc) using a robust plug-and-display SpyTag/SpyCatcher system to generate multimeric nanovaccines. These nanovaccines induced highly potent antibody responses in vaccinated mice. On day 14 after the first immunisation, antibody titres were approximately 100 times higher than those of monomer antigens. Both vaccines induced high and long-term IgG antibody production. Moreover, the QtEnc-VP1 nanovaccine induced higher antibody titres than the LS-VP1 nanovaccine. The nanovaccines also induced Th1-biased immune responses and higher levels of neutralising antibodies. These data indicated that FMDV nanovaccines generated by conjugating VP1 with a thermostable scaffold are highly immunogenic and ideal candidates for FMDV control in low-resource areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanli Peng
- One Health Center of Excellence for Research and Training, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Quality Monitoring and Evaluation of Vaccines and Biological Products, Guangzhou, 510080, China; Key Laboratory of Tropical Diseases Control, Sun Yat-Sen University, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Haozhen Yan
- One Health Center of Excellence for Research and Training, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Quality Monitoring and Evaluation of Vaccines and Biological Products, Guangzhou, 510080, China; Key Laboratory of Tropical Diseases Control, Sun Yat-Sen University, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Jinsong Zhang
- One Health Center of Excellence for Research and Training, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Quality Monitoring and Evaluation of Vaccines and Biological Products, Guangzhou, 510080, China; Key Laboratory of Tropical Diseases Control, Sun Yat-Sen University, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Ruihao Peng
- One Health Center of Excellence for Research and Training, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Quality Monitoring and Evaluation of Vaccines and Biological Products, Guangzhou, 510080, China; Key Laboratory of Tropical Diseases Control, Sun Yat-Sen University, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Xiangning Feng
- One Health Center of Excellence for Research and Training, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Quality Monitoring and Evaluation of Vaccines and Biological Products, Guangzhou, 510080, China; Key Laboratory of Tropical Diseases Control, Sun Yat-Sen University, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Jiayue Su
- One Health Center of Excellence for Research and Training, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Quality Monitoring and Evaluation of Vaccines and Biological Products, Guangzhou, 510080, China; Key Laboratory of Tropical Diseases Control, Sun Yat-Sen University, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Huaimin Yi
- One Health Center of Excellence for Research and Training, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Quality Monitoring and Evaluation of Vaccines and Biological Products, Guangzhou, 510080, China; Key Laboratory of Tropical Diseases Control, Sun Yat-Sen University, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Yuying Lu
- One Health Center of Excellence for Research and Training, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Quality Monitoring and Evaluation of Vaccines and Biological Products, Guangzhou, 510080, China; Key Laboratory of Tropical Diseases Control, Sun Yat-Sen University, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Zeliang Chen
- One Health Center of Excellence for Research and Training, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Quality Monitoring and Evaluation of Vaccines and Biological Products, Guangzhou, 510080, China; Key Laboratory of Tropical Diseases Control, Sun Yat-Sen University, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, 510080, China; Key Laboratory of Zoonose Prevention and Control at Universities of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Medical College, Inner Mongolia Minzu University, Tongliao, 028000, P. R. China; Key Laboratory of Livestock Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Education, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, 110866, China.
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3
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Roier S, Mangala Prasad V, McNeal MM, Lee KK, Petsch B, Rauch S. mRNA-based VP8* nanoparticle vaccines against rotavirus are highly immunogenic in rodents. NPJ Vaccines 2023; 8:190. [PMID: 38129390 PMCID: PMC10739717 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-023-00790-z] [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: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the availability of live-attenuated oral vaccines, rotavirus remains a major cause of severe childhood diarrhea worldwide. Due to the growing demand for parenteral rotavirus vaccines, we developed mRNA-based vaccine candidates targeting the viral spike protein VP8*. Our monomeric P2 (universal T cell epitope)-VP8* mRNA design is equivalent to a protein vaccine currently in clinical development, while LS (lumazine synthase)-P2-VP8* was designed to form nanoparticles. Cyro-electron microscopy and western blotting-based data presented here suggest that proteins derived from LS-P2-VP8* mRNA are secreted in vitro and self-assemble into 60-mer nanoparticles displaying VP8*. mRNA encoded VP8* was immunogenic in rodents and introduced both humoral and cellular responses. LS-P2-VP8* induced superior humoral responses to P2-VP8* in guinea pigs, both as monovalent and trivalent vaccines, with encouraging responses detected against the most prevalent P genotypes. Overall, our data provide evidence that trivalent LS-P2-VP8* represents a promising mRNA-based next-generation rotavirus vaccine candidate.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Vidya Mangala Prasad
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Monica M McNeal
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Kelly K Lee
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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Sun L, Niu J, Zhang J, Peng Y, Feng X, Huang F, Liu J, Li S, Chen Z. Thermostable T Cell Multiepitope Nanoparticle Antigens Inducing Potent Immune Responses against the Swine Fever Virus. ACS Infect Dis 2023; 9:2358-2368. [PMID: 37861250 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.3c00506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
African swine fever (ASF) is caused by the African swine fever virus (ASFV) and is a highly contagious, acute, febrile disease that has high morbidity and mortality rates in domestic and wild swine. However, a safe and effective vaccine against ASF remains unavailable as single antigens fail to provide sufficient protection. Therefore, a combination of multiple antigens with an efficient delivery system might be an alternative strategy. Herein, a de novo-designed antigen with multiple T-cell epitopes (TEPs) of ASFV was conjugated for surface display on self-assembled nanoparticles (NPs) of Aquifex aeolicus lumazine synthase (AaLS) and Quasibacillus thermotolerans encapsulin (QT) through the SpyCatcher/SpyTag system to construct nanovaccines (TEP-Spy-NPs). TEP-Spy-NPs exhibited significantly more thermal, storage, and freeze-thaw stability in comparison to TEP monomers. TEP-Spy-NPs were highly immunogenic and induced strong polyclonal antibody responses in mice and pigs. The specific antibody titers against the TEP of the TEP-Spy-AaLS and TEP-Spy-QT groups were significantly higher than those of the TEP monomer immune group after the second booster immunization. The antibody titer against TEP of the TEP-Spy-QT group was approximately twice that of the TEP-Spy-AaLS group in mice. ELISpot analysis demonstrated that more IFN-γ- and IL-2-secreting splenic lymphocytes were produced by TEP-Spy-AaLS- and TEP-Spy-QT-immunized mice than by TEP monomer-immunized mice. TEP-Spy-NPs elicited stronger cellular immunity and in vivo immunity in immunized pigs than did TEP monomers. Thus, the TEP nanovaccine successfully induced strong humoral and cellular immune responses in mice and pigs, and TEP-Spy-NPs have the potential as candidate vaccines for ASFV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lidan Sun
- Key Laboratory of Livestock Infectious Diseases in Northeast China, Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shenyang Agricultural University, No. 120 Dongling Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang, Liaoning 110866, China
- Department of Cell Engineering, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Jingqi Niu
- Key Laboratory of Livestock Infectious Diseases in Northeast China, Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shenyang Agricultural University, No. 120 Dongling Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang, Liaoning 110866, China
| | - Jinsong Zhang
- School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Yuanli Peng
- School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Xiangning Feng
- School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Fang Huang
- Department of Cell Engineering, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Jinling Liu
- Key Laboratory of Livestock Infectious Diseases in Northeast China, Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shenyang Agricultural University, No. 120 Dongling Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang, Liaoning 110866, China
| | - Shanhu Li
- Department of Cell Engineering, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Zeliang Chen
- Key Laboratory of Livestock Infectious Diseases in Northeast China, Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shenyang Agricultural University, No. 120 Dongling Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang, Liaoning 110866, China
- School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
- Key Laboratory of Zoonose Prevention and Control at Universities of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Medical College, Inner Mongolia Minzu University, Tongliao 028000, China
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5
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Hartman AL, Myler PJ. Bunyavirales: Scientific Gaps and Prototype Pathogens for a Large and Diverse Group of Zoonotic Viruses. J Infect Dis 2023; 228:S376-S389. [PMID: 37849397 PMCID: PMC10582323 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiac338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Research directed at select prototype pathogens is part of the approach put forth by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID) to prepare for future pandemics caused by emerging viruses. We were tasked with identifying suitable prototypes for four virus families of the Bunyavirales order (Phenuiviridae, Peribunyaviridae, Nairoviridae, and Hantaviridae). This is a challenge due to the breadth and diversity of these viral groups. While there are many differences among the Bunyavirales, they generally have complex ecological life cycles, segmented genomes, and cause a range of human clinical outcomes from mild to severe and even death. Here, we delineate potential prototype species that encompass the breadth of clinical outcomes of a given family, have existing reverse genetics tools or animal disease models, and can be amenable to a platform approach to vaccine testing. Suggested prototype pathogens outlined here can serve as a starting point for further discussions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy L Hartman
- Center for Vaccine Research, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Peter J Myler
- Department of Pediatrics and the Department of Biomedical Informatics and Medical Education, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA
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Tapia D, Reyes-Sandoval A, Sanchez-Villamil JI. Protein-based Nanoparticle Vaccine Approaches Against Infectious Diseases. Arch Med Res 2023; 54:168-175. [PMID: 36894463 DOI: 10.1016/j.arcmed.2023.02.003] [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: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
Abstract
The field of vaccine development has seen an increase in the number of rationally designed technologies that increase effectiveness against vaccine-resistant pathogens, while not compromising safety. Yet, there is still an urgent need to expand and further understand these platforms against complex pathogens that often evade protective responses. Nanoscale platforms have been at the center of new studies, especially in the wake of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), with the aim of deploying safe and effective vaccines in a short time period. The intrinsic properties of protein-based nanoparticles, such as biocompatibility, flexible physicochemical characteristics, and variety have made them an attractive platform against different infectious disease agents. In the past decade, several studies have tested both lumazine synthase-, ferritin-, and albumin-based nanoplatforms against a wide range of complex pathogens in pre-clinical studies. Owed to their success in pre-clinical studies, several studies are undergoing human clinical trials or are near an initial phase. In this review we highlight the different protein-based platforms, mechanisms of synthesis, and effectiveness of these over the past decade. In addition, some challenges, and future directions to increase their effectiveness are also highlighted. Taken together, protein-based nanoscaffolds have proven to be an effective means to design rationally designed vaccines, especially against complex pathogens and emerging infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Tapia
- The Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, The Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Arturo Reyes-Sandoval
- Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Laboratorio Nacional de Vacunología y Virus Tropicales, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Javier I Sanchez-Villamil
- Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Centro de Investigación en Ciencia Aplicada y Tecnología Avanzada, Unidad Morelos, Atlacholoaya, Morelos, México.
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Thermophilic Filamentous Fungus C1-Cell-Cloned SARS-CoV-2-Spike-RBD-Subunit-Vaccine Adjuvanted with Aldydrogel ®85 Protects K18-hACE2 Mice against Lethal Virus Challenge. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:vaccines10122119. [PMID: 36560529 PMCID: PMC9783968 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10122119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 is evolving with increased transmission, host range, pathogenicity, and virulence. The original and mutant viruses escape host innate (Interferon) immunity and adaptive (Antibody) immunity, emphasizing unmet needs for high-yield, commercial-scale manufacturing to produce inexpensive vaccines/boosters for global/equitable distribution. We developed DYAI-100A85, a SARS-CoV-2 spike receptor binding domain (RBD) subunit antigen vaccine expressed in genetically modified thermophilic filamentous fungus, Thermothelomyces heterothallica C1, and secreted at high levels into fermentation medium. The RBD-C-tag antigen strongly binds ACE2 receptors in vitro. Alhydrogel®'85'-adjuvanted RDB-C-tag-based vaccine candidate (DYAI-100A85) demonstrates strong immunogenicity, and antiviral efficacy, including in vivo protection against lethal intranasal SARS-CoV-2 (D614G) challenge in human ACE2-transgenic mice. No loss of body weight or adverse events occurred. DYAI-100A85 also demonstrates excellent safety profile in repeat-dose GLP toxicity study. In summary, subcutaneous prime/boost DYAI-100A85 inoculation induces high titers of RBD-specific neutralizing antibodies and protection of hACE2-transgenic mice against lethal challenge with SARS-CoV-2. Given its demonstrated safety, efficacy, and low production cost, vaccine candidate DYAI-100 received regulatory approval to initiate a Phase 1 clinical trial to demonstrate its safety and efficacy in humans.
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Wernike K, Aebischer A, Audonnet JC, Beer M. Vaccine development against Schmallenberg virus: from classical inactivated to modified-live to scaffold particle vaccines. ONE HEALTH OUTLOOK 2022; 4:13. [PMID: 35978443 PMCID: PMC9383659 DOI: 10.1186/s42522-022-00069-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Subsequent to its first detection in 2011, the insect-transmitted bunyavirus Schmallenberg virus (SBV; genus Orthobunyavirus) caused a large-scale epizootic of fetal malformation in the European ruminant population. By now, SBV established an enzootic status in Central Europe with regular wave-like re-emergence, which has prompted intensive research efforts in order to elucidate the pathogenesis and to develop countermeasures. Since different orthobunyaviruses share a very similar structural organization, SBV has become an important model virus to study orthobunyaviruses in general and for the development of vaccines. In this review article, we summarize which vaccine formulations have been tested to prevent SBV infections in livestock animals. MAIN: In a first step, inactivated SBV candidate vaccines were developed, which efficiently protected against an experimental SBV infection. Due to the inability to differentiate infected from vaccinated animals (= DIVA capability), a series of further approaches ranging from modified live, live-vectored, subunit and DNA-mediated vaccine delivery to multimeric antigen-presentation on scaffold particles was developed and evaluated. In short, it was repeatedly demonstrated that the N-terminal half of the glycoprotein Gc, composed of the Gc head and the head-stalk, is highly immunogenic, with a superior immunogenicity of the complete head-stalk domain compared to the Gc head only. Furthermore, in all Gc protein-based vaccine candidates, immunized animals can be readily discriminated from animals infected with the field virus by the absence of antibodies against the viral N-protein. CONCLUSIONS Using SBV as a model virus, several vaccination-challenge studies in target species underscored the superior performance of antigenic domains compared to linear epitopes regarding their immunogenicity. In addition, it could be shown that holistic approaches combining immunization-challenge infection studies with structural analyses provide essential knowledge required for an improved vaccine design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerstin Wernike
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Südufer 10, 17493, Greifswald - Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Andrea Aebischer
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Südufer 10, 17493, Greifswald - Insel Riems, Germany
| | | | - Martin Beer
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Südufer 10, 17493, Greifswald - Insel Riems, Germany.
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SpySwitch enables pH- or heat-responsive capture and release for plug-and-display nanoassembly. Nat Commun 2022; 13:3714. [PMID: 35764623 PMCID: PMC9240080 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31193-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Proteins can be empowered via SpyTag for anchoring and nanoassembly, through covalent bonding to SpyCatcher partners. Here we generate a switchable version of SpyCatcher, allowing gentle purification of SpyTagged proteins. We introduce numerous histidines adjacent to SpyTag’s binding site, giving moderate pH-dependent release. After phage-based selection, our final SpySwitch allows purification of SpyTag- and SpyTag003-fusions from bacterial or mammalian culture by capture at neutral pH and release at pH 5, with purity far beyond His-tag methods. SpySwitch is also thermosensitive, capturing at 4 °C and releasing at 37 °C. With flexible choice of eluent, SpySwitch-purified proteins can directly assemble onto multimeric scaffolds. 60-mer multimerization enhances immunogenicity and we use SpySwitch to purify receptor-binding domains from SARS-CoV-2 and 11 other sarbecoviruses. For these receptor-binding domains we determine thermal resilience (for mosaic vaccine development) and cross-recognition by antibodies. Antibody EY6A reacts across all tested sarbecoviruses, towards potential application against new coronavirus pandemic threats. The SpyCatcher-SpyTag system allows protein anchoring and nanoassembly. Here, the authors engineer SpySwitch, a dually switchable Catcher which allows gentle purification of SpyTagged proteins prior to downstream applications such as the assembly of virus-like particles.
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Rodon J, Mykytyn AZ, Cantero G, Albulescu IC, Bosch BJ, Brix A, Audonnet JC, Bensaid A, Vergara-Alert J, Haagmans BL, Segalés J. Protective efficacy of an RBD-based Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) particle vaccine in llamas. ONE HEALTH OUTLOOK 2022; 4:12. [PMID: 35739576 PMCID: PMC9225808 DOI: 10.1186/s42522-022-00068-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Ongoing outbreaks of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) continue posing a global health threat. Vaccination of livestock reservoir species is a recommended strategy to prevent spread of MERS-CoV among animals and potential spillover to humans. Using a direct-contact llama challenge model that mimics naturally occurring viral transmission, we tested the efficacy of a multimeric receptor binding domain (RBD) particle-display based vaccine candidate. While MERS-CoV was transmitted to naïve animals exposed to virus-inoculated llamas, immunization induced robust virus-neutralizing antibody responses and prevented transmission in 1/3 vaccinated, in-contact animals. Our exploratory study supports further improvement of the RBD-based vaccine to prevent zoonotic spillover of MERS-CoV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordi Rodon
- Unitat Mixta d'Investigació IRTA-UAB en Sanitat Animal, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Catalonia, 08193, Spain
- IRTA Programa de Sanitat Animal, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB),Bellaterra, Barcelona, Catalonia, 08193, Spain
| | - Anna Z Mykytyn
- Department of Viroscience, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, CA, 3000, The Netherlands
| | - Guillermo Cantero
- Unitat Mixta d'Investigació IRTA-UAB en Sanitat Animal, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Catalonia, 08193, Spain
- IRTA Programa de Sanitat Animal, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB),Bellaterra, Barcelona, Catalonia, 08193, Spain
| | - Irina C Albulescu
- Virology Division, Department of Infectious Diseases & Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, CL, 3584, The Netherlands
| | - Berend-Jan Bosch
- Virology Division, Department of Infectious Diseases & Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, CL, 3584, The Netherlands
| | - Alexander Brix
- Boehringer Ingelheim Veterinary Research Center GmbH & Co. KG, Hanover, Germany
| | - Jean-Christophe Audonnet
- Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health, Global Innovation, 813 Cours du 3ème millénaire, Saint-Priest, 69380, France
| | - Albert Bensaid
- Unitat Mixta d'Investigació IRTA-UAB en Sanitat Animal, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Catalonia, 08193, Spain
- IRTA Programa de Sanitat Animal, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB),Bellaterra, Barcelona, Catalonia, 08193, Spain
| | - Júlia Vergara-Alert
- Unitat Mixta d'Investigació IRTA-UAB en Sanitat Animal, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Catalonia, 08193, Spain
- IRTA Programa de Sanitat Animal, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB),Bellaterra, Barcelona, Catalonia, 08193, Spain
| | - Bart L Haagmans
- Department of Viroscience, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, CA, 3000, The Netherlands.
| | - Joaquim Segalés
- Unitat Mixta d'Investigació IRTA-UAB en Sanitat Animal, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Catalonia, 08193, Spain.
- Departament de Sanitat i Anatomia Animals, Facultat de Veterinària, UAB, Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Catalonia, 08193, Spain.
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11
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Ramot Y, Kronfeld N, Ophir Y, Ezov N, Friedman S, Saloheimo M, Vitikainen M, Ben-Artzi H, Avigdor A, Tchelet R, Valbuena Crespo N, Emalfarb M, Nyska A. Toxicity and Local Tolerance of a Novel Spike Protein RBD Vaccine Against SARS-CoV-2, Produced Using the C1 Thermothelomyces Heterothallica Protein Expression Platform. Toxicol Pathol 2022; 50:294-307. [PMID: 35514116 PMCID: PMC9128004 DOI: 10.1177/01926233221090518] [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] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and there is a growing demand for safe and effective vaccines. The thermophilic Thermothelomyces heterothallica filamentous fungal host, C1-cell, can be utilized as an expression platform for the rapid production of large quantities of antigens for developing vaccines. The aim of this study was to evaluate the local tolerance and the systemic toxicity of a C1-cell expressed receptor-binding domain (C1-RBD) vaccine, following repeated weekly intramuscular injections (total of 4 administrations), in New Zealand White rabbits. The animals were sacrificed either 3 days or 3 weeks following the last dose. No signs of toxicity were observed, including no injection site reactions. ELISA studies revealed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-specific immunoglobulin G antibodies in the sera of C1-RBD-treated animals starting from day 13 post injection, that were further elevated. Histopathology evaluation and immunohistochemical staining revealed follicular hyperplasia, consisting of B-cell type, in the spleen and inguinal lymph nodes of the treated animals that were sustained throughout the recovery phase. No local or systemic toxicity was observed. In conclusion, the SARS-CoV-2 C1-RBD vaccine candidate demonstrated an excellent safety profile and a lasting immunogenic response against receptor-binding domain, thus supporting its further development for use in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuval Ramot
- The Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.,Department of Dermatology, Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | | | - Yakir Ophir
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Nati Ezov
- Envigo CRS Israel Limited, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | | | | | | | - Hanna Ben-Artzi
- BTG-Biotechnology General (Israel) Ltd., Kiryat Malachi, Israel
| | - Avi Avigdor
- BTG-Biotechnology General (Israel) Ltd., Kiryat Malachi, Israel
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12
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Beaudoin CA, Bartas M, Volná A, Pečinka P, Blundell TL. Are There Hidden Genes in DNA/RNA Vaccines? Front Immunol 2022; 13:801915. [PMID: 35211117 PMCID: PMC8860813 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.801915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Due to the fast global spreading of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus - 2 (SARS-CoV-2), prevention and treatment options are direly needed in order to control infection-related morbidity, mortality, and economic losses. Although drug and inactivated and attenuated virus vaccine development can require significant amounts of time and resources, DNA and RNA vaccines offer a quick, simple, and cheap treatment alternative, even when produced on a large scale. The spike protein, which has been shown as the most antigenic SARS-CoV-2 protein, has been widely selected as the target of choice for DNA/RNA vaccines. Vaccination campaigns have reported high vaccination rates and protection, but numerous unintended effects, ranging from muscle pain to death, have led to concerns about the safety of RNA/DNA vaccines. In parallel to these studies, several open reading frames (ORFs) have been found to be overlapping SARS-CoV-2 accessory genes, two of which, ORF2b and ORF-Sh, overlap the spike protein sequence. Thus, the presence of these, and potentially other ORFs on SARS-CoV-2 DNA/RNA vaccines, could lead to the translation of undesired proteins during vaccination. Herein, we discuss the translation of overlapping genes in connection with DNA/RNA vaccines. Two mRNA vaccine spike protein sequences, which have been made publicly-available, were compared to the wild-type sequence in order to uncover possible differences in putative overlapping ORFs. Notably, the Moderna mRNA-1273 vaccine sequence is predicted to contain no frameshifted ORFs on the positive sense strand, which highlights the utility of codon optimization in DNA/RNA vaccine design to remove undesired overlapping ORFs. Since little information is available on ORF2b or ORF-Sh, we use structural bioinformatics techniques to investigate the structure-function relationship of these proteins. The presence of putative ORFs on DNA/RNA vaccine candidates implies that overlapping genes may contribute to the translation of smaller peptides, potentially leading to unintended clinical outcomes, and that the protein-coding potential of DNA/RNA vaccines should be rigorously examined prior to administration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher A. Beaudoin
- Department of Biochemistry, Sanger Building, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Martin Bartas
- Department of Biology and Ecology, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czechia
| | - Adriana Volná
- Department of Physics, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czechia
| | - Petr Pečinka
- Department of Biology and Ecology, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czechia
| | - Tom L. Blundell
- Department of Biochemistry, Sanger Building, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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13
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Keresztes G, Baer M, Alfenito MR, Verwoerd TC, Kovalchuk A, Wiebe MG, Andersen TK, Saloheimo M, Tchelet R, Kensinger R, Grødeland G, Emalfarb M. The Highly Productive Thermothelomyces heterothallica C1 Expression System as a Host for Rapid Development of Influenza Vaccines. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:vaccines10020148. [PMID: 35214607 PMCID: PMC8877961 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10020148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
(1) Influenza viruses constantly change and evade prior immune responses, forcing seasonal re-vaccinations with updated vaccines. Current FDA-approved vaccine manufacturing technologies are too slow and/or expensive to quickly adapt to mid-season changes in the virus or to the emergence of pandemic strains. Therefore, cost-effective vaccine technologies that can quickly adapt to newly emerged strains are desirable. (2) The filamentous fungal host Thermothelomyces heterothallica C1 (C1, formerly Myceliophthora thermophila) offers a highly efficient and cost-effective alternative to reliably produce immunogens of vaccine quality at large scale. (3) We showed the utility of the C1 system expressing hemagglutinin (HA) and a HA fusion protein from different H1N1 influenza A virus strains. Mice vaccinated with the C1-derived HA proteins elicited anti-HA immune responses similar, or stronger than mice vaccinated with HA products derived from prototypical expression systems. A challenge study demonstrated that vaccinated mice were protected against the aggressive homologous viral challenge. (4) The C1 expression system is proposed as part of a set of protein expression systems for plug-and-play vaccine manufacturing platforms. Upon the emergence of pathogens of concern these platforms could serve as a quick solution for producing enough vaccines for immunizing the world population in a much shorter time and more affordably than is possible with current platforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabor Keresztes
- Dyadic International Inc., 140 Intracoastal Pointe Drive, Suite 404, Jupiter, FL 33477, USA; (G.K.); (T.C.V.); (R.T.)
| | - Mark Baer
- EnGen Bio LLC, 61 Avondale Ave., Redwood City, CA 94062, USA; (M.B.); (M.R.A.)
| | - Mark R. Alfenito
- EnGen Bio LLC, 61 Avondale Ave., Redwood City, CA 94062, USA; (M.B.); (M.R.A.)
| | - Theo C. Verwoerd
- Dyadic International Inc., 140 Intracoastal Pointe Drive, Suite 404, Jupiter, FL 33477, USA; (G.K.); (T.C.V.); (R.T.)
| | - Andriy Kovalchuk
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd., P.O. Box 1000, 02044 Espoo, Finland; (A.K.); (M.G.W.); (M.S.)
| | - Marilyn G. Wiebe
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd., P.O. Box 1000, 02044 Espoo, Finland; (A.K.); (M.G.W.); (M.S.)
| | - Tor Kristian Andersen
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, 0027 Oslo, Norway; (T.K.A.); (G.G.)
| | - Markku Saloheimo
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd., P.O. Box 1000, 02044 Espoo, Finland; (A.K.); (M.G.W.); (M.S.)
| | - Ronen Tchelet
- Dyadic International Inc., 140 Intracoastal Pointe Drive, Suite 404, Jupiter, FL 33477, USA; (G.K.); (T.C.V.); (R.T.)
| | - Richard Kensinger
- Sanofi Pasteur, 1541 Ave. Marcel Mérieux, 69280 Marcy l’Etoile, France;
| | - Gunnveig Grødeland
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, 0027 Oslo, Norway; (T.K.A.); (G.G.)
- Department of Immunology and Transfusion Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, 0027 Oslo, Norway
| | - Mark Emalfarb
- Dyadic International Inc., 140 Intracoastal Pointe Drive, Suite 404, Jupiter, FL 33477, USA; (G.K.); (T.C.V.); (R.T.)
- Correspondence:
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14
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Lazo L, Bequet-Romero M, Lemos G, Musacchio A, Cabrales A, Bruno AJ, Ariel Espinosa L, Saloheimo M, Vitikainen M, Hernández A, Emalfarb M, Tchelet R, Suzarte E, Guillén G. A recombinant SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain expressed in an engineered fungal strain of Thermothelomyces heterothallica induces a functional immune response in mice. Vaccine 2022; 40:1162-1169. [PMID: 35078661 PMCID: PMC8783260 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2022.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Revised: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the development of effective vaccines against this pathogen has been a priority for the scientific community. Several strategies have been developed including vaccines based on recombinant viral protein fragments. The receptor-binding domain (RBD) in the S1 subunit of S protein has been considered one of the main targets of neutralizing antibodies. In this study we assess the potential of a vaccine formulation based on the recombinant RBD domain of SARS-CoV-2 expressed in the thermophilic filamentous fungal strain Thermothelomyces heterothallica and the hepatitis B virus (HBV) core protein. Functional humoral and cellular immune responses were detected in mice. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the immune evaluation of a biomedical product obtained in the fungal strain T. heterothallica. These results together with the intrinsic advantages of this expression platform support its use for the development of biotechnology products for medical purpose.
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