Evaluation of the humoral and mucosal immune response of a multiepitope vaccine against COVID-19 in pigs

Introduction

This study evaluated the immune response to a multiepitope recombinant chimeric protein (CHIVAX) containing B- and T-cell epitopes of the SARS-CoV-2 spike's receptor binding domain (RBD) in a translational porcine model for pre-clinical studies.

Methods

We generated a multiepitope recombinant protein engineered to include six coding conserved epitopes from the RBD domain of the SARS-CoV-2 S protein. Pigs were divided into groups and immunized with different doses of the protein, with serum samples collected over time to determine antibody responses by indirect ELISA and antibody titration. Peptide recognition was also analyzed by Western blotting. A surrogate neutralization assay with recombinant ACE2 and RBDs was performed. Intranasal doses of the immunogen were also prepared and tested on Vietnamese minipigs.

Results

When the immunogen was administered subcutaneously, it induced specific IgG antibodies in pigs, and higher doses correlated with higher antibody levels. Antibodies from immunized pigs recognized individual peptides in the multiepitope vaccine and inhibited RBD-ACE2 binding for five variants of concern (VOC). Comparative antigen delivery methods showed that both, subcutaneous and combined subcutaneous/intranasal approaches, induced specific IgG and IgA antibodies, with the subcutaneous approach having superior neutralizing activity. CHIVAX elicited systemic immunity, evidenced by specific IgG antibodies in the serum, and local mucosal immunity, indicated by IgA antibodies in saliva, nasal, and bronchoalveolar lavage secretions. Importantly, these antibodies demonstrated neutralizing activity against SARS-CoV-2 in vitro.

Discussion

The elicited antibodies recognized individual epitopes on the chimeric protein and demonstrated the capacity to block RBD-ACE2 binding of the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 strain and four VOCs. The findings provide proof of concept for using multiepitope recombinant antigens and a combined immunization protocol to induce a neutralizing immune response against SARS-CoV-2 in the pig translational model for preclinical studies.

Study of morphological, structural, thermal, and pasting properties of flour and isolated starch from unripe plantain (Musa paradisiaca)

This work focused on studying the mineral composition, morphology, thermal, structural, and pasting properties of isolated plantain starch. Plantain starch is rich in K, and other ions as Mg, Ca, P, and Si were found. This starch exhibits lenticular, elliptical, and semispherical morphologies. Two endothermal events present in the thermogram were identified as the hexagonal and orthorhombic solvation. C-type starch formed by hexagonal and orthorhombic nanocrystal was completely indexed. The ash content showed the presence of calcium phosphate (KCaP₂O₇), Calcium Magnesium Phosphate (Ca_2.71Mg_0.29(PO₄)₂), and silicon oxide (SiO₂). The pasting profile of this starch behaves between a custard and a hydrogel. Scanning electron microscopy of the lyophilized samples along pasting profile confirms that the shear and van der Walls forces and slurry morphology govern the pasting profile changes.

Analysis of the pasting profile in corn starch: Structural, morphological, and thermal transformations, Part I

This work is focused on the understanding of the apparent viscosity profile of corn starch, in terms of the physicochemical and morphological changes that take place during the thermal profile of starch-water suspension to its respective gel formation. A mathematical model was used to obtain the experimental operating conditions that satisfy the Froude number. Freeze drying samples are studied in different stages along the pasting profile. Changes in the structural properties of the samples are studied using X-ray diffraction, and the morphological changes are followed using scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry was used to analyze the thermal changes in starch. The changes in the pasting profile are associated with structural, thermal,and morphological changes of the system and the analysis of the physicochemical transformation that occur during the pasting profile are explained. The finding in this work does not show evidence of gel retrogradation at the end of the cooling process.