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Silva MDO, Castro-Amarante MF, Venceslau-Carvalho AA, Almeida BDS, Daher IP, de Souza-Silva GA, Yamamoto MM, Koike G, de Souza EE, Wrenger C, Ferreira LCDS, Boscardin SB. Enhanced Immunogenicity and Protective Effects against SARS-CoV-2 Following Immunization with a Recombinant RBD-IgG Chimeric Protein. Vaccines (Basel) 2024; 12:356. [PMID: 38675739 PMCID: PMC11054318 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines12040356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The unprecedented global impact caused by SARS-CoV-2 imposed huge health and economic challenges, highlighting the urgent need for safe and effective vaccines. The receptor-binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 is the major target for neutralizing antibodies and for vaccine formulations. Nonetheless, the low immunogenicity of the RBD requires the use of alternative strategies to enhance its immunological properties. Here, we evaluated the use of a subunit vaccine antigen generated after the genetic fusing of the RBD with a mouse IgG antibody. Subcutaneous administration of RBD-IgG led to the extended presence of the protein in the blood of immunized animals and enhanced RBD-specific IgG titers. Furthermore, RBD-IgG immunized mice elicited increased virus neutralizing antibody titers, measured both with pseudoviruses and with live original (Wuhan) SARS-CoV-2. Immunized K18-hACE2 mice were fully resistant to the lethal challenge of the Wuhan SARS-CoV-2, demonstrated by the control of body-weight loss and virus loads in their lungs and brains. Thus, we conclude that the genetic fusion of the RBD with an IgG molecule enhanced the immunogenicity of the antigen and the generation of virus-neutralizing antibodies, supporting the use of IgG chimeric antigens as an approach to improve the performance of SARS-CoV-2 subunit vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariângela de Oliveira Silva
- Laboratory of Antigen Targeting to Dendritic Cells, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil; (M.d.O.S.)
| | - Maria Fernanda Castro-Amarante
- Laboratory of Vaccine Development, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Alexia Adrianne Venceslau-Carvalho
- Laboratory of Vaccine Development, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Bianca da Silva Almeida
- Laboratory of Antigen Targeting to Dendritic Cells, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil; (M.d.O.S.)
| | - Isabela Pazotti Daher
- Laboratory of Immunology, Heart Institute (InCor), School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05403-000, Brazil
| | - Guilherme Antonio de Souza-Silva
- Laboratory of Antigen Targeting to Dendritic Cells, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil; (M.d.O.S.)
| | - Marcio Massao Yamamoto
- Laboratory of Antigen Targeting to Dendritic Cells, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil; (M.d.O.S.)
| | - Gabriela Koike
- Laboratory of Antigen Targeting to Dendritic Cells, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil; (M.d.O.S.)
| | - Edmarcia Elisa de Souza
- Unit for Drug Discovery, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Carsten Wrenger
- Unit for Drug Discovery, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Luís Carlos de Souza Ferreira
- Laboratory of Vaccine Development, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Silvia Beatriz Boscardin
- Laboratory of Antigen Targeting to Dendritic Cells, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil; (M.d.O.S.)
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Cioffi VB, de Castro-Amarante MF, Lulla A, Andreata-Santos R, Cruz MC, Moreno ACR, de Oliveira Silva M, de Miranda Peres B, de Freitas Junior LHG, Moraes CB, Durigon EL, Gordon NC, Hyvönen M, de Souza Ferreira LC, Balan A. SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein peptides displayed in the Pyrococcus furiosus RAD system preserve epitopes antigenicity, immunogenicity, and virus-neutralizing activity of antibodies. Sci Rep 2023; 13:16821. [PMID: 37798298 PMCID: PMC10556064 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-43720-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Amongst the potential contribution of protein or peptide-display systems to study epitopes with relevant immunological features, the RAD display system stands out as a highly stable scaffold protein that allows the presentation of constrained target peptides. Here, we employed the RAD display system to present peptides derived from the SARS-CoV-2 Spike (S) protein as a tool to detect specific serum antibodies and to generate polyclonal antibodies capable of inhibiting SARS-CoV-2 infectivity in vitro. 44 linear S-derived peptides were genetically fused with the RAD scaffold (RAD-SCoV-epitopes) and screened for antigenicity with sera collected from COVID-19-infected patients. In a second step, selected RAD-SCoV-epitopes were used to immunize mice and generate antibodies. Phenotypic screening showed that some of these antibodies were able to recognize replicating viral particles in VERO CCL-81 and most notably seven of the RAD-SCoV-epitopes were able to induce antibodies that inhibited viral infection. Our findings highlight the RAD display system as an useful platform for the immunological characterization of peptides and a potentially valuable strategy for the design of antigens for peptide-based vaccines, for epitope-specific antibody mapping, and for the development of antibodies for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor Bolsanelli Cioffi
- Laboratory of Applied Structural Biology, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1374, São Paulo, 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Maria Fernanda de Castro-Amarante
- Laboratory of Vaccine Development, Department of Microbiology, University of São Paulo, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1374, São Paulo, 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Aleksei Lulla
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, 80 Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1GA, UK
| | - Robert Andreata-Santos
- Laboratory of Vaccine Development, Department of Microbiology, University of São Paulo, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1374, São Paulo, 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Mario Costa Cruz
- Core Facilities to Support Research (CEFAP), Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, São Paulo, 173005508-000, Brazil
| | - Ana Carolina Ramos Moreno
- Laboratory of Vaccine Development, Department of Microbiology, University of São Paulo, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1374, São Paulo, 05508-000, Brazil
- Vaccine Development Laboratory, Butantan Institute, Av. Vital Brasil, 1500, São Paulo, SP, 05503-900, Brazil
| | - Mariângela de Oliveira Silva
- Phenotypic Screening Platform, Department of Microbiology, University of São Paulo, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1374, São Paulo, 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Bianca de Miranda Peres
- Phenotypic Screening Platform, Department of Microbiology, University of São Paulo, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1374, São Paulo, 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Lucio Holanda Gondim de Freitas Junior
- Phenotypic Screening Platform, Department of Microbiology, University of São Paulo, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1374, São Paulo, 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Carolina Borsoi Moraes
- Phenotypic Screening Platform, Department of Microbiology, University of São Paulo, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1374, São Paulo, 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Edison Luiz Durigon
- Laboratory of Clinical and Molecular Virology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1374, São Paulo, 05508-000, Brazil
- Institut Pasteur de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lucio Martins Rodrigues, 370, São Paulo, 05508-020, Brazil
| | - Nicola Coker Gordon
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, 80 Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1GA, UK
| | - Marko Hyvönen
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, 80 Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1GA, UK
| | - Luís Carlos de Souza Ferreira
- Laboratory of Vaccine Development, Department of Microbiology, University of São Paulo, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1374, São Paulo, 05508-000, Brazil
- Institut Pasteur de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lucio Martins Rodrigues, 370, São Paulo, 05508-020, Brazil
| | - Andrea Balan
- Laboratory of Applied Structural Biology, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1374, São Paulo, 05508-000, Brazil.
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3
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Pereira SS, Andreata-Santos R, de Castro-Amarante MF, Venceslau-Carvalho AA, Sales NS, Silva MDO, Alves RPDS, Jungmann P, Ferreira LCDS. Multi-epitope Antigen for Specific Serological Detection of Dengue Viruses. Viruses 2023; 15:1936. [PMID: 37766342 PMCID: PMC10535193 DOI: 10.3390/v15091936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Dengue is an infectious disease of global health concern that continues to require surveillance. Serological testing has been used to investigate dengue-infected patients, but specificity is affected by the co-circulation of ZIKA virus (ZIKV), which shares extensive antigen similarities. The goal of this study was the development of a specific dengue virus (DENV) IgG ELISA based on a multi-epitope NS1-based antigen for antibody detection. The multi-epitope protein (T-ΔNS1), derived from a fragment of the NS1-protein of the four DENV serotypes, was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified via affinity chromatography. The antigenicity and specificity were evaluated with sera of mice infected with DENV-1-4 or ZIKV or after immunization with the recombinant ΔNS1 proteins. The performance of the T-ΔNS1-based IgG ELISA was also determined with human serum samples. The results demonstrate that the DENV T-ΔNS1 was specifically recognized by the serum IgG of dengue-infected mice or humans but showed no or reduced reactivity with ZIKV-infected subjects. Based on the available set of clinical samples, the ELISA based on the DENV T-ΔNS1 achieved 77.42% sensitivity and 88.57% specificity. The results indicate that the T-ΔNS1 antigen is a promising candidate for the development of specific serological analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Santos Pereira
- Laboratory of Vaccine Development, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Microbiology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil; (S.S.P.); (R.A.-S.); (M.F.d.C.-A.); (A.A.V.-C.); (N.S.S.); (M.d.O.S.); (R.P.d.S.A.)
| | - Robert Andreata-Santos
- Laboratory of Vaccine Development, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Microbiology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil; (S.S.P.); (R.A.-S.); (M.F.d.C.-A.); (A.A.V.-C.); (N.S.S.); (M.d.O.S.); (R.P.d.S.A.)
| | - Maria Fernanda de Castro-Amarante
- Laboratory of Vaccine Development, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Microbiology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil; (S.S.P.); (R.A.-S.); (M.F.d.C.-A.); (A.A.V.-C.); (N.S.S.); (M.d.O.S.); (R.P.d.S.A.)
- Institut Pasteur de São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-020, Brazil
| | - Aléxia Adrianne Venceslau-Carvalho
- Laboratory of Vaccine Development, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Microbiology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil; (S.S.P.); (R.A.-S.); (M.F.d.C.-A.); (A.A.V.-C.); (N.S.S.); (M.d.O.S.); (R.P.d.S.A.)
- Institut Pasteur de São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-020, Brazil
| | - Natiely Silva Sales
- Laboratory of Vaccine Development, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Microbiology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil; (S.S.P.); (R.A.-S.); (M.F.d.C.-A.); (A.A.V.-C.); (N.S.S.); (M.d.O.S.); (R.P.d.S.A.)
| | - Mariângela de Oliveira Silva
- Laboratory of Vaccine Development, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Microbiology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil; (S.S.P.); (R.A.-S.); (M.F.d.C.-A.); (A.A.V.-C.); (N.S.S.); (M.d.O.S.); (R.P.d.S.A.)
| | - Rúbens Prince dos Santos Alves
- Laboratory of Vaccine Development, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Microbiology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil; (S.S.P.); (R.A.-S.); (M.F.d.C.-A.); (A.A.V.-C.); (N.S.S.); (M.d.O.S.); (R.P.d.S.A.)
| | - Patrícia Jungmann
- General Pathology, Universidade de Pernambuco, Recife 50100-130, Brazil;
| | - Luís Carlos de Souza Ferreira
- Laboratory of Vaccine Development, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Microbiology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil; (S.S.P.); (R.A.-S.); (M.F.d.C.-A.); (A.A.V.-C.); (N.S.S.); (M.d.O.S.); (R.P.d.S.A.)
- Institut Pasteur de São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-020, Brazil
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4
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Ramos da Silva J, Bitencourt Rodrigues K, Formoso Pelegrin G, Silva Sales N, Muramatsu H, de Oliveira Silva M, Porchia BFMM, Moreno ACR, Aps LRMM, Venceslau-Carvalho AA, Tombácz I, Fotoran WL, Karikó K, Lin PJC, Tam YK, de Oliveira Diniz M, Pardi N, de Souza Ferreira LC. Single immunizations of self-amplifying or non-replicating mRNA-LNP vaccines control HPV-associated tumors in mice. Sci Transl Med 2023; 15:eabn3464. [PMID: 36867683 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abn3464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/05/2023]
Abstract
As mRNA vaccines have proved to be very successful in battling the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, this new modality has attracted widespread interest for the development of potent vaccines against other infectious diseases and cancer. Cervical cancer caused by persistent human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is a major cause of cancer-related deaths in women, and the development of safe and effective therapeutic strategies is urgently needed. In the present study, we compared the performance of three different mRNA vaccine modalities to target tumors associated with HPV-16 infection in mice. We generated lipid nanoparticle (LNP)-encapsulated self-amplifying mRNA as well as unmodified and nucleoside-modified non-replicating mRNA vaccines encoding a chimeric protein derived from the fusion of the HPV-16 E7 oncoprotein and the herpes simplex virus type 1 glycoprotein D (gDE7). We demonstrated that single low-dose immunizations with any of the three gDE7 mRNA vaccines induced activation of E7-specific CD8+ T cells, generated memory T cell responses capable of preventing tumor relapses, and eradicated subcutaneous tumors at different growth stages. In addition, the gDE7 mRNA-LNP vaccines induced potent tumor protection in two different orthotopic mouse tumor models after administration of a single vaccine dose. Last, comparative studies demonstrated that all three gDE7 mRNA-LNP vaccines proved to be superior to gDE7 DNA and gDE7 recombinant protein vaccines. Collectively, we demonstrated the immunogenicity and therapeutic efficacy of three different mRNA vaccines in extensive comparative experiments. Our data support further evaluation of these mRNA vaccines in clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamile Ramos da Silva
- Vaccine Development Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP 05508-000, Brazil.,Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Karine Bitencourt Rodrigues
- Vaccine Development Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Guilherme Formoso Pelegrin
- Vaccine Development Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Natiely Silva Sales
- Vaccine Development Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Hiromi Muramatsu
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.,Department of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Mariângela de Oliveira Silva
- Vaccine Development Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Bruna F M M Porchia
- Vaccine Development Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP 05508-000, Brazil.,Laboratory of Tumor Immunology, Department of Immunology, Biomedical Sciences Institute, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP 05508-000, Brazil.,ImunoTera Soluções Terapêuticas Ltda., São Paulo, SP 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Ana Carolina Ramos Moreno
- Vaccine Development Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Luana Raposo M M Aps
- Vaccine Development Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP 05508-000, Brazil.,ImunoTera Soluções Terapêuticas Ltda., São Paulo, SP 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Aléxia Adrianne Venceslau-Carvalho
- Vaccine Development Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP 05508-000, Brazil
| | - István Tombácz
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Wesley Luzetti Fotoran
- Department of Parasitology, Institute for Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, SP 05508-000, Brazil
| | | | | | - Ying K Tam
- Acuitas Therapeutics, Vancouver, BC V6T1Z3, Canada
| | - Mariana de Oliveira Diniz
- Vaccine Development Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Norbert Pardi
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.,Department of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Luís Carlos de Souza Ferreira
- Vaccine Development Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP 05508-000, Brazil.,Scientific Platform Pasteur USP, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, 05508-020, Brazil
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5
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Pagni RL, Souza PDC, Pegoraro R, Porchia BFMM, da Silva JR, Aps LRDMM, Silva MDO, Rodrigues KB, Sales NS, Ferreira LCDS, Moreno ACR. Interleukin-6 and indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase as potential adjuvant targets for Papillomavirus-related tumors immunotherapy. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1005937. [PMID: 36405719 PMCID: PMC9668887 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1005937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
High-risk Human papillomavirus (HPV) infections represent an important public health issue. Nearly all cervical malignancies are associated with HPV, and a range of other female and male cancers, such as anogenital and oropharyngeal. Aiming to treat HPV-related tumors, our group developed vaccines based on the genetic fusion of the HSV-1 glycoprotein D (gD) with the HPV-16 E7 oncoprotein (gDE7 vaccines). Despite the promising antitumor results reached by gDE7 vaccines in mice, combined therapies may increase the therapeutic effects by improving antitumor responses and halting immune suppressive mechanisms elicited by tumor cells. Considering cancer immunosuppressive mechanisms, indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) enzyme and interleukin-6 (IL-6) stand out in HPV-related tumors. Since IL-6 sustained the constitutive IDO expression, here we evaluated the therapeutic outcomes achieved by the combination of active immunotherapy based on a gDE7 protein-based vaccine with adjuvant treatments involving blocking IDO, either by use of IDO inhibitors or IL-6 knockout mice. C57BL/6 wild-type (WT) and transgenic IL-6-/- mice were engrafted with HPV16-E6/E7-expressing TC-1 cells and treated with 1-methyl-tryptophan isoforms (D-1MT and DL-1MT), capable to inhibit IDO. In vitro, the 1MT isoforms reduced IL-6 gene expression and IL-6 secretion in TC-1 cells. In vivo, the multi-targeted treatment improved the antitumor efficacy of the gDE7-based protein vaccine. Although the gDE7 immunization achieves partial tumor mass control in combination with D-1MT or DL-1MT in WT mice or when administered in IL-6-/- mice, the combination of gDE7 and 1MT in IL-6-/- mice further enhanced the antitumor effects, reaching total tumor rejection. The outcome of the combined therapy was associated with an increased frequency of activated dendritic cells and decreased frequencies of intratumoral polymorphonuclear myeloid-derived suppressor cells and T regulatory cells. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that IL-6 and IDO negatively contribute to the activation of immune cells, particularly dendritic cells, reducing gDE7 vaccine-induced protective immune responses and, therefore, opening perspectives for the use of combined strategies based on inhibition of IL-6 and IDO as immunometabolic adjuvants for immunotherapies against HPV-related tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Liberato Pagni
- Laboratório de Desenvolvimento de Vacinas, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Departamento de Microbiologia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Patrícia da Cruz Souza
- Laboratório de Desenvolvimento de Vacinas, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Departamento de Microbiologia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rafael Pegoraro
- Laboratório de Desenvolvimento de Vacinas, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Departamento de Microbiologia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Bruna Felício Milazzotto Maldonado Porchia
- Laboratório de Desenvolvimento de Vacinas, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Departamento de Microbiologia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- ImunoTera Soluções Terapêuticas Ltda., São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Jamile Ramos da Silva
- Laboratório de Desenvolvimento de Vacinas, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Departamento de Microbiologia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Luana Raposo de Melo Moraes Aps
- Laboratório de Desenvolvimento de Vacinas, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Departamento de Microbiologia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- ImunoTera Soluções Terapêuticas Ltda., São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Mariângela de Oliveira Silva
- Laboratório de Desenvolvimento de Vacinas, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Departamento de Microbiologia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Karine Bitencourt Rodrigues
- Laboratório de Desenvolvimento de Vacinas, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Departamento de Microbiologia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Natiely Silva Sales
- Laboratório de Desenvolvimento de Vacinas, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Departamento de Microbiologia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Luís Carlos de Souza Ferreira
- Laboratório de Desenvolvimento de Vacinas, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Departamento de Microbiologia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ana Carolina Ramos Moreno
- Laboratório de Desenvolvimento de Vacinas, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Departamento de Microbiologia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Laboratório de Desenvolvimento de Vacinas, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
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6
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Rodrigues-Jesus MJ, Teixeira de Pinho Favaro M, Venceslau-Carvalho AA, de Castro-Amarante MF, da Silva Almeida B, de Oliveira Silva M, Andreata-Santos R, Gomes Barbosa C, Brito SCM, Freitas-Junior LH, Boscardin SB, de Souza Ferreira LC. Nano-multilamellar lipid vesicles promote the induction of SARS-CoV-2 immune responses by a protein-based vaccine formulation. Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology and Medicine 2022; 45:102595. [PMID: 36031045 PMCID: PMC9420030 DOI: 10.1016/j.nano.2022.102595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Revised: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The development of safe and effective vaccine formulations against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) represents a hallmark in the history of vaccines. Here we report a COVID-19 subunit vaccine based on a SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein receptor binding domain (RBD) incorporated into nano-multilamellar vesicles (NMV) associated with monophosphoryl lipid A (MPLA). The results based on immunization of C57BL/6 mice demonstrated that recombinant antigen incorporation into NMVs improved antibody and T-cell responses without inducing toxic effects under both in vitro and in vivo conditions. Administration of RBD-NMV-MPLA formulations modulated antigen avidity and IgG subclass responses, whereas MPLA incorporation improved the activation of CD4+/CD8+ T-cell responses. In addition, immunization with the complete vaccine formulation reduced the number of doses required to achieve enhanced serum virus-neutralizing antibody titers. Overall, this study highlights NMV/MPLA technology, displaying the performance improvement of subunit vaccines against SARS-CoV-2, as well as other infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Josiane Rodrigues-Jesus
- Laboratory of Vaccine Development, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Marianna Teixeira de Pinho Favaro
- Laboratory of Vaccine Development, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Scientific Platform Pasteur/USP, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Aléxia Adrianne Venceslau-Carvalho
- Laboratory of Vaccine Development, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Scientific Platform Pasteur/USP, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Maria Fernanda de Castro-Amarante
- Laboratory of Vaccine Development, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Scientific Platform Pasteur/USP, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Bianca da Silva Almeida
- Laboratory of Antigen Targeting for Dendritic Cells, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Mariângela de Oliveira Silva
- Laboratory of Vaccine Development, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Scientific Platform Pasteur/USP, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Laboratory of Antigen Targeting for Dendritic Cells, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Robert Andreata-Santos
- Retrovirology Laboratory, Immunology and Microbiology Department, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Cecilia Gomes Barbosa
- Phenotypic Screening Platform of the Institute of Biomedical Sciences of the University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Samantha Carvalho Maia Brito
- Laboratory of Vaccine Development, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Lucio H Freitas-Junior
- Phenotypic Screening Platform of the Institute of Biomedical Sciences of the University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Silvia Beatriz Boscardin
- Laboratory of Antigen Targeting for Dendritic Cells, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Luís Carlos de Souza Ferreira
- Laboratory of Vaccine Development, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Scientific Platform Pasteur/USP, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
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7
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Porchia BFMM, Aps LRDMM, Moreno ACR, da Silva JR, Silva MDO, Sales NS, Alves RPDS, Rocha CRR, Silva MM, Rodrigues KB, Barros TB, Pagni RL, Souza PDC, Diniz MDO, Ferreira LCDS. Active immunization combined with cisplatin confers enhanced therapeutic protection and prevents relapses of HPV-induced tumors at different anatomical sites. Int J Biol Sci 2022; 18:15-29. [PMID: 34975315 PMCID: PMC8692155 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.56644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The active immunotherapy concept relies on the use of vaccines that are capable of inducing antitumor immunity, reversion of the suppressive immunological environment, and long-term memory responses. Previously, antitumor vaccines based on a recombinant plasmid (pgDE7h) or a purified protein (gDE7) led to regression of early-established human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated tumors in a preclinical model. In this work, the anticancer vaccines were combined with cisplatin to treat HPV-induced tumors at advanced growth stages. The antitumor effects were evaluated in terms of tumor regression, induction of specific CD8+ T cells, and immune modulation of the tumor microenvironment. Acute toxicity induced by the treatment was measured by weight loss and histological alterations in the liver and kidneys. Our results revealed that the combination of cisplatin with either one of the tested immunotherapies (pgDE7h or gDE7) led to complete tumor regression in mice. Also, the combined treatment resulted in synergistic effects, particularly among mice immunized with gDE7, including activation of systemic and tumor-infiltrating E7-specific CD8+ T cells, tumor infiltration of macrophages and dendritic cells, and prevention of tumor relapses at different anatomical sites. Furthermore, the protocol allowed the reduction of cisplatin dosage and its intrinsic toxic effects, without reducing antitumor outcomes. These results expand our knowledge of active immunotherapy protocols and open perspectives for alternative treatments of HPV-associated tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruna Felício Milazzotto Maldonado Porchia
- Vaccine Development Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Biomedical Sciences Institute, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.,ImunoTera Soluções Terapêuticas Ltda
| | - Luana Raposo de Melo Moraes Aps
- Vaccine Development Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Biomedical Sciences Institute, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.,ImunoTera Soluções Terapêuticas Ltda
| | - Ana Carolina Ramos Moreno
- Vaccine Development Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Biomedical Sciences Institute, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Jamile Ramos da Silva
- Vaccine Development Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Biomedical Sciences Institute, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Mariângela de Oliveira Silva
- Vaccine Development Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Biomedical Sciences Institute, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Natiely Silva Sales
- Vaccine Development Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Biomedical Sciences Institute, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Rubens Prince Dos Santos Alves
- Vaccine Development Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Biomedical Sciences Institute, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Clarissa Ribeiro Reily Rocha
- DNA Repair Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Matheus Molina Silva
- DNA Repair Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Karine Bitencourt Rodrigues
- Vaccine Development Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Biomedical Sciences Institute, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Tácita Borges Barros
- Vaccine Development Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Biomedical Sciences Institute, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Roberta Liberato Pagni
- Vaccine Development Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Biomedical Sciences Institute, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Patrícia da Cruz Souza
- Vaccine Development Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Biomedical Sciences Institute, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Mariana de Oliveira Diniz
- Vaccine Development Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Biomedical Sciences Institute, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.,ImunoTera Soluções Terapêuticas Ltda
| | - Luís Carlos de Souza Ferreira
- Vaccine Development Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Biomedical Sciences Institute, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
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8
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Ramos da Silva J, Ramos Moreno AC, Silva Sales N, de Oliveira Silva M, Aps LRMM, Porchia BFMM, Bitencourt Rodrigues K, Cestari Moreno N, Venceslau-Carvalho AA, Menck CFM, de Oliveira Diniz M, de Souza Ferreira LC. A therapeutic DNA vaccine and gemcitabine act synergistically to eradicate HPV-associated tumors in a preclinical model. Oncoimmunology 2021; 10:1949896. [PMID: 34367730 PMCID: PMC8312617 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2021.1949896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Although active immunotherapies are effective strategies to induce activation of CD8+ T cells, advanced stage tumors require further improvements for efficient control. Concerning the burden of cancer-related to Human papillomavirus (HPV), particularly the high incidence and mortality of cervical cancer, our group developed an approach based on a DNA vaccine targeting the HPV-16 E7 oncoprotein (pgDE7h). This immunotherapy is capable of inducing an antitumour CD8+ T cell response but show only partial control of tumors in more advanced growth stages. Here, we combined a chemotherapeutic agent (gemcitabine- Gem) with pgDE7h to overcome immunosuppression and improve antitumour responses in a preclinical mouse tumor model. Our results demonstrated that administration of Gem had synergistic antitumor effects when combined with pgDE7h leading to eradication of both early-stages and established tumors. Overall, the antiproliferative effects of Gem observed in vitro and in vivo provided an optimal window for immunotherapy. In addition, the enhanced antitumour responses induced by the combined therapeutic regimen included enhanced frequencies of antigen-presenting cells (APCs), E7-specific IFN-γ-producing CD8+ T cells, and cytotoxic CD8+ T cells and, concomitantly, less pronounced accumulation of immunosuppressive myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and regulatory T cells (Tregs). These findings demonstrated that the combination of Gem and an active immunotherapy strategy show increased effectiveness, leading to a reduced need for multiple drug doses and, therefore, decreased deleterious side effects avoiding resistance and tumor relapses. Altogether, our results provide evidence for a new and feasible chemoimmunotherapeutic strategy that supports future clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamile Ramos da Silva
- Vaccine Development Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Biomedical Sciences Institute, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ana Carolina Ramos Moreno
- Vaccine Development Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Biomedical Sciences Institute, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Natiely Silva Sales
- Vaccine Development Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Biomedical Sciences Institute, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Mariângela de Oliveira Silva
- Vaccine Development Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Biomedical Sciences Institute, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Luana R M M Aps
- Vaccine Development Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Biomedical Sciences Institute, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Bruna F M M Porchia
- Vaccine Development Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Biomedical Sciences Institute, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Laboratory of Tumor Immunology, Department of Immunology, Biomedical Sciences Institute, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Karine Bitencourt Rodrigues
- Vaccine Development Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Biomedical Sciences Institute, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Natália Cestari Moreno
- DNA Repair Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Biomedical Sciences Institute, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Mitochondrial Genetics Lab. Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Carlos Frederico M Menck
- DNA Repair Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Biomedical Sciences Institute, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Mariana de Oliveira Diniz
- Vaccine Development Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Biomedical Sciences Institute, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, 5 University St, Bloomsbury, London, UK
| | - Luís Carlos de Souza Ferreira
- Vaccine Development Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Biomedical Sciences Institute, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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9
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Sales NS, Diniz MDO, Silva JR, Silva MDO, Porchia BFMM, Aps LRMM, Ferreira LCS. Abstract A62: In vivo electroporation improves the immune responses induced by a DNA vaccine and confers complete antitumor protection against HPV-associated tumors. Clin Cancer Res 2018. [DOI: 10.1158/1557-3265.tcm17-a62] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Cervical cancer associated with persistent papilloma virus infections (HPV) is a public health problem and represents the third most frequent type of cancer in women. Our group developed a DNA vaccine against HPV-induced tumors based on the expression of the HPV-16 E7 oncoprotein genetically fused to the HSV-1 glycoprotein D (gD) (pgDE7h). This vaccine is capable of promoting antitumoral effects against tumor cells expressing HPV-16 E6 and E7 proteins (TC-1 cells) and induces specific cellular immune responses. In view of the low success rate of DNA vaccines in clinical trials, in vivo electroporation (EP) is a promising strategy for plasmid delivery, leading to increased cellular transfection and enhanced immune responses. In this study, C57BL/6 mice were inoculated with TC-1 cells subcutaneously and immunized 3 days later with pgDE7h intramuscularly, associated or not with EP. Immune responses were analyzed 14 days after vaccination and tumor growth was monitored for 60 days. Similar antitumor effects were obtained with 10-fold less DNA associated with EP when compared to the group that was inoculated only with DNA, reaching around 20% of tumor-free mice. Dose-response curves indicated that maximum protective immunity was achieved with 50 ug of vaccine inoculated with EP, promoting 100% of antitumor protection. This group also had enhanced frequencies of cytotoxic lymphocytes expressing the degranulation marker CD107a and high in vivo cytotoxic activities. Besides that, a delayed vaccination performed 10 days after the TC-1 injection led to 70% of tumor-free mice until the end of the observed period. Collectively, these data confirmed that EP can be used as an efficient method of DNA vaccine delivery and should be further studied to improve the chances of cancer vaccine success in clinical trials.
Citation Format: Natiely Silva Sales, Mariana de Oliveira Diniz, Jamile Ramos Silva, Mariângela de Oliveira Silva, Bruna F. M. M. Porchia, Luana R. M. M. Aps, Luis Carlos Souza Ferreira. In vivo electroporation improves the immune responses induced by a DNA vaccine and confers complete antitumor protection against HPV-associated tumors [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR International Conference held in cooperation with the Latin American Cooperative Oncology Group (LACOG) on Translational Cancer Medicine; May 4-6, 2017; São Paulo, Brazil. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2018;24(1_Suppl):Abstract nr A62.
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