Single-injection subunit vaccine for rabies prevention using lentinan as adjuvant

Area of Science:

• Vaccinology
• Biomaterials Science
• Immunology

Background:

• Current rabies vaccines necessitate a 5-dose regimen, leading to poor patient compliance.
• Developing a single-injection vaccine is crucial to enhance adherence and ensure effective rabies prevention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and evaluate single-injection rabies vaccines with improved efficacy and compliance.
• To investigate the immune response generated by a novel vaccine delivery system utilizing dynamic layer-by-layer films.

Main Methods:

• A single-injection vaccine was formulated using rabies virus glycoprotein (G protein) with a time-controlled release system.
• Dynamic layer-by-layer films were employed as erodible coatings for pulsatile antigen release.
• A second vaccine formulation incorporated lentinan as an adjuvant to further enhance immune response.

Main Results:

• The first single-injection vaccine demonstrated humoral and cellular immune responses comparable to multi-dose vaccines due to controlled G protein release.
• The second vaccine, with lentinan adjuvant, also showed comparable immune responses and improved virus inhibition efficiency.
• Lentinan significantly boosted the immune response, enhancing the overall performance of the single-injection vaccine.

Conclusions:

• Single-injection rabies vaccines utilizing dynamic layer-by-layer films offer a promising alternative to conventional multi-dose regimens.
• The addition of lentinan as an adjuvant further enhances the immunogenicity and efficacy of these novel single-injection vaccines.
• These advancements hold potential for improving global rabies prevention strategies through increased vaccination compliance.