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A "Plug-And-Display" Nanoparticle Vaccine Platform Based on Outer Membrane Vesicles Displaying SARS-CoV-2 Receptor-Binding Domain
Published on: July 25, 2022
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Second-Generation Phage Lambda Platform Employing SARS-CoV-2 Fusion Proteins as a Vaccine Candidate
Alexis Catala1, Bennett J Davenport2, Thomas E Morrison2
1Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.
Vaccines
|November 26, 2024
Summary
A new vaccine platform efficiently displays multiple viral antigens, including from SARS-CoV-2. This tunable vaccine technology protects mice against COVID-19, offering a versatile strategy for infectious disease vaccine development.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Immunology
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Emerging infectious diseases, like COVID-19, pose significant global health threats.
- Vaccines are crucial for controlling and mitigating pandemics.
- Rapid vaccine development is essential to combat novel viral outbreaks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and evaluate a second-generation tunable vaccine platform.
- To engineer chimeric proteins displaying SARS-CoV-2 antigens on phage-like particles.
- To assess the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of the vaccine platform.
Main Methods:
- Engineering chimeric proteins from SARS-CoV-2 and bacteriophage lambda.
- Decorating phage-like particles with chimeric proteins at defined surface densities.
- Immunizing mice with the engineered particles in a prime-boost regimen.
- Evaluating neutralizing antibody responses and protection against SARS-CoV-2 challenge.
Main Results:
- The vaccine platform successfully displayed chimeric proteins with retained antigenicity.
- Low doses of the vaccine (42 copies/particle) elicited potent neutralizing antibody responses in mice.
- Immunization conferred protection against virulent SARS-CoV-2 challenge.
Conclusions:
- The second-generation vaccine platform is highly versatile and manufacturable.
- This tunable system shows promise for rapid vaccine development against diverse infectious diseases.
- The platform provides a robust strategy for pandemic preparedness.
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