固有免疫学的研究进展及其对研制新型免疫佐剂的启示

近年来,亚单位疫苗、DNA重组疫苗、合成肽疫苗等新型疫苗不断涌现,这些疫苗纯度高、特异性强。但其分子小,免疫原性较差,难以诱导机体产生有效的免疫应答,需添加佐剂来增强其免疫原性或增强宿主对抗原的保护性应答。免疫学的研究阐明了固有免疫如何调节适应性免疫。随着固有免疫学的发展和生化技术的提高,开发特异性更强、生物安全性更高的免疫佐剂越来越受到重视。对佐剂的分类、作用机理,固有免疫学的研究进展进行了综述,并就未来发展趋势提出自己的观点,为临床应用和进一步研制高效、低毒的免疫佐剂提供了参考。     

人类最大的瘟疫——流感

流感是由正粘液病毒引起的下呼吸道传染病。流感病毒分为甲型、乙型和丙型。引起流感暴发流行的病毒主要是甲型流感病毒,乙型流感病毒可引起局部流行。流感起病急,剧烈头痛、发冷、发热、食欲减退、全身乏力、背部和四肢疼痛为主要症状。全身中毒症状很重,呼吸道炎症却很轻。严重病例发生下呼吸道并发症,如支气管炎、气管支气管炎和支气管肺炎。流感病毒传播快,新亚型出现,几个月内横扫全球。在流感大流行时,造成学校停课,工厂停工,机关瘫痪,军队失去战斗力,医院人满为患。在历史上,流感曾发生很多次世界性流行。近百年来,发生过四次很大规模的流行。甲型流感病毒的表面抗原经常发生变异,病毒变异又有抗原漂流(Antigenicdrift)和抗原突变(Antigenicshift)之分。抗原漂流为血凝素抗原结构微小变异,抗原突变为病毒在自然界进行基因重组。每当新亚型出现时,人群对新病毒缺乏免疫力,往往造成大流行。只有加强流感病毒生态学研究,弄清病毒变异的规律,人类才能制服流感。     

Serum-free produced Bovine Herpesvirus type 1 and Bovine Parainfluenza type 3 virus vaccines are efficacious and safe

The studies described in this report were performed to determine, whether it is possible to produce live virus vaccines without serum or fractions thereof used during any cell or virus passage, thus completely serum-free. Two viruses were included in the experiments: Bovine Herpesvirus 1 (BHV-1) and Bovine Parainfluenza type 3 virus (PI3). Both viruses were found to grow to satisfactory titers, and to be stable after freeze-drying and subsequent storage at temperatures of +4 °C and −20 °C for at least one year. Moreover, a vaccine containing serum free produced BHV-1 was tested in a vaccination-challenge experiment. For comparison, a vaccine batch with BHV-1 grown in serum-containing cell culture medium was included in the study. Both vaccine preparations performed equally well and both met the strict requirements as laid down in the European Phamacopeia. Moreover, in two separate experiments the safety of serum-free produced BHV-1 and PI3 after overdose and repeated administration even in very young calves and even after four administrations has been demonstrated. This report is the first, which to our knowledge demonstrates the safety and efficacy of serum-free produced live vaccines in the target animal as well as the stability of these products. This revised version was published online in September 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Improvement of adaptive immunity by antigen-carrying biodegradable nanoparticles

One of the most important aspects in vaccine development is to induce potent antigen-specific immune responses. In this study, we examined the immunological activities of antigen-carrying biodegradable poly(γ-glutamic acid) (γ-PGA) nanoparticles (NPs) in mice. The immunization with ovalbumin (OVA)-carrying γ-PGA NPs (OVA-NPs) could induce significant expansion of antigen-specific CD8⁺ T cells. Unlike complete Freund’s adjuvant, subcutaneous (s.c.) inoculation of OVA-NPs to footpad did not generate injection site swelling. Although OVA-NPs could induce both antigen-specific cellular and humoral immune responses, the dominant induction of either cellular or humoral immunity was found to depend on their administration routes. Strong antibody production was observed by s.c. immunization, yet no antibody was identified by intranasal immunization. Thus, γ-PGA NPs are a safe and efficient antigen carrier with unique immunological properties.     

Structure of the Bordetella pertussis gene coding for the serotype 3 fimbrial subunit

Bordetella pertussis strains contain at least three distinct genes coding for fimbrial subunits, designated fim2, fim3, and fimX. The sequences of the fim2 and fimX genes have been published. Here we present the sequence of the fim3 gene. Proximal and distal to the fim3 gene, regions were observed that could function as rho-independent terminators, suggesting that the gene is not part of a larger operon. Comparison of the putative promoter regions of the fim2 and fim3 genes revealed a conserved region containing a stretch of approximately 13 C's. This region may be involved in fimbrial phase variation. A comparison of the deduced amino acid sequences of the three fimbrial subunits revealed conserved, variable, and hypervariable regions. The hypervariable regions coincided with predicted antigenic determinants. Peptides derived from the conserved regions may be incorporated into a future pertussis vaccine to induce antibodies which confer protection against strains producing different fimbrial serotypes.     

Determination of affinities and antigenic epitopes of bovine cardiac troponin I (cTnI) with monoclonal antibodies by surface plasmon resonance biosensor

A surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor based on wavelength modulation was used for real-time detection of the interaction of three monoclonal antibodies and antigens of bovine cardiac troponin I (cTnI). In order to recognize antigenic epitopes of bovine cTnI, two experimental modes were applied. In the first experimental mode, three monoclonal antibodies were divided into three groups and three experiments were performed on biosensor surfaces prepared with protein A. In the second experimental mode, antigen was immobilized on the biosensor surface prepared by the amine-coupling method and three monoclonal antibodies were detected in turn. The results obtained by the two modes are consistent. In addition, the affinities of the monoclonal antibodies for the antigen were also determined by the association rate and the disassociation rate in real-time. These results validate the biosensor technology and illustrate how biosensors based on wavelength modulation can be used to study the interaction of monoclonal antibodies and antigens in real time.     

Influence of bovine lactoferrin on expression of presentation molecules on BCG-infected bone marrow derived macrophages

The current vaccine for tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), is an attenuated strain of Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG). BCG has proven to be effective in children, however, efficacy wanes in adulthood. Lactoferrin, a natural protein with immunomodulatory properties, is a potential adjuvant candidate to enhance efficacy of BCG. These studies define bovine lactoferrin as an enhancer of the BCG vaccine, functioning in part by modulating macrophage ability to present antigen and stimulate T-cells. BCG-infected bone marrow derived macrophages (BMMs) cultured with bovine lactoferrin increased the number of MHC II(+) expressing cells. Addition of IFN-gamma and lactoferrin to BCG-infected BMMs enhanced MHC II expressiona dna increased the ratio of CD86/CD80. Lactoferrin treated BCG-infected BMMs were able to stimulate an increase in IFN-gamma production from presensitized CD3(+) splenocytes. Together, these results demonstrate that bovine lactoferrin is capable of modulating BCG-infected macrophages to enhance T-cell stimulation through increased surface expression of antigen presentation and co-stimulatory molecules, which potentially explains the observed in vivo bovine lactoferrin enhancement of BCG vaccine efficacy to protect against virulent MTB infection.     

Modulation of human humoral immune response through orally administered bovine colostrum

Eighteen healthy volunteers were randomized into two treatment groups and consumed liquid prepackaged bovine colostrum whey and placebo for 7 days. On days 1, 3 and 5, an attenuated Salmonella typhi Ty21a oral vaccine was given to all subjects to mimic an enteropathogenic infection. The circulating antibody secreting cells and the expression of phagocytosis receptors of the subjects before and after oral immunization were measured with the ELISPOT assay and flow cytometry. All subjects responded well to the vaccine. No significant differences were observed in ELISPOT values for IgA, IgG, IgM, Fcgamma and CR receptor expression on neutrophils and monocytes between the two groups. There was a trend towards greater increase in specific IgA among the subjects receiving their vaccine with bovine colostrum. These results suggest that bovine colostrum may possess some potential to enhance human special immune responses.     

两种配方的氢氧化铝吸附基因工程乙肝疫苗的效果比较

氢氧化铝［Ａｌ（ＯＨ）３］作为ＷＨＯ 推荐的一种佐剂,已广泛应用于生物制品的各种菌疫苗制剂中。本文对两种不同配方的氢氧化铝吸附基因工程乙肝表面抗原后疫苗的效果进行比较,结果显示：三氯化铝加氢氧化钠配方制备的Ａｌ（ＯＨ）３ 配制工艺简捷,易控制工艺参数及佐剂质量,对疫苗效力的增强作用优于三氯化铝加氨水的配方。     

Biotype-specific tcpA genes in Vibrio cholerae

Abstract The tcpA gene, encoding the structural subunit of the toxin-coregulated pilus, has been isolated from a variety of clinical isolates of Vibrio cholerae , and the nucleotide sequence determined. Strict biotype-specific conservation within both the coding and putative regulatory regions was observed, with important differences between the El Tor and classical biotypes. V. cholerae O139 Bengal strains appear to have El Tor-type tcpA genes. Environmental O1 and non-O1 isolates have sequences that bind an E1 Tor-specific tcpA DNA probe and that are weakly and variably amplified by tcpA -specific polymerase chain reaction primers, under conditions of reduced stringency. The data presented allow the selection of primer pairs to help distinguish between clinical and environmental isolates, and to distinguish El Tor (and Bengal) biotypes from classical biotypes from classical biotypes of V. cholerae . While the role of TcpA in cholera vaccine preparations remains unclear, the data strongly suggest that TcpA-containing vaccines directed at O1 strains need include only the two forms of TcpA, and that such vaccines directed at (O139) Bengal strains should include the TcpA of El Tor biotype.     

用于疫苗的免疫增强剂和递送系统

疫苗是抵抗传染病的最重要的预防性手段。在开发有效疫苗的过程中,人们面临的挑战一方面是要鉴定最为相关的免疫原及有效的免疫接种程序,另一方面则是免疫原用不同的能够影响抗体应答亲和性成熟和细胞介导的免疫应答的佐剂配成制剂。因此,有必要开发既能激发天然免疫应答,又能激发适应性免疫应答的有效佐剂和递送系统。主要阐述了不同免疫增强剂以及可利用于新一代疫苗的递送系统的研制进展情况。     

Conjugation,characterization and toxicity of lipophosphoglycan-polyacrylic acid conjugate for vaccination against leishmaniasis

Research on the conjugates of synthetic polyelectrolytes with antigenic molecules, such as proteins, peptides, or carbohydrates, is an attractive area due to their highly immunogenic character in comparison to classical adjuvants. For example, polyacrylic acid (PAA) is a weak polyelectrolyte and has been used in several biomedical applications such as immunological studies, drug delivery, and enzyme immobilization. However, to our knowledge, there are no studies that document immune-stimulant properties of PAA in Leishmania infection. Therefore, we aimed to develop a potential vaccine candidate against leishmaniasis by covalently conjugating PAA with an immunologically vital molecule of lipophosphoglycan (LPG) found in Leishmania parasites. In the study, LPG and PAA were conjugated by a multi-step procedure, and final products were analyzed with GPC and MALDI-TOF MS techniques. In cytotoxicity experiments, LPG-PAA conjugates did not indicate toxic effects on L929 and J774 murine macrophage cells. We assume that LPG-PAA conjugate can be a potential vaccine candidate, and will be immunologically characterized in further studies to prove its potential.     

Investigations into the efficacy of multi-component cocaine vaccines

Although cocaine addiction remains a serious health and societal problem in the United States, no FDA-approved treatment has been developed. Vaccines offer an exciting strategy for the treatment of cocaine addiction; however, vaccine formulations need to be optimized to improve efficacy. Herein, we examine the effectiveness of a tricomponent cocaine vaccine, defined as having its hapten (GNE) and adjuvant (cytosine-guanine oligodeoxynucleotide 1826, CpG ODN 1826) covalently linked via the immunogenic protein ovalbumin (OVA). The tricomponent vaccine (GNE-OVA-CpG 1826) and a vaccine of analogous, individual components (GNE-OVA+CpG ODN 1826) were found to similarly induce highly specific anticocaine antibody production in mice and block cocaine’s stimulant effects in hyperlocomotor testing.     

Vaccine instability in the cold chain: Mechanisms,analysis and formulation strategies

Instability of vaccines often emerges as a key challenge during clinical development (lab to clinic) as well as commercial distribution (factory to patient). To yield stable, efficacious vaccine dosage forms for human use, successful formulation strategies must address a combination of interrelated topics including stabilization of antigens, selection of appropriate adjuvants, and development of stability-indicating analytical methods. This review covers key concepts in understanding the causes and mechanisms of vaccine instability including (1) the complex and delicate nature of antigen structures (e.g., viruses, proteins, carbohydrates, protein-carbohydrate conjugates, etc.), (2) use of adjuvants to further enhance immune responses, (3) development of physicochemical and biological assays to assess vaccine integrity and potency, and (4) stabilization strategies to protect vaccine antigens and adjuvants (and their interactions) during storage. Despite these challenges, vaccines can usually be sufficiently stabilized for use as medicines through a combination of formulation approaches combined with maintenance of an efficient cold chain (manufacturing, distribution, storage and administration). Several illustrative case studies are described regarding mechanisms of vaccine instability along with formulation approaches for stabilization within the vaccine cold chain. These include live, attenuated (measles, polio) and inactivated (influenza, polio) viral vaccines as well as recombinant protein (hepatitis B) vaccines.