Purification of rabies virus glycoprotein produced in Drosophila melanogaster S2 cells: An efficient immunoaffinity method

Most rabies vaccines are based on inactivated virus, which production process demands a high level of biosafety structures. In the past decades, recombinant rabies virus glycoprotein (RVGP) produced in several expression systems has been extensively studied to be used as an alternative vaccine. The immunogenic characteristics of this protein depend on its correct conformation, which is present only after the correct post-translational modifications, typically performed by animal cells. The main challenge of using this protein as a vaccine candidate is to keep its trimeric conformation after the purification process. We describe here a new immunoaffinity chromatography method using a monoclonal antibody for RVGP Site II for purification of recombinant rabies virus glycoprotein expressed on the membrane of Drosophila melanogaster S2 cells. RVGP recovery achieved at least 93%, and characterization analysis showed that the main antigenic proprieties were preserved after purification.     

The Efficacy of a Live Attenuated TW I-Type Infectious Bronchitis Virus Vaccine Candidate

Virologica Sinica - Infectious bronchitis (IB) is a highly contagious avian disease caused by infection with infectious bronchitis virus (IBV), which seriously affects the development of the global...     

A Self-Biomineralized Novel Adenovirus Vectored COVID-19 Vaccine for Boosting Immunization of Mice

Virologica Sinica - SARS-CoV-2 has caused more than 3.8 million deaths worldwide, and several types of COVID-19 vaccines are urgently approved for use, including adenovirus vectored vaccines....     

体外转录的自我复制型mRNA疫苗研究进展*

自我复制型mRNA是一种灵活的疫苗平台,该平台的开发基于甲病毒表达载体,其中复制必需基因得以完整保留,而结构蛋白基因则被来自病原的抗原基因替换。由于避免了病原培养、毒力返强和现存免疫的干扰,使其成为疫苗快速设计的理想平台。大量研究数据显示,此类疫苗可应用在人、小鼠、兔、猪、禽甚至鱼类体内诱导体液免疫和细胞免疫。过去,自我复制mRNA疫苗的研究采用重组单载体的模式,基因组骨架来源于辛德毕斯病毒、塞姆利基森林病毒和委内瑞拉马脑炎病毒。现在,反式复制型RNA和核酸修饰的反式复制型RNA作为下一代技术平台被寄予厚望。对基于甲病毒表达载体的mRNA疫苗技术的研究进展进行概述,重点介绍针对以流感病毒、新型冠状病毒和寨卡病毒等为代表的自我复制型mRNA疫苗研究现状,并探讨了该技术平台的未来发展方向。     

Predictive markers of safety and immunogenicity of adjuvanted vaccines

Vaccination represents one of the greatest public health triumphs; in part due to the effect of adjuvants that have been included in vaccine preparations to boost the immune responses through different mechanisms. Although a variety of novel adjuvants have been under development, only a limited number have been approved by regulatory authorities for human vaccines. This report reflects the conclusions of a group of scientists from academia, regulatory agencies and industry who attended a conference on the current state of the art in the adjuvant field. Held at the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) in Rockville, Maryland, USA, from 18 to 19 April 2013 and organized by the International Association for Biologicals (IABS), the conference focused particularly on the future development of effective adjuvants and adjuvanted vaccines and on overcoming major hurdles, such as safety and immunogenicity assessment, as well as regulatory scrutiny. More information on the conference output can be found on the IABS website, http://www.iabs.org/.     

西方马脑炎核酸疫苗表达载体构建及免疫原性研究

为构建西方马脑炎病毒(western equine encephalomyelitis virus,WEEV)结构基因C-E3-E2-6k-E1重组真核表达载体,并研究其作为核酸疫苗的免疫原性.采用PCR方法扩增目的基因,酶切之后连接到pcDNA3.1上构建真核表达载体pcDNA3.1-C-E,用酶切和测序分析方法鉴定正确后,重组质粒被转染到293T细胞,经电镜检测和间接免疫荧光方法证明基因可以表达后,用该重组质粒免疫小鼠,免疫后检测实验组小鼠外周血中CD4+T细胞/CD8+T细胞比例和血清中细胞因子IL-2、IL-4及IFN-γ浓度,以上实验组各项免疫指标与对照组相比差异均显著(P＜ 0.05);ELISA方法检测实验组小鼠血清中WEEV的IgG抗体效价是1∶16.研究结果表明重组质粒pcDNA3.1-C-E可在细胞中获得瞬时表达,并且重组质粒作为核酸疫苗能够刺激小鼠产生免疫反应,具有较强免疫原性,为今后WEEV核酸疫苗研制奠定了良好基础.     

Cell-cell communication via extracellular membrane vesicles and its role in the immune response

The host immune response involves a variety of cell types, including specialized immune and non-immune cells. The delicate coordination among these cells via close communication is central for the proper operation of immune system. Cell-cell communication is mediated by a complex network that includes soluble factors such as cytokines, chemokines, and metabolites exported from cells, as well as membrane-bound receptors and their ligands. Cell-cell communication is also mediated by membrane vesicles (e.g., exosomes, ectosomes), which are either shed by distant cells or exchanged by cells that are making direct contact. Intercellular communication via extracellular membrane vesicles has drawn much attention recently, as they have been shown to carry various biomolecules that modulate the activities of recipient cells. In this review, I will discuss current views on cell-cell communication via extra-cellular membrane vesicles, especially shedded membrane vesicles, and their effects on the control of the immune system.     

Computer-Intensive Statistical Procedures

The overall goal of this review is to summarize the current body of knowledge about the structure and function of major proteins of Bacillus anthracis and/or similar spore-forming organisms. B. anthracis is a key spore-forming biological threat agent, as well as human and animal Gram-positive bacterial pathogen. The structural information described here is limited to approximately the last 5 years. This information is then related to the role of the selected proteins in pathogenesis and in the possible development of novel vaccine and/or other antimicrobial agents against spore-forming organisms, including anthrax, a disease caused by B. anthracis.

Among spore-forming bacteria, Bacillus and Clostridium species are the predominant spore-forming bacilli that cause serious diseases. The biochemical properties and mechanism of catalysis of the novel spore germination protease that degrades small, acid-soluble proteins protecting DNA against damage, a cofactor independent phosphoglycerate mutase, NAD⁺ synthetase, and the three know B. anthracis toxins, protective antigen, lethal factor, and edema factor are described. The studies described in this work review and unify selected information critical for the prevention of microbial diseases such as anthrax. A strategy for the structure-guided development of new prophylactic and therapeutic agents is discussed.     

Postgenomics of Neisseria meningitidis for vaccines development

Meningococcal disease is a global problem. Multivalent (A, C, Y, W135) conjugate vaccines have been developed and licensed; however, an effective vaccine against serogroup B has not yet become available. Outer membrane vesicle (OMV) vaccines have been used to disrupt serogroup B epidemics and outbreaks. Postgenomic technologies have been useful in aiding the discovery of new protein vaccine candidates. Moreover, proteomic technologies enable large-scale identification of membrane and surface-associated proteins, and provide suitable methods to characterize and standardize the antigen composition of OMV-based vaccines.     

Effect of heating rate on pDNA production by E. coli

The effects of heating rate (HR) on the performance of two-phase (batch followed by fed-batch) high cell-density cultivations (HCDC) of E. coli DH5α for the production of plasmid DNA (pDNA) were investigated. Optimal temperatures for the HCDC, as selected from shake flask experiments at constant temperatures between 30 and 45 °C, were 35 °C for biomass accumulation in the batch phase and 42 °C for inducing pDNA replication during the fed-batch. In HCDC the temperature was increased at HR of 0.025, 0.05, 0.10 and 0.25 °C/min and the performance of the cultivations were compared to a HCDC run at constant temperature (35 °C). Compared to constant 35 °C, heat-induced HCDC accumulated up to 50% less biomass within the same cultivation time and acetate and glucose accumulated to high concentrations. The overall specific productivity (Q_P) and average pDNA yield (Y_p/x) in HCDC at 35 °C were 0.22 ± 0.02 mg/g h and 5.3 ± 0.00 mg/g, respectively. Such parameters were maximum at a HR of 0.05 °C/min, reaching 0.56 ± 0.06 mg/g h and 9.3 ± 0.6 mg/g, respectively. At HR above 0.5 °C/min, Y_p/x remained relatively constant, whereas Q_P tended to decrease. The supercoiled pDNA fraction remained around 80% at all HR. Bioreactors were equipped with a capacitance/conductivity probe. In all cases biomass concentration correlated closely with the capacitance signal and acetate and glucose accumulation was accompanied by an increase in the conductivity signal. Thus, it was possible to calculate acetate and biomass concentrations, as well as μ, from online capacitance and conductivity signals using estimators. Altogether, in this study it was shown that it is possible to maximize pDNA productivity by choosing an appropriate HR and that relevant parameters can be estimated by capacitance/conductivity signals, which are useful for better process control and development.