Second-Generation Phage Lambda Platform Employing SARS-CoV-2 Fusion Proteins as a Vaccine Candidate

The recent SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic exemplifies how newly emerging and reemerging viruses can quickly overwhelm and cripple global infrastructures. Coupled with synergistic factors such as increasing population densities, the constant and massive mobility of people across geographical areas an...

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Main Authors: Alexis Catala, Bennett J. Davenport, Thomas E. Morrison, Carlos E. Catalano
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-10-01
Series:Vaccines
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/12/11/1201
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author Alexis Catala
Bennett J. Davenport
Thomas E. Morrison
Carlos E. Catalano
author_facet Alexis Catala
Bennett J. Davenport
Thomas E. Morrison
Carlos E. Catalano
author_sort Alexis Catala
collection DOAJ
description The recent SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic exemplifies how newly emerging and reemerging viruses can quickly overwhelm and cripple global infrastructures. Coupled with synergistic factors such as increasing population densities, the constant and massive mobility of people across geographical areas and substantial changes to ecosystems worldwide, these pathogens pose serious health concerns on a global scale. Vaccines form an indispensable defense, serving to control and mitigate the impact of devastating outbreaks and pandemics. Towards these efforts, we developed a tunable vaccine platform that can be engineered to simultaneously display multiple viral antigens. Here, we describe a second-generation version wherein chimeric proteins derived from SARS-CoV-2 and bacteriophage lambda are engineered and used to decorate phage-like particles with defined surface densities and retention of antigenicity. This streamlines the engineering of particle decoration, thus improving the overall manufacturing potential of the system. In a prime-boost regimen, mice immunized with particles containing as little as 42 copies of the chimeric protein on their surface develop potent neutralizing antibody responses, and immunization protects mice against virulent SARS-CoV-2 challenge. The platform is highly versatile, making it a promising strategy to rapidly develop vaccines against a potentially broad range of infectious diseases.
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spelling doaj-art-7e49fa4be0f44228a3dade85006b2ea52025-08-20T02:27:41ZengMDPI AGVaccines2076-393X2024-10-011211120110.3390/vaccines12111201Second-Generation Phage Lambda Platform Employing SARS-CoV-2 Fusion Proteins as a Vaccine CandidateAlexis Catala0Bennett J. Davenport1Thomas E. Morrison2Carlos E. Catalano3Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USADepartment of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USADepartment of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USADepartment of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USAThe recent SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic exemplifies how newly emerging and reemerging viruses can quickly overwhelm and cripple global infrastructures. Coupled with synergistic factors such as increasing population densities, the constant and massive mobility of people across geographical areas and substantial changes to ecosystems worldwide, these pathogens pose serious health concerns on a global scale. Vaccines form an indispensable defense, serving to control and mitigate the impact of devastating outbreaks and pandemics. Towards these efforts, we developed a tunable vaccine platform that can be engineered to simultaneously display multiple viral antigens. Here, we describe a second-generation version wherein chimeric proteins derived from SARS-CoV-2 and bacteriophage lambda are engineered and used to decorate phage-like particles with defined surface densities and retention of antigenicity. This streamlines the engineering of particle decoration, thus improving the overall manufacturing potential of the system. In a prime-boost regimen, mice immunized with particles containing as little as 42 copies of the chimeric protein on their surface develop potent neutralizing antibody responses, and immunization protects mice against virulent SARS-CoV-2 challenge. The platform is highly versatile, making it a promising strategy to rapidly develop vaccines against a potentially broad range of infectious diseases.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/12/11/1201phage-like particlesviral nanoparticlesvaccine developmentSARS-CoV-2nanomedicine
spellingShingle Alexis Catala
Bennett J. Davenport
Thomas E. Morrison
Carlos E. Catalano
Second-Generation Phage Lambda Platform Employing SARS-CoV-2 Fusion Proteins as a Vaccine Candidate
Vaccines
phage-like particles
viral nanoparticles
vaccine development
SARS-CoV-2
nanomedicine
title Second-Generation Phage Lambda Platform Employing SARS-CoV-2 Fusion Proteins as a Vaccine Candidate
title_full Second-Generation Phage Lambda Platform Employing SARS-CoV-2 Fusion Proteins as a Vaccine Candidate
title_fullStr Second-Generation Phage Lambda Platform Employing SARS-CoV-2 Fusion Proteins as a Vaccine Candidate
title_full_unstemmed Second-Generation Phage Lambda Platform Employing SARS-CoV-2 Fusion Proteins as a Vaccine Candidate
title_short Second-Generation Phage Lambda Platform Employing SARS-CoV-2 Fusion Proteins as a Vaccine Candidate
title_sort second generation phage lambda platform employing sars cov 2 fusion proteins as a vaccine candidate
topic phage-like particles
viral nanoparticles
vaccine development
SARS-CoV-2
nanomedicine
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/12/11/1201
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