Development of safe and effective vaccines against the Chikungunya Virus based on homologous and heterologous VLPs

• Grant number: 21/03102-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)
• Start date: April 01, 2021
• End date: March 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Immunology - Cellular Immunology
• Principal Investigator: Gustavo Cabral de Miranda
• Grantee: Aline Aparecida de Lima Lira
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 19/14526-0 - Development of vaccines against Streptococcus pyogenes and Chikungunya Virus based on virus like particles, AP.JP

Abstract

The Chikungunya Virus (CHIKV) its an arthropod-borne virus (arbovirus) that has caused recurrent episodes of epidemics on several continents. Transmitted mainly by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, CHIKV causes clinical manifestations such as fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, and these symptoms can appear years after infection. Despite an emerging disease around the world, CHIKV does not have a vaccine licensed for use in humans. The development of vaccines against CHIKV is commonly used attenuated, inactivated pathogens or DNA-based vaccines, however these methods alone have low immunogenicity and need adjuvants to enhance the immune response. In this context, the development of vaccines based on VLPs adds a safe and effective system with the ability to not only generate humoral but cellular responses. In recent years it has increased the use of vaccines based on VLPs produced in expression systems such as E. coli and P. pastoris both easy productions, immunogenic and safe used worldwide as the hepatitis B vaccine and HPV. Above all, the objective of this work is the development of a vaccine anti CHIKV using the envelope proteins E1 and E2 expressed in the yeast cell system, such as P. pastoris for homologous delivery, as well as the production Q²VLPs with E. coli system heterologously, and compare the effectiveness of immunogenicity and ability to induce safely protection. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

VUITIKA, LARISSA; CORTES, NELSON; MALAQUIAS, VANESSA B.; SILVA, JAQUELINE D. Q.; LIRA, ALINE; PRATES-SYED, WASIM A.; SCHIMKE, LENA F.; LUZ, DANIELA; DURAES-CARVALHO, RICARDO; BALAN, ANDREA; et al. A self-adjuvanted VLPs-based Covid-19 vaccine proven versatile, safe, and highly protective. SCIENTIFIC REPORTS, v. 14, n. 1, p. 17-pg., 2024-10-16. (19/14526-0, 21/08468-8, 20/04667-3, 21/03102-5, 20/09404-0, 21/03508-1)