Nano-multilamellar lipid vesicles promote the induction of SARS-CoV-2 immune responses by a protein-based vaccine formulation

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Rodrigues-Jesus, Monica Josiane ; Favaro, Marianna Teixeira de Pinho ; Venceslau-Carvalho, Alexia Adrianne ; de Castro-Amarante, Maria Fernanda ; Almeida, Bianca da Silva ; Silva, Mariangela de Oliveira ; Andreata-Santos, Robert ; Barbosa, Cecilia Gomes ; Brito, Samantha Carvalho Maia ; Freitas-Junior, Lucio H. ; Boscardin, Silvia Beatriz ; Ferreira, Luis Carlos de Souza

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Nanomedicine-Nanotechnology Biology and Medicine; v. 45, p. 11-pg., 2022-08-31.

Abstract

The development of safe and effective vaccine formulations against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) represents a hallmark in the history of vaccines. Here we report a COVID-19 subunit vaccine based on a SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein receptor binding domain (RBD) incorporated into nano-multilamellar vesicles (NMV) associated with monophosphoryl lipid A (MPLA). The results based on immunization of C57BL/6 mice demonstrated that recombinant antigen incorporation into NMVs improved antibody and T-cell responses without inducing toxic effects under both in vitro and in vivo conditions. Administration of RBD-NMV-MPLA formulations modulated antigen avidity and IgG subclass responses, whereas MPLA incorporation improved the activation of CD4(+)/CD8(+) T-cell responses. In addition, immunization with the complete vaccine formulation reduced the number of doses required to achieve enhanced serum virus-neutralizing antibody titers. Overall, this study highlights NMV/MPLA technology, displaying the performance improvement of subunit vaccines against SARS-CoV-2, as well as other infectious diseases. (c) 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 20/10700-3 - Development os SAPN nanovaccines against SARS-CoV-2 using S and N as antigens
• Grantee: Marianna Teixeira de Pinho Favaro
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• FAPESP's process: 20/08943-5 - Investigation of the hosts' induced elements in response to the immunisation with ChAdOx1 nCOV-19 vaccine in a Phase III Clinical Trial
• Grantee: Luiz Mário Ramos Janini
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
• FAPESP's process: 16/23560-0 - Development of uniplex and multiplex diagnostic platforms for arbovirus infection using recombinant proteins
• Grantee: Robert Andreata Santos
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 20/05204-7 - Development of SARS-CoV-2 auto-assembly protein-based nanovaccines
• Grantee: Luis Carlos de Souza Ferreira
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 21/05661-1 - Virological characterization of Brazilian SARS-CoV-2 isolates and their neutralization capabilities by serum from previously infected and/or vaccinated individuals
• Grantee: Robert Andreata Santos
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral