Researchers from the Małopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, have developed a groundbreaking modular nanoparticle that may serve as the foundation for a universal vaccine. This new technology allows for rapid adaptation of the vaccine to emerging pathogens.
Researchers have developed a nanoparticle is based on a phage capsid that has been devoid of its own genetic material and instead equipped with antigens derived from the SARS-CoV-2 virus: specifically, the RBD (Receptor Binding Domain) protein.
The research team, led by Dr. Antonina Naskalska, enhanced the nanoparticles with elements that could potentially boost the immune response: short, single-stranded DNA fragments or longer, coding mRNA sequences. The nanoparticle was designed in a modular fashion, allowing for the replacement of antigens displayed on its surface or molecules packed inside the capsid. This modularity makes it possible to rapidly adjust the vaccine to emerging pathogens or new virus variants.
A key feature of the presented vaccine prototype is the trimeric form of the RBD protein — identical to the form found in the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Vaccination with such an antigen increases the likelihood of generating effective antibodies capable of neutralizing the virus upon exposure. Demonstrating the trimeric form of the RBD antigen on the surface of the presented nanoparticles was made possible through structural studies using cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM), conducted at the National Synchrotron Radiation Centre SOLARIS.
The results of the Kraków-based team’s research have been published in the International Journal of Pharmaceutics.
Source:
