An Evaluation of the Cellular and Humoral Response of a Multi-Epitope Vaccine Candidate Against COVID-19 with Different Alum Adjuvants
Por:
Vega Rojas L.J., Ruíz-Manzano R.A., Velasco-Elizondo M.A., Carbajo-Mata M.A., Hernández-Silva D.J., Rocha-Solache M., Hernández J., Pérez-Serrano R.M., Zaldívar-Lelo de Larrea G., García-Gasca T., Mosqueda J.
Publicada:
1 ene 2024
Resumen:
SARS-CoV-2 (Betacoronavirus pandemicum) is responsible for the disease identified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as COVID-19. We designed “CHIVAX 2.1”, a multi-epitope vaccine, containing ten immunogenic peptides with conserved B-cell and T-cell epitopes in the receceptor binding domain (RBD) sequences of different SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VoCs). We evaluated the immune response of mice immunized with 20 or 60 µg of the chimeric protein with two different alum adjuvants (Alhydrogel® and Adju-Phos®), plus PHAD®, in a two-immunization regimen (0 and 21 days). Serum samples were collected on days 0, 21, 31, and 72 post first immunization, with antibody titers determined by indirect ELISA, while lymphoproliferation assays and cytokine production were evaluated by flow cytometry. The presence of neutralizing antibodies was assessed by surrogate neutralization assays. Higher titers of total IgG, IgG1, and IgG2a antibodies, as well as increased proliferation rates of specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, were observed in mice immunized with 60 µg of protein plus Adju-Phos®/PHAD®. This formulation also generated the highest levels of TNF-a and IFN-?, in addition to the presence of neutralizing antibodies against Delta and Omicron VoC. These findings indicate the potential of this chimeric multi-epitope vaccine with combined adjuvants as a promising platform against viral infections, eliciting a TH1 or TH1:TH2 balanced cell response. © 2024 by the authors.
Filiaciones:
Immunology and Vaccines Laboratory, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Campus Aeropuerto, Carretera a Chichimequillas, Ejido Bolaños, Querétaro, 76140, Mexico
Consejo Nacional de Humanidades, Ciencias y Tecnologías (CONAHCYT), Av. Insurgentes Sur 1582, Alcaldía Benito Juárez, Crédito Constructor, Ciudad de México, 03940, Mexico
Instituto de Neurobiología UNAM, Laboratorio Universitario del Bioterio, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Querétaro, 76230, Mexico
Laboratorio de Inmunología, Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, A.C, Hermosillo, 83304, Mexico
Advanced Biomedical Research Center, School of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Querétaro, 76176, Mexico
Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Av. de las Ciencias s/n, Querétaro, Juriquilla, 76230, Mexico
gold, All Open Access; Gold Open Access
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