New Type of Vaccines Delivers Strong and Fast Immune Response

[Guest guest]

http://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/hotnews/fast-immune-response.html

New Type of Vaccines Delivers Strong and Fast Immune Response

11/24/2008

A new vaccine principle is being developed by scientists at the University of

Copenhagen which -- if it works to its full expected potential -- could help to

save millions of lives and revolutionize current vaccine technology. The

‘InVacc' platform, as it is known, represents an advance on the original DNA

vaccines and generates new vaccines with greatly enhanced properties. The

platform consists of a chain of amino acids attached to a gene of the virus

being vaccinated against. This genetic cocktail is then inserted into an

incapacitated flu-like virus such as the adenovirus and injected into the body,

where it triggers a broader and more aggressive immune response, enabling the

immune system to quickly seek out and destroy the disease when it invades.

" We are extremely excited to be working on the vaccine technology, " says

associate professor Jan Pravsgaard, the lead scientist behind the project. " The

platform has proved very effective in our recent tests and could have enormous

potential. In principle, vaccines of this type could be used to inoculate

against a range of deadly viruses, bacteria and other disease-causing agents and

even be used to cure certain cancers once they take hold. "

Tests of the vaccine platform on mice so far look extremely promising with the

scientists able to provide 100 percent protection against different, lethal

strains of flu given to the test animals.

The scientists also believe that the new vaccines will be effective despite the

ability of different viruses and bacteria to constantly mutate and develop

resistance.

The original DNA vaccines -- the precursor of the present platform -- consist of

a single gene taken from the virus or bacteria against which protection is

sought and is injected into the body. The alien DNA is then ‘read' by the body's

host cells (transcription of the gene) and is converted into pathogenic

proteins. Because these pathogenic proteins (antigens) are recognized as

foreign, they are placed on the surface of the cell to alert the immune system

and trigger an appropriate immune response. This, at least is the idea behind

the original DNA vaccines, which use the more potent ingredient of a gene rather

than live, biological material to activate the immune system.

DNA vaccines, however, have so far been ineffective because, in practice, they

generate too few of the all-important antigens - the ‘alarm bells' that warn the

immune system of attack. This is because DNA vaccines are unable to fully decode

their contents and deliver their message to the immune system. In other words,

the original DNA vaccines are unable to guide the body to ‘read' and process the

particular cell pieces that are carrying the DNA vaccine, which in turn would

ensure that the antigens are produced.

The scientists behind InVacc, however, have come up with a means to overcome

this problem. Their key innovation -- the chain of amino acids inserted into the

adenovirus -- promotes the decoding of the new vaccines and ensures that more of

the antigens are shown to the immune system. The adenovirus used for the

vaccines plays a crucial role in all of this because it helps to set off the

necessary chain reaction that allows the vaccine platform to work. It does this

by presenting the body with a recognizable threat. ‘Primed' to react to the

adenovirus, which it has been exposed to many times before, the body becomes

more sensitive to and hones in on the particular pieces in the body that are

carrying the adenovirus (with the DNA vaccine concealed inside) and begins

processing these cell pieces.

The second important component in the vaccine platform, the amino acid chain, is

now also able to work and is critical to providing long-lasting immunity from

disease. The chain, made up of 215 amino acids, functions to latch onto and drag

up more of the important genetic material from the vaccines to the surface of

the cells, thereby ensuring that more antigens are exhibited. The greater the

amount of material raised to the surface from the vaccines, the more likely that

the right attack cells are activated.

" The delivery mechanism provided by the amino acids is important for several

reasons, " explains Pravsgaard. First, the amino acid chain enables the vaccines

to activate different profiles of attack cells. Second, it picks up more of the

important genetic information from the inner compartment of the virus or

bacterium - where for our purposes -- the crucial DNA material is based.

Attaching DNA strands from the interior of the virus to the amino acid chain is

crucial to developing stable vaccines, since it gives the immune system solid

data on the nature of the threat it is faced with, even after the virus or

bacteria has mutated. "

Deadly pathogens such as viruses tend to mutate when they replicate and are thus

able to pass under the radar of the immune system and avoid detection. " A

mutated virus is a bit like a virus wearing a disguise, " explains Pravsgaard.

" Viruses possess a special protein surface or outer shell that they constantly

adapt to protect their core DNA from being damaged. However, if we can give the

immune system more intelligence about the virus from its conserved interior -

which is less likely to mutate - we can then communicate the true identity of

the virus. It's as if we were giving the immune system a fingerprint of a

criminal with several points of identification, so that it can recognize the

virus, regardless of its disguise " .

The scientists from the University of Copenhagen predict that the new platform

will protect against the vast majority of viruses and bacteria, where a gene can

be identified and targeted with a DNA vaccine. Certain cancers such as skin

cancer which have a genetic basis and/or a viral profile (e.g. cervical cancer

begins with infection by the human papillomavirus) would also be candidates for

the vaccines.

The Scandanivan company Novo A/S and the Novo Nordisk Foundation have such faith

in the new technology that they have already invested funds to create a

strategic plan for development and use of the vaccine. " The grants awarded

through our Novo Seeds programme are only for very select projects that show

outstanding promise,” explains Novo Seeds investment director Christgau.

" InVacc is definitely one of those. Our grants will help the team to develop and

commercialize their groundbreaking research and validate the advantages of the

vaccine platform against competing technologies " .

Holst from the research team (together with the Technical Transfer Unit)

is currently also seeking backing from international funds to take the project

to its next phase of development and ultimately into clinical trials.

The key benefits of the new technology:

- The new platform delivers a broad and very powerful immune response, which can

defeat invading pathogens.

- InVacc activates the CD4+ T cells of the immune system, which govern and

coordinate the other immune system attack cells. For reasons not yet fully

understood, activating the CD4+ cells enhances the response of the associated

attack cells (producing large numbers of CD8+ cells) and is an important reason

why the platform is able to deliver such a strong immune response.

- InVacc provides rapid protection (In animal tests, complete protection was

achieved in less than three days after a single vaccination.) This could have

significant implications for the handling of epidemics, quickly halting

infection rates and preventing major outbreaks.

[Guest guest]

http://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/hotnews/fast-immune-response.html

New Type of Vaccines Delivers Strong and Fast Immune Response

11/24/2008

A new vaccine principle is being developed by scientists at the University of

Copenhagen which -- if it works to its full expected potential -- could help to

save millions of lives and revolutionize current vaccine technology. The

‘InVacc' platform, as it is known, represents an advance on the original DNA

vaccines and generates new vaccines with greatly enhanced properties. The

platform consists of a chain of amino acids attached to a gene of the virus

being vaccinated against. This genetic cocktail is then inserted into an

incapacitated flu-like virus such as the adenovirus and injected into the body,

where it triggers a broader and more aggressive immune response, enabling the

immune system to quickly seek out and destroy the disease when it invades.

" We are extremely excited to be working on the vaccine technology, " says

associate professor Jan Pravsgaard, the lead scientist behind the project. " The

platform has proved very effective in our recent tests and could have enormous

potential. In principle, vaccines of this type could be used to inoculate

against a range of deadly viruses, bacteria and other disease-causing agents and

even be used to cure certain cancers once they take hold. "

Tests of the vaccine platform on mice so far look extremely promising with the

scientists able to provide 100 percent protection against different, lethal

strains of flu given to the test animals.

The scientists also believe that the new vaccines will be effective despite the

ability of different viruses and bacteria to constantly mutate and develop

resistance.

The original DNA vaccines -- the precursor of the present platform -- consist of

a single gene taken from the virus or bacteria against which protection is

sought and is injected into the body. The alien DNA is then ‘read' by the body's

host cells (transcription of the gene) and is converted into pathogenic

proteins. Because these pathogenic proteins (antigens) are recognized as

foreign, they are placed on the surface of the cell to alert the immune system

and trigger an appropriate immune response. This, at least is the idea behind

the original DNA vaccines, which use the more potent ingredient of a gene rather

than live, biological material to activate the immune system.

DNA vaccines, however, have so far been ineffective because, in practice, they

generate too few of the all-important antigens - the ‘alarm bells' that warn the

immune system of attack. This is because DNA vaccines are unable to fully decode

their contents and deliver their message to the immune system. In other words,

the original DNA vaccines are unable to guide the body to ‘read' and process the

particular cell pieces that are carrying the DNA vaccine, which in turn would

ensure that the antigens are produced.

The scientists behind InVacc, however, have come up with a means to overcome

this problem. Their key innovation -- the chain of amino acids inserted into the

adenovirus -- promotes the decoding of the new vaccines and ensures that more of

the antigens are shown to the immune system. The adenovirus used for the

vaccines plays a crucial role in all of this because it helps to set off the

necessary chain reaction that allows the vaccine platform to work. It does this

by presenting the body with a recognizable threat. ‘Primed' to react to the

adenovirus, which it has been exposed to many times before, the body becomes

more sensitive to and hones in on the particular pieces in the body that are

carrying the adenovirus (with the DNA vaccine concealed inside) and begins

processing these cell pieces.

The second important component in the vaccine platform, the amino acid chain, is

now also able to work and is critical to providing long-lasting immunity from

disease. The chain, made up of 215 amino acids, functions to latch onto and drag

up more of the important genetic material from the vaccines to the surface of

the cells, thereby ensuring that more antigens are exhibited. The greater the

amount of material raised to the surface from the vaccines, the more likely that

the right attack cells are activated.

" The delivery mechanism provided by the amino acids is important for several

reasons, " explains Pravsgaard. First, the amino acid chain enables the vaccines

to activate different profiles of attack cells. Second, it picks up more of the

important genetic information from the inner compartment of the virus or

bacterium - where for our purposes -- the crucial DNA material is based.

Attaching DNA strands from the interior of the virus to the amino acid chain is

crucial to developing stable vaccines, since it gives the immune system solid

data on the nature of the threat it is faced with, even after the virus or

bacteria has mutated. "

Deadly pathogens such as viruses tend to mutate when they replicate and are thus

able to pass under the radar of the immune system and avoid detection. " A

mutated virus is a bit like a virus wearing a disguise, " explains Pravsgaard.

" Viruses possess a special protein surface or outer shell that they constantly

adapt to protect their core DNA from being damaged. However, if we can give the

immune system more intelligence about the virus from its conserved interior -

which is less likely to mutate - we can then communicate the true identity of

the virus. It's as if we were giving the immune system a fingerprint of a

criminal with several points of identification, so that it can recognize the

virus, regardless of its disguise " .

The scientists from the University of Copenhagen predict that the new platform

will protect against the vast majority of viruses and bacteria, where a gene can

be identified and targeted with a DNA vaccine. Certain cancers such as skin

cancer which have a genetic basis and/or a viral profile (e.g. cervical cancer

begins with infection by the human papillomavirus) would also be candidates for

the vaccines.

The Scandanivan company Novo A/S and the Novo Nordisk Foundation have such faith

in the new technology that they have already invested funds to create a

strategic plan for development and use of the vaccine. " The grants awarded

through our Novo Seeds programme are only for very select projects that show

outstanding promise,” explains Novo Seeds investment director Christgau.

" InVacc is definitely one of those. Our grants will help the team to develop and

commercialize their groundbreaking research and validate the advantages of the

vaccine platform against competing technologies " .

Holst from the research team (together with the Technical Transfer Unit)

is currently also seeking backing from international funds to take the project

to its next phase of development and ultimately into clinical trials.

The key benefits of the new technology:

- The new platform delivers a broad and very powerful immune response, which can

defeat invading pathogens.

- InVacc activates the CD4+ T cells of the immune system, which govern and

coordinate the other immune system attack cells. For reasons not yet fully

understood, activating the CD4+ cells enhances the response of the associated

attack cells (producing large numbers of CD8+ cells) and is an important reason

why the platform is able to deliver such a strong immune response.

- InVacc provides rapid protection (In animal tests, complete protection was

achieved in less than three days after a single vaccination.) This could have

significant implications for the handling of epidemics, quickly halting

infection rates and preventing major outbreaks.