Enhanced Immunogenicity of Adjuvanted Microparticulate HPV16 Vaccines Administered via the Transdermal Route.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) causes cervical cancer among women and is associated with other anogenital cancers in men and women. Prophylactic particulate vaccines that are affordable, self-administered and efficacious could improve uptake of HPV vaccines world-wide. The goal of this research is to develop a microparticulate HPV16 vaccine for transdermal administration using AdminPatch and assess its immunogenicity in a pre-clinical mouse model.

Transdermal Immunization with Microparticulate RSV-F Virus-like Particles Elicits Robust Immunity.

No approved vaccines against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections exist to date, due to challenges arising during vaccine development. There is an unmet need to explore novel approaches and a universal strategy to prevent RSV infections. Previous studies have proven the immune efficacy of virus-like particles (VLPs) consisting of RSV fusion (F) protein, yielding a highly immunogenic RSV-F VLP subunit vaccine.

Dendritic cell activation by a micro particulate based system containing the influenza matrix-2 protein virus-like particle (M2e VLP).

M2e VLP was previously described as a vaccine that incorporates the extracellular region of the matrix 2 protein (M2e), which is highly conserved amongst all the strains of influenza. In this study, we analyzed activation status of dendritic cells (DCs) after exposure to M2e VLP, stimulating DCs with M2e VLP and co-culturing the stimulated DCs with T cells to observe innate and adaptive immune responses. The M2e VLP microparticle was prepared by encapsulating into a polymer matrix using the one-step spray drying method.

Inactivated and live-attenuated seasonal influenza vaccines boost broadly neutralizing antibodies in children.

The induction of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) that target the hemagglutinin stalk domain is a promising strategy for the development of "universal" influenza virus vaccines. bNAbs can be boosted in adults by sequential exposure to heterosubtypic viruses through natural infection or vaccination. However, little is known about if or how bNAbs are induced by vaccination in more immunologically naive children.

Transdermal Vaccination with the Matrix-2 Protein Virus-like Particle (M2e VLP) Induces Immunity in Mice against Influenza A Virus.

In this study, our goal was to utilize the extracellular domain matrix-2 protein virus-like particle (M2e VLP) that has been found to be highly conserved amongst all strains of influenza and could serve as a potential vaccine candidate against influenza. Previous studies have demonstrated that the VLP of the M2e showed increased activation of innate and adaptive immune responses. Therefore, to further explore its level of efficacy and protection, this vaccine was administered transdermally and tested in a pre-clinical mouse model.