SARS-CoV-2 spike-based virus-like particles incorporate influenza H1/N1 antigens and induce dual immunity in mice.

A vaccine effective against both SARS-CoV-2 and influenza A (IAV) viruses could represent a cost-effective strategy to reduce their combined public health burden as well as potential complications arising from co-infection. Based on previous findings that full-length SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) expression can induce high-level, enveloped VLP (eVLP) production in CHO cells, we tested whether IAV H1N1 hemagglutinin (H1) and neuraminidase (N1) could also be displayed on these particles. We found that co-incorporation of the IAV surface antigens in spike VLPs (S-VLPs) was highly efficient: upon transient co-expression of S + H1 or S + H1 + N1 in CHO cells, the resulting VLPs contained similar amounts of the SARS-CoV-2 S and IAV antigens.

CHO cells for virus-like particle and subunit vaccine manufacturing.

Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells, employed primarily for manufacturing monoclonal antibodies and other recombinant protein (r-protein) therapeutics, are emerging as a promising host for vaccine antigen production. This is exemplified by the recently approved CHO cell-derived subunit vaccines (SUV) against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and varicella-zoster virus (VZV), as well as the enveloped virus-like particle (eVLP) vaccine against hepatitis B virus (HBV). Here, we summarize the design, production, and immunogenicity features of these vaccine and review the most recent progress of other CHO-derived vaccines in pre-clinical and clinical development.

MicroRNAs and long non-coding RNAs during transcriptional regulation and latency of HIV and HTLV.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and human T cell leukemia virus (HTLV) have replicative and latent stages of infection. The status of the viruses is dependent on the cells that harbour them and on different events that change the transcriptional and post-transcriptional events. Non-coding (nc)RNAs are key factors in the regulation of retrovirus replication cycles.

Preclinical evaluation of manufacturable SARS-CoV-2 spike virus-like particles produced in Chinese Hamster Ovary cells.

Background: As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, novel vaccines need to be developed that are readily manufacturable and provide clinical efficacy against emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants. Virus-like particles (VLPs) presenting the spike antigen at their surface offer remarkable benefits over other vaccine antigen formats; however, current SARS-CoV-2 VLP vaccines candidates in clinical development suffer from challenges including low volumetric productivity, poor spike antigen density, expression platform-driven divergent protein glycosylation and complex upstream/downstream processing requirements. Despite their extensive use for therapeutic protein manufacturing and proven ability to produce enveloped VLPs, Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells are rarely used for the commercial production of VLP-based vaccines.

Profound downregulation of neural transcription factor Npas4 and Nr4a family in fetal mice neurons infected with Zika virus.

Zika virus (ZIKV) infection of neurons leads to neurological complications and congenital malformations of the brain of neonates. To date, ZIKV mechanism of infection and pathogenesis is not entirely understood and different studies on gene regulation of ZIKV-infected cells have identified a dysregulation of inflammatory and stem cell maintenance pathways. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are post-transcriptional regulators of cellular genes and they contribute to cell development in normal function and disease.

Efficacy, accumulation, and transcriptional profile of anti-HIV shRNAs expressed from human U6, 7SK, and H1 promoters.

The expression of short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) in cells has many potential therapeutic applications, including as a functional cure for HIV. The RNA polymerase III promoters H1, 7SK, and U6 have all been used to express shRNAs. However, there have been no direct and simultaneous comparisons of shRNA potency, expression level, and transcriptional profile between the promoters.

Higher Cytopathic Effects of a Zika Virus Brazilian Isolate from Bahia Compared to a Canadian-Imported Thai Strain.

Zika virus (ZIKV) is an emerging pathogen from the family. It represents a significant threat to global health due to its neurological and fetal pathogenesis (including microcephaly and congenital malformations), and its rapid dissemination across Latin America in recent years. The virus has spread from Africa to Asia, the Pacific islands and the Americas with limited knowledge about the pathogenesis associated with infection in recent years.