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Discover how PEPperPRINT Peptide Microarray products have been used in different fields of research.

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SARS-CoV-2 Rapid Antigen Test Based on a New Anti-Nucleocapsid Protein Monoclonal Antibody: Development and Real-Time Validation

Coelho, Fabiana Fioravante; Da Silva, Miriam Aparecida; Lopes, Thiciany Blener; Polatto, Juliana Moutinho; De Castro, Natália Salazar; Andrade, Luis Adan Flores; Lourenço, Karine Lima; Sato, Hugo Itaru; De Carvalho, Alex Fiorini; Coelho, Helena Perez; Bagno, Flávia Fonseca; Luz, Daniela; Viala, Vincent Louis; Cattony, Pedro Queiroz; Melo, Bruna De Sousa; Moro, Ana Maria; Quintilio, Wagner; Barbosa, Ana Paula; Bomfim, Camila Gasque; Soares, Camila Pereira; Guzzo, Cristiane Rodrigues; Fonseca, Flavio Guimarães; Durigon, Edison Luiz; Gazzinelli, Ricardo Tostes; Ribeiro Teixeira, Santuza M.; Piazza, Roxane Maria Fontes; Fernandes, Ana Paula
Microorganisms.
Sep 2023
10.3390/microorganisms11102422
SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic tests have become an important tool for pandemic control. Among the alternatives for COVID-19 diagnosis, antigen rapid diagnostic tests (Ag-RDT) are very convenient and widely used. However, as SARS-CoV-2 variants may continuously emerge, the replacement of tests and reagents may be required to maintain the sensitivity of Ag-RDTs. Here, we describe the development and validation of an Ag-RDT during an outbreak of the Omicron variant, including the characterization of a new monoclonal antibody (anti-DTC-N 1B3 mAb) that recognizes the Nucleocapsid protein (N). The anti-DTC-N 1B3 mAb recognized the sequence TFPPTEPKKDKKK located at the C-terminus of the N protein of main SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern. Accordingly, the Ag-RDT prototypes using the anti-DTC-N 1B3 mAB detected all the SARS-CoV-2 variants—Wuhan, Alpha, Gamma, Delta, P2 and Omicron. The performance of the best prototype (sensitivity of 95.2% for samples with Ct ≤ 25; specificity of 98.3% and overall accuracy of 85.0%) met the WHO recommendations. Moreover, results from a patients’ follow-up study indicated that, if performed within the first three days after onset of symptoms, the Ag-RDT displayed 100% sensitivity. Thus, the new mAb and the Ag-RDT developed herein may constitute alternative tools for COVID-19 point-of-care diagnosis and epidemiological surveillance.

A computationally designed antigen eliciting broad humoral responses against SARS-CoV-2 and related sarbecoviruses

Vishwanath, Sneha; Carnell, George William; Ferrari, Matteo; Asbach, Benedikt; Billmeier, Martina; George, Charlotte; Sans, Maria Suau; Nadesalingam, Angalee; Huang, Chloe Qingzhou; Paloniemi, Minna; Stewart, Hazel; Chan, Andrew; Wells, David Arthur; Neckermann, Patrick; Peterhoff, David; Einhauser, Sebastian; Cantoni, Diego; Neto, Martin Mayora; Jordan, Ingo; Sandig, Volker; Tonks, Paul; Temperton, Nigel; Frost, Simon; Sohr, Katharina; Ballesteros, Maria Teresa Lluesma; Arbabi, Farzad; Geiger, Johannes; Dohmen, Christian; Plank, Christian; Kinsley, Rebecca; Wagner, Ralf; Heeney, Jonathan Luke
Nat. Biomed. Eng.
Sep 2023
10.1038/s41551-023-01094-2
Abstract The threat of spillovers of coronaviruses associated with the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) from animals to humans necessitates vaccines that offer broader protection from sarbecoviruses. By leveraging a viral-genome-informed computational method for selecting immune-optimized and structurally engineered antigens, here we show that a single antigen based on the receptor binding domain of the spike protein of sarbecoviruses elicits broad humoral responses against SARS-CoV-1, SARS-CoV-2, WIV16 and RaTG13 in mice, rabbits and guinea pigs. When administered as a DNA immunogen or by a vector based on a modified vaccinia virus Ankara, the optimized antigen induced vaccine protection from the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 in mice genetically engineered to express angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 and primed by a viral-vector vaccine (AZD1222) against SARS-CoV-2. A vaccine formulation incorporating mRNA coding for the optimized antigen further validated its broad immunogenicity. Vaccines that elicit broad immune responses across subgroups of coronaviruses may counteract the threat of zoonotic spillovers of betacoronaviruses.

A Candidate DNA Vaccine Encoding the Native SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Induces Anti-Subdomain 1 Antibodies

Frische, Anders; Gunalan, Vithiagaran; Krogfelt, Karen Angeliki; Fomsgaard, Anders; Lassaunière, Ria
Vaccines.
Sep 2023
10.3390/vaccines11091451
The ideal vaccine against viral infections should elicit antibody responses that protect against divergent strains. Designing broadly protective vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 and other divergent viruses requires insight into the specific targets of cross-protective antibodies on the viral surface protein(s). However, unlike therapeutic monoclonal antibodies, the B-cell epitopes of vaccine-induced polyclonal antibody responses remain poorly defined. Here we show that, through the combination of neutralizing antibody functional responses with B-cell epitope mapping, it is possible to identify unique antibody targets associated with neutralization breadth. The polyclonal antibody profiles of SARS-CoV-2 index-strain-vaccinated rabbits that demonstrated a low, intermediate, or high neutralization efficiency of different SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) were distinctly different. Animals with an intermediate and high cross-neutralization of VOCs targeted fewer antigenic sites on the spike protein and targeted one particular epitope, subdomain 1 (SD1), situated outside the receptor binding domain (RBD). Our results indicate that a targeted functional antibody response and an additional focus on non-RBD epitopes could be effective for broad protection against different SARS-CoV-2 variants. We anticipate that the approach taken in this study can be applied to other viral vaccines for identifying future epitopes that confer cross-neutralizing antibody responses, and that our findings will inform a rational vaccine design for SARS-CoV-2.

Novel anti-CD30/CD3 bispecific antibodies activate human T cells and mediate potent anti-tumor activity

Faber, Mary L.; Oldham, Robyn A. A.; Thakur, Archana; Rademacher, Mary Jo; Kubicka, Ewa; Dlugi, Theresa A.; Gifford, Steven A.; McKillop, William M.; Schloemer, Nathan J.; Lum, Lawrence G.; Medin, Jeffrey A.
Front. Immunol..
Aug 2023
10.3389/fimmu.2023.1225610
CD30 is expressed on Hodgkin lymphomas (HL), many non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHLs), and non-lymphoid malignancies in children and adults. Tumor expression, combined with restricted expression in healthy tissues, identifies CD30 as a promising immunotherapy target. An anti-CD30 antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) has been approved by the FDA for HL. While anti-CD30 ADCs and chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) have shown promise, their shortcomings and toxicities suggest that alternative treatments are needed. We developed novel anti-CD30 x anti-CD3 bispecific antibodies (biAbs) to coat activated patient T cells (ATCs) ex vivo prior to autologous re-infusions. Our goal is to harness the dual specificity of the biAb, the power of cellular therapy, and the safety of non-genetically modified autologous T cell infusions. We present a comprehensive characterization of the CD30 binding and tumor cell killing properties of these biAbs. Five unique murine monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) were generated against the extracellular domain of human CD30. Resultant anti-CD30 mAbs were purified and screened for binding specificity, affinity, and epitope recognition. Two lead mAb candidates with unique sequences and CD30 binding clusters that differ from the ADC in clinical use were identified. These mAbs were chemically conjugated with OKT3 (an anti-CD3 mAb). ATCs were armed and evaluated in vitro for binding, cytokine production, and cytotoxicity against tumor lines and then in vivo for tumor cell killing. Our lead mAb was subcloned to make a Master Cell Bank (MCB) and screened for binding against a library of human cell surface proteins. Only huCD30 was bound. These studies support a clinical trial in development employing ex vivo -loading of autologous T cells with this novel biAb.

Multifunctional IgG/IgM antibodies and cellular cytotoxicity are elicited by the full-length MSP1 SumayaVac-1 malaria vaccine

Rosenkranz, Micha; Fürle, Kristin; Hibbert, Julia; Ulmer, Anne; Ali, Arin; Giese, Thomas; Blank, Antje; Haefeli, Walter E.; Böhnlein, Ernst; Lanzer, Michael; Thomson-Luque, Richard
npj Vaccines.
Aug 2023
10.1038/s41541-023-00701-2
Abstract Radical control of malaria likely requires a vaccine that targets both the asymptomatic liver stages and the disease-causing blood stages of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum . While substantial progress has been made towards liver stage vaccines, the development of a blood stage vaccine is lagging behind. We have recently conducted a first-in-human clinical trial to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of the recombinant, full-length merozoite surface protein 1 (MSP1 FL ) formulated with GLA-SE as adjuvant. Here, we show that the vaccine, termed SumayaVac-1 , elicited both a humoral and cellular immune response as well as a recall T cell memory. The induced IgG and IgM antibodies were able to stimulate various Fc-mediated effector mechanisms associated with protection against malaria, including phagocytosis, release of reactive oxygen species, production of IFN-γ as well as complement activation and fixation. The multifunctional activity of the humoral immune response remained for at least 6 months after vaccination and was comparable to that of naturally acquired anti-MSP1 antibodies from semi-immune adults from Kenya. We further present evidence of SumayaVac-1 eliciting a recallable cellular cytotoxicity by IFN-γ producing CD8+ T cells. Our study revitalizes MSP1 FL as a relevant blood stage vaccine candidate and warrants further evaluation of SumayaVac-1 in a phase II efficacy trial.

Autoimmune Atrial Fibrillation

Maguy, Ange; Mahendran, Yuvaraj; Tardif, Jean-Claude; Busseuil, David; Li, Jin
Circulation.
Aug 2023
10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.122.062776
BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is by far the most common cardiac arrhythmia. In about 3% of individuals, AF develops as a primary disorder without any identifiable trigger (idiopathic or historically termed lone AF). In line with the emerging field of autoantibody-related cardiac arrhythmias, the objective of this study was to explore whether autoantibodies targeting cardiac ion channels can underlie unexplained AF. METHODS: Peptide microarray was used to screen patient samples for autoantibodies. We compared patients with unexplained AF (n=37 pre-existent AF; n=14 incident AF on follow-up) to age- and sex-matched controls (n=37). Electrophysiological properties of the identified autoantibody were then tested in vitro with the patch clamp technique and in vivo with an experimental mouse model of immunization. RESULTS: A common autoantibody response against K ir 3.4 protein was detected in patients with AF and even before the development of clinically apparent AF. K ir 3.4 protein forms a heterotetramer that underlies the cardiac acetylcholine-activated inwardly rectifying K + current, I KACh . Functional studies on human induced pluripotent stem cell–derived atrial cardiomyocytes showed that anti-K ir 3.4 IgG purified from patients with AF shortened action potentials and enhanced the constitutive form of I KACh , both key mediators of AF. To establish a causal relationship, we developed a mouse model of K ir 3.4 autoimmunity. Electrophysiological study in K ir 3.4-immunized mice showed that K ir 3.4 autoantibodies significantly reduced atrial effective refractory period and predisposed animals to a 2.8-fold increased susceptibility to AF. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this is the first report of an autoimmune pathogenesis of AF with direct evidence of K ir 3.4 autoantibody-mediated AF.

Selection for immune evasion in SARS-CoV-2 revealed by high-resolution epitope mapping and sequence analysis

N’Guessan, Arnaud; Kailasam, Senthilkumar; Mostefai, Fatima; Poujol, Raphaël; Grenier, Jean-Christophe; Ismailova, Nailya; Contini, Paola; De Palma, Raffaele; Haber, Carsten; Stadler, Volker; Bourque, Guillaume; Hussin, Julie G.; Shapiro, B. Jesse; Fritz, Jörg H.; Piccirillo, Ciriaco A.
iScience.
Aug 2023
10.1016/j.isci.2023.107394

Survivin prevents the polycomb repressor complex 2 from methylating histone 3 lysine 27

Jensen, Maja; Chandrasekaran, Venkataragavan; García-Bonete, María-José; Li, Shuxiang; Anindya, Atsarina Larasati; Andersson, Karin; Erlandsson, Malin C.; Oparina, Nina Y.; Burmann, Björn M.; Brath, Ulrika; Panchenko, Anna R.; Bokarewa I., Maria; Katona, Gergely
iScience.
Jul 2023
10.1016/j.isci.2023.106976

Obesity Is Associated with an Impaired Baseline Repertoire of Anti-Influenza Virus Antibodies

Abd Alhadi, Marwa; Friedman, Lilach M.; Karlsson, Erik A.; Cohen-Lavi, Liel; Burkovitz, Anat; Schultz-Cherry, Stacey; Noah, Terry L.; Weir, Samuel S.; Shulman, Lester M.; Beck, Melinda A.; Hertz, Tomer
Microbiol Spectr.
Jun 2023
10.1128/spectrum.00010-23
Obesity is a risk factor for severe disease and mortality for both influenza and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. While previous studies show that individuals with obesity generate antibody responses fol- lowing influenza vaccination, infection rates within the obese group were twice as high as those in the healthy-weight group. The repertoire of antibodies raised against influenza viruses following previous vaccinations and/or natural exposures is referred to here as baseline immune history (BIH). To investigate the hypothesis that obesity impacts immune memory to infections and vaccines, we profiled the BIH of obese and healthy-weight adults vaccinated with the 2010-2011 seasonal influenza vaccine in response to conformational and linear antigens. Despite the extensive heterogeneity of the BIH profiles in both groups, there were striking differences between obese and healthy subjects, especially with regard to A/H1N1 strains and the 2009 pandemic virus (Cal09). Individuals with obesity had lower IgG and IgA magnitude and breadth for a panel of A/H1N1 whole viruses and hemagglutinin proteins from 1933 to 2009 but increased IgG magnitude and breadth for linear peptides from the Cal09 H1 and N1 proteins. Age was also associated with A/H1N1 BIH, with young individuals with obesity being more likely to have reduced A/H1N1 BIH. We found that individuals with low IgG BIH had significantly lower neutralizing antibody titers than individuals with high IgG BIH. Taken together, our findings suggest that increased susceptibility of obese participants to influenza infection may be mediated in part by obesity-associ- ated differences in the memory B-cell repertoire, which cannot be ameliorated by current seasonal vaccination regimens. Overall, these data have vital implications for the next generation of influenza virus and SARS-CoV-2 vaccines.

AAV-mediated expression of a new conformational anti-aggregated α-synuclein antibody prolongs survival in a genetic model of α-synucleinopathies

Düchs, Matthias; Blazevic, Dragica; Rechtsteiner, Philipp; Kenny, Cynthia; Lamla, Thorsten; Low, Sarah; Savistchenko, Jimmy; Neumann, Manuela; Melki, Ronald; Schönberger, Tanja; Stierstorfer, Birgit; Wyatt, David; Igney, Frederik; Ciossek, Thomas
npj Parkinsons Dis..
Jun 2023
10.1038/s41531-023-00542-9
Abstract Prion-like transmission of pathology in α-synucleinopathies like Parkinson’s disease or multiple system atrophy is increasingly recognized as one potential mechanism to address disease progression. Active and passive immunotherapies targeting insoluble, aggregated α-synuclein are already being actively explored in the clinic with mixed outcomes so far. Here, we report the identification of 306C7B3, a highly selective, aggregate-specific α-synuclein antibody with picomolar affinity devoid of binding to the monomeric, physiologic protein. 306C7B3 binding is Ser129-phosphorylation independent and shows high affinity to several different aggregated α-synuclein polymorphs, increasing the likelihood that it can also bind to the pathological seeds assumed to drive disease progression in patients. In support of this, highly selective binding to pathological aggregates in postmortem brains of MSA patients was demonstrated, with no staining in samples from other human neurodegenerative diseases. To achieve CNS exposure of 306C7B3, an adeno-associated virus (AAV) based approach driving expression of the secreted antibody within the brain of (Thy-1)-[A30P]-hα-synuclein mice was used. Widespread central transduction after intrastriatal inoculation was ensured by using the AAV2HBKO serotype, with transduction being spread to areas far away from the inoculation site. Treatment of (Thy-1)-[A30P]-hα-synuclein mice at the age of 12 months demonstrated significantly increased survival, with 306C7B3 concentration reaching 3.9 nM in the cerebrospinal fluid. These results suggest that AAV-mediated expression of 306C7B3, targeting extracellular, presumably disease-propagating aggregates of α-synuclein, has great potential as a disease-modifying therapy for α-synucleinopathies as it ensures CNS exposure of the antibody, thereby mitigating the selective permeability of the blood-brain barrier.

Differential recognition of influenza A virus H1N1 neuraminidase by DNA vaccine-induced antibodies in pigs and ferrets

Tingstedt, Jeanette Linnea; Stephen, Christine; Risinger, Christian; Blixt, Ola; Gunalan, Vithiagaran; Johansen, Isik Somuncu; Fomsgaard, Anders; Polacek, Charlotta; Lassaunière, Ria
Front. Immunol..
May 2023
10.3389/fimmu.2023.1200718
Neuraminidase (NA) accounts for approximately 10-20% of the total glycoproteins on the surface of influenza viruses. It cleaves sialic acids on glycoproteins, which facilitates virus entry into the airways by cleaving heavily glycosylated mucins in mucus and the release of progeny virus from the surface of infected cells. These functions make NA an attractive vaccine target. To inform rational vaccine design, we define the functionality of influenza DNA vaccine-induced NA-specific antibodies relative to antigenic sites in pigs and ferrets challenged with a vaccine-homologous A/California/7/2009(H1N1)pdm09 strain. Sera collected pre-vaccination, post-vaccination and post-challenge were analyzed for antibody-mediated inhibition of NA activity using a recombinant H7N1 CA09 virus. Antigenic sites were further identified with linear and conformational peptide microarrays spanning the full NA of A/California/04/2009(H1N1)pdm09. Vaccine-induced NA-specific antibodies inhibited the enzymatic function of NA in both animal models. The antibodies target critical sites of NA such as the enzymatic site, second sialic binding site and framework residues, shown here by high-resolution epitope mapping. New possible antigenic sites were identified that potentially block the catalytic activity of NA, including an epitope recognized solely in pigs and ferrets with neuraminidase inhibition, which could be a key antigenic site affecting NA function. These findings show that our influenza DNA vaccine candidate induces NA-specific antibodies that target known critical sites, and new potential antigenic sites of NA, inhibiting the catalytic activity of NA.

Machine learning-driven multifunctional peptide engineering for sustained ocular drug delivery

Hsueh, Henry T.; Chou, Renee Ti; Rai, Usha; Liyanage, Wathsala; Kim, Yoo Chun; Appell, Matthew B.; Pejavar, Jahnavi; Leo, Kirby T.; Davison, Charlotte; Kolodziejski, Patricia; Mozzer, Ann; Kwon, HyeYoung; Sista, Maanasa; Anders, Nicole M.; Hemingway, Avelina; Rompicharla, Sri Vishnu Kiran; Edwards, Malia; Pitha, Ian; Hanes, Justin; Cummings, Michael P.; Ensign, Laura M.
Nat Commun.
May 2023
10.1038/s41467-023-38056-w
Abstract Sustained drug delivery strategies have many potential benefits for treating a range of diseases, particularly chronic diseases that require treatment for years. For many chronic ocular diseases, patient adherence to eye drop dosing regimens and the need for frequent intraocular injections are significant barriers to effective disease management. Here, we utilize peptide engineering to impart melanin binding properties to peptide-drug conjugates to act as a sustained-release depot in the eye. We develop a super learning-based methodology to engineer multifunctional peptides that efficiently enter cells, bind to melanin, and have low cytotoxicity. When the lead multifunctional peptide (HR97) is conjugated to brimonidine, an intraocular pressure lowering drug that is prescribed for three times per day topical dosing, intraocular pressure reduction is observed for up to 18 days after a single intracameral injection in rabbits. Further, the cumulative intraocular pressure lowering effect increases ~17-fold compared to free brimonidine injection. Engineered multifunctional peptide-drug conjugates are a promising approach for providing sustained therapeutic delivery in the eye and beyond.

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