Immunological and physical evaluation of the multistage tuberculosis subunit vaccine candidate H56/CAF01 formulated as a spray-dried powder.

Liquid vaccine dosage forms have limited stability and require refrigeration during their manufacture, distribution and storage. In contrast, solid vaccine dosage forms, produced by for example spray drying, offer improved storage stability and reduced dependence on cold-chain facilities. This is advantageous for mass immunization campaigns for global public health threats, e.g., tuberculosis (TB), and offers cheaper vaccine distribution. The multistage subunit vaccine antigen H56, which is a fusion protein of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) antigens Ag85B, ESAT-6, and Rv2660, has been shown to confer protective efficacy against active TB before and after Mtb exposure in preclinical models, and it is currently undergoing clinical phase 2a testing. In several studies, including a recent study comparing multiple clinically relevant vaccine adjuvants, the T helper type 1 (Th1)/Th17-inducing adjuvant CAF01 was the most efficacious adjuvant for H56 to stimulate protective immunity against Mtb. With the long-term goal of designing a thermostable and self-administrable dry powder vaccine based on H56 and CAF01 for inhalation, we compared H56 spray-dried with CAF01 with the non-spray-dried H56/CAF01 vaccine with respect to their ability to induce systemic Th1, Th17 and humoral responses after subcutaneous immunization. Here we show that spray drying of the H56/CAF01 vaccine results in preserved antigenic epitope recognition and adjuvant activity of CAF01, and the spray-dried, reconstituted vaccine induces antigen-specific Th1, Th17 and humoral immune responses, which are comparable to those stimulated by the non-spray-dried H56/CAF01 vaccine. In addition, the spray-dried and reconstituted H56/CAF01 vaccine promotes similar polyfunctional CD4+ T-cell responses as the non-spray-dried vaccine. Thus, our study provides proof-of-concept that spray drying of the subunit vaccine H56/CAF01 preserves vaccine-induced humoral and cell-mediated immune responses. These results support our ongoing efforts to develop a thermostable, dry powder-based TB vaccine.

Engineering of a novel adjuvant based on lipid-polymer hybrid nanoparticles: A quality-by-design approach.

The purpose of this study was to design a novel and versatile adjuvant intended for mucosal vaccination based on biodegradable poly(DL-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs) modified with the cationic surfactant dimethyldioctadecylammonium (DDA) bromide and the immunopotentiator trehalose-6,6'-dibehenate (TDB) (CAF01) to tailor humoral and cellular immunity characterized by antibodies and Th1/Th17 responses. Such responses are important for the protection against diseases caused by intracellular bacteria such as Chlamydia trachomatis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The hybrid NPs were engineered using an oil-in-water single emulsion method and a quality-by-design approach was adopted to define the optimal operating space (OOS). Four critical process parameters (CPPs) were identified, including the acetone concentration in the water phase, the stabilizer [polyvinylalcohol (PVA)] concentration, the lipid-to-total solid ratio, and the total concentration. The CPPs were linked to critical quality attributes consisting of the particle size, polydispersity index (PDI), zeta-potential, thermotropic phase behavior, yield and stability. A central composite face-centered design was performed followed by multiple linear regression analysis. The size, PDI, enthalpy of the phase transition and yield were successfully modeled, whereas the models for the zeta-potential and the stability were poor. Cryo-transmission electron microscopy revealed that the main structural effect on the nanoparticle architecture is caused by the use of PVA, and two different morphologies were identified: i) A PLGA core coated with one or several concentric lipid bilayers, and ii) a PLGA nanoshell encapsulating lipid membrane structures. The optimal formulation, identified from the OOS, was evaluated in vivo. The hybrid NPs induced antibody and Th1/Th17 immune responses that were similar in quality and magnitude to the response induced by DDA/TDB liposomes, showing that the adjuvant properties of DDA/TDB are maintained in the PLGA hybrid matrix. This study demonstrates the complexity of formulation design for the engineering of a hybrid lipid-polymer nanoparticle adjuvant.

The surface charge of liposomal adjuvants is decisive for their interactions with the Calu-3 and A549 airway epithelial cell culture models.

One of the main reasons for the unmet medical need for mucosal vaccines is the lack of safe and efficacious mucosal adjuvants. The cationic liposome-based adjuvant system composed of dimethyldioctadecylammonium (DDA) bromide and trehalose 6,6'-dibehenate (TDB) is a versatile adjuvant that has shown potential for mucosal vaccination via the airways. The purpose of this study was to investigate the importance of the liposomal surface charge on the interaction with lung epithelial cells. Thus, the cationic DDA in the liposomes was subjected to a step-wise replacement with the zwitterionic distearoylphosphatidylcholine (DSPC). The liposomes were tested with the model protein antigen ovalbumin for the mucosal deposition, the effect on cellular viability and the epithelial integrity by using the two cell lines A549 and Calu-3, representing cells from the alveolar and the bronchiolar epithelium, respectively. The Calu-3 cells were cultured under different conditions, resulting in epithelia with a low and a high mucus secretion, respectively. A significantly larger amount of lipid and ovalbumin was deposited in the epithelial cell layer and in the mucus after incubation with the cationic liposomes, as compared to incubation with the neutral liposomes, which suggests that the cationic charge is important for the delivery. The integrity and the viability of the cells without a surface-lining mucus layer were decreased upon incubation with the cationic formulations, whereas the mucus appeared to retain the integrity and viability of the mucus-covered Calu-3 cells. Our in vitro results thus indicate that DDA/TDB liposomes might be efficiently and safely used as an adjuvant system for vaccines targeting the mucus-covered epithelium of the upper respiratory tract and the conducting airways.

Engineering of an inhalable DDA/TDB liposomal adjuvant: a quality-by-design approach towards optimization of the spray drying process.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify and optimize spray drying parameters of importance for the design of an inhalable powder formulation of a cationic liposomal adjuvant composed of dimethyldioctadecylammonium (DDA) bromide and trehalose-6,6'-dibehenate (TDB). METHODS: A quality by design (QbD) approach was applied to identify and link critical process parameters (CPPs) of the spray drying process to critical quality attributes (CQAs) using risk assessment and design of experiments (DoE), followed by identification of an optimal operating space (OOS). A central composite face-centered design was carried out followed by multiple linear regression analysis. RESULTS: Four CQAs were identified; the mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD), the liposome stability (size) during processing, the moisture content and the yield. Five CPPs (drying airflow, feed flow rate, feedstock concentration, atomizing airflow and outlet temperature) were identified and tested in a systematic way. The MMAD and the yield were successfully modeled. For the liposome size stability, the ratio between the size after and before spray drying was modeled successfully. The model for the residual moisture content was poor, although, the moisture content was below 3% in the entire design space. Finally, the OOS was drafted from the constructed models for the spray drying of trehalose stabilized DDA/TDB liposomes. CONCLUSIONS: The QbD approach for the spray drying process should include a careful consideration of the quality target product profile. This approach implementing risk assessment and DoE was successfully applied to optimize the spray drying of an inhalable DDA/TDB liposomal adjuvant designed for pulmonary vaccination.

Designing CAF-adjuvanted dry powder vaccines: spray drying preserves the adjuvant activity of CAF01.

Dry powder vaccine formulations are highly attractive due to improved storage stability and the possibility for particle engineering, as compared to liquid formulations. However, a prerequisite for formulating vaccines into dry formulations is that their physicochemical and adjuvant properties remain unchanged upon rehydration. Thus, we have identified and optimized the parameters of importance for the design of a spray dried powder formulation of the cationic liposomal adjuvant formulation 01 (CAF01) composed of dimethyldioctadecylammonium (DDA) bromide and trehalose 6,6'-dibehenate (TDB) via spray drying. The optimal excipient to stabilize CAF01 during spray drying and for the design of nanocomposite microparticles was identified among mannitol, lactose and trehalose. Trehalose and lactose were promising stabilizers with respect to preserving liposome size, as compared to mannitol. Trehalose and lactose were in the glassy state upon co-spray drying with the liposomes, whereas mannitol appeared crystalline, suggesting that the ability of the stabilizer to form a glassy matrix around the liposomes is one of the prerequisites for stabilization. Systematic studies on the effect of process parameters suggested that a fast drying rate is essential to avoid phase separation and lipid accumulation at the surface of the microparticles during spray drying. Finally, immunization studies in mice with CAF01 in combination with the tuberculosis antigen Ag85B-ESAT6-Rv2660c (H56) demonstrated that spray drying of CAF01 with trehalose under optimal processing conditions resulted in the preservation of the adjuvant activity in vivo. These data demonstrate the importance of liposome stabilization via optimization of formulation and processing conditions in the engineering of dry powder liposome formulations.

Stabilization of liposomes during drying.

INTRODUCTION: During the past 40 years, liposomes have been investigated intensively as drug carriers for anticancer drugs and as the adjuvant components of vaccines, for example. In this context, the development of dry formulations of liposomes is important to ensure a more stable drug product and to avoid the use of the 'cold chain' during distribution. AREAS COVERED: This review provides an overview of the technologies commonly used for the drying of liposomal formulations and the significance of formulation and processing parameters for the drying process. In addition, a review is provided of the protective mechanisms proposed to be responsible for stabilization during processing and in the dry state, with special emphasis on the techniques used for the characterization of the mechanisms. Parameters are discussed that critically influence the liposomal stability during drying and the underlying stabilization mechanisms, including the water replacement theory, vitrification and kosmotropic effects. EXPERT OPINION: Drying of liposomal formulations has contributed to the development of more stable products because liposomes can be dehydrated in the presence of appropriate stabilizing excipients, without affecting the size or the drug encapsulation efficiency. The key to the successful design and preparation of optimal liposomal dry powder formulations is an understanding of the significance of the drying process parameters, and the mechanisms responsible for the stabilization of liposomes during drying and in the dry state.