Influenza A and B virus-like particles produced in mammalian cells are highly immunogenic and induce functional antibodies.

Influenza virus-like particles (VLPs) represent an attractive alternative to traditional influenza vaccine formulations. Influenza VLPs mimic the natural virus while lacking the genetic material, are easily recognized by the immune system, and are considered safe. The use of a mammalian cell platform offers many advantages for VLP production, such as flexibility and the same glycosylation patterns as a human virus. In this study, the influenza VLPs containing hemagglutinin (HA), neuraminidase (NA) and matrix M1 proteins were expressed in CHO-K1, Vero or 293 T cell lines using transient transfection. After production in 3L bioreactor and purification, extensive characterization was performed on two batches of VLPs produced in 293 T, the best cell line for VLP expression; one batch expressed the HA and NA genes from A/Hong Kong/4801/2014 (H3N2) strain and the other, HA and NA genes from B/Phuket/3073/2013. Characterizations provided evidence that mammalian VLPs closely emulate the exterior of authentic virus particles in terms of both antigen presentation and biological properties. The two VLPs produced contained more NA proteins on their surface with a HA:NA ratio around 1:1 than influenza viruses which present a HA:NA ratio of around 4:1. Immunogenicity studies in BALB/c mice demonstrated that the VLPs, administered intra-muscularly, were highly immunogenic at low doses, with the induction of functional antibodies against HA and NA. Immunogenicity was also shown in a human in vitro model (MIMIC® system). In conclusion, we believe that influenza vaccines made of VLPs produced in mammalian cell lines, constitute a potential alternative to the classical influenza vaccines.

The in vitro MIMIC® platform reflects age-associated changes in immunological responses after influenza vaccination.

Increasing research and development costs coupled with growing concerns over healthcare expenditures necessitate the generation of pre-clinical testing models better able to predict the efficacy of vaccines, drugs and biologics. An ideal system for evaluating vaccine immunogenicity will not only be reliable but also physiologically relevant, able to be influenced by immunomodulatory characteristics such as age or previous exposure to pathogens. We have previously described a fully autologous human cell-based MIMIC® (Modular IMmune In vitro Construct) platform which enables the evaluation of innate and adaptive immunity in vitro, including naïve and recall responses. Here, we establish the ability of this module to display reduced antibody production and T cell activation upon in vitro influenza vaccination of cells from elderly adults. In the MIMIC® system, we observe a 2.7-4.2-fold reduction in strain-specific IgG production to seasonal trivalent influenza vaccine (TIV) in the elderly when compared to adults, as well as an age-dependent decline in the generation of functional antibodies. A parallel decline in IgG production with increasing age was detected via short-term ex vivo stimulation of B cells after in vivo TIV vaccination in the same cohort. Using MIMIC®, we also detect a reduction in the number but not proportion of TIV-specific multifunctional CD154+IFNγ+IL-2+TNFα+ CD4+ T cells in elderly adults. Inefficient induction of multifunctional helper T cells with TIV stimulation in MIMIC® despite a normalized number of initial CD4+ T cells suggests a possible mechanism for an impaired anti-TIV IgG response in elderly adults. The ability of the MIMIC® system to recapitulate differential age-associated responses in vitro provides a dynamic platform for the testing of vaccine candidates and vaccine enhancement strategies in a fully human model including the ability to interrogate specific populations, such as elderly adults.

Fluorescence Adherence Inhibition Assay: A Novel Functional Assessment of Blocking Virus Attachment by Vaccine-Induced Antibodies.

Neutralizing antibodies induced by vaccination or natural infection play a critically important role in protection against the viral diseases. In general, neutralization of the viral infection occurs via two major pathways: pre- and post-attachment modes, the first being the most important for such infections as influenza and polio, the latter being significant for filoviruses. Neutralizing capacity of antibodies is typically evaluated by virus neutralization assays that assess reduction of viral infectivity to the target cells in the presence of functional antibodies. Plaque reduction neutralization test, microneutralization and immunofluorescent assays are often used as gold standard virus neutralization assays. However, these methods are associated with several important prerequisites such as use of live virus requiring safety precautions, tedious evaluation procedure and long assessment time. Hence, there is a need for a robust, inexpensive high throughput functional assay that can be performed rapidly using inactivated virus, without extensive safety precautions. Herein, we report a novel high throughput Fluorescence Adherence Inhibition assay (fADI) using inactivated virus labeled with fluorescent secondary antibodies virus and Vero cells or erythrocytes as targets. It requires only few hours to assess pre-attachment neutralizing capacity of donor sera. fADI assay was tested successfully on donors immunized with polio, yellow fever and influenza vaccines. To further simplify and improve the throughput of the assay, we have developed a mathematical approach for calculating the 50% titers from a single sample dilution, without the need to analyze multi-point titration curves. Assessment of pre- and post-vaccination human sera from subjects immunized with IPOL®, YF-VAX® and 2013-2014 Fluzone® vaccines demonstrated high efficiency of the assay. The results correlated very well with microneutralization assay performed independently by the FDA Center of Biologics Evaluation and Research, with plaque reduction neutralization test performed by Focus Diagnostics, and with hemaglutination inhibition assay performed in-house at Sanofi Pasteur. Taken together, fADI assay appears to be a useful high throughput functional immunoassay for assessment of antibody-related neutralization of the viral infections for which pre-attachment neutralization pathway is predominant, such as polio, influenza, yellow fever and dengue.

A predictive biomimetic model of cytokine release induced by TGN1412 and other therapeutic monoclonal antibodies.

Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) are routinely used in vitro to detect cytokine secretion as part of preclinical screens to delineate agonistic and antagonistic action of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). Preclinical value of standard human PBMC assays to detect cytokine release syndrome (CRS) has been questioned, as they did not predict the "cytokine storm" that occurred when healthy human volunteers were given a CD28-specific super-agonist mAb, TGN1412. In this article, we describe a three-dimensional biomimetic vascular test-bed that can be used as a more physiologically relevant assay for testing therapeutic Abs. For developing such a system, we used TGN1412 as a model mAb. We tested soluble TGN1412 on various combinations of human blood components in a module containing endothelial cells grown on a collagen scaffold and measured cytokine release using multiplex array. Our system, consisting of whole leukocytes, endothelial cells, and 100% autologous platelet-poor plasma (PPP) consistently produced proinflammatory cytokines in response to soluble TGN1412. In addition, other mAb therapeutics known to induce CRS or first infusion reactions, such as OKT3, Campath-1H, or Herceptin, generated cytokine profiles in our model system consistent with their in vivo responses. As a negative control we tested the non-CRS mAbs Avastin and Remicade and found little difference between these mAbs and the placebo control. Our data indicate that this novel assay may have preclinical value for predicting the potential of CRS for mAb therapeutics.

Patterned cardiomyocytes on microelectrode arrays as a functional, high information content drug screening platform.

Cardiac side effects are one of the major causes of drug candidate failures in preclinical drug development or in clinical trials and are responsible for the retraction of several already marketed therapeutics. Thus, the development of a relatively high-throughput, high information content tool to screen drugs and toxins would be important in the field of cardiac research and drug development. In this study, recordings from commercial multielectrode arrays were combined with surface patterning of cardiac myocyte monolayers to enhance the information content of the method; specifically, to enable the measurement of conduction velocity, refractory period after action potentials and to create a functional re-entry model. Two drugs, 1-Heptanol, a gap junction blocker, and Sparfloxacin, a fluoroquinone antibiotic, were tested in this system. 1-Heptanol administration resulted in a marked reduction in conduction velocity, whereas Sparfloxacin caused rapid, irregular and unsynchronized activity, indicating fibrillation. As shown in these experiments, patterning of cardiac myocyte monolayers solved several inherent problems of multielectrode recordings, increased the temporal resolution of conduction velocity measurements, and made the synchronization of external stimulation with action potential propagation possible for refractory period measurements. This method could be further developed as a cardiac side effect screening platform after combination with human cardiomyocytes.

An immunologic model for rapid vaccine assessment -- a clinical trial in a test tube.

While the duration and size of human clinical trials may be difficult to reduce, there are several parameters in pre-clinical vaccine development that may be possible to further optimise. By increasing the accuracy of the models used for pre-clinical vaccine testing, it should be possible to increase the probability that any particular vaccine candidate will be successful in human trials. In addition, an improved model will allow the collection of increasingly more-informative data in pre-clinical tests, thus aiding the rational design and formulation of candidates entered into clinical evaluation. An acceleration and increase in sophistication of pre-clinical vaccine development will thus require the advent of more physiologically-accurate models of the human immune system, coupled with substantial advances in the mechanistic understanding of vaccine efficacy, achieved by using this model. We believe the best viable option available is to use human cells and/or tissues in a functional in vitro model of human physiology. Not only will this more accurately model human diseases, it will also eliminate any ethical, moral and scientific issues involved with use of live humans and animals. An in vitro model, termed "MIMIC" (Modular IMmune In vitro Construct), was designed and developed to reflect the human immune system in a well-based format. The MIMIC System is a laboratory-based methodology that replicates the human immune system response. It is highly automated, and can be used to simulate a clinical trial for a diverse population, without putting human subjects at risk. The MIMIC System uses the circulating immune cells of individual donors to recapitulate each individual human immune response by maintaining the autonomy of the donor. Thus, an in vitro test system has been created that is functionally equivalent to the donor's own immune system and is designed to respond in a similar manner to the in vivo response.

Patterning of diverse mammalian cell types in serum free medium with photoablation.

Integration of living cells with novel microdevices requires the development of innovative technologies for manipulating cells. Chemical surface patterning has been proven as an effective method to control the attachment and growth of diverse cell populations. Patterning polyelectrolyte multilayers through the combination of layer-by-layer self-assembly technique and photolithography offer a simple, versatile, and silicon compatible approach that overcomes chemical surface patterning limitations, such as short-term stability and low-protein adsorption resistance. In this study, direct photolithographic patterning of two types of multilayers, PAA (poly acrylic acid)/PAAm (poly acryl amide) and PAA/PAH (poly allyl amine hydrochloride), were developed to pattern mammalian neuronal, skeletal, and cardiac muscle cells. For all studied cell types, PAA/PAAm multilayers behaved as a cytophobic surface, completely preventing cell attachment. In contrast, PAA/PAH multilayers have shown a cell-selective behavior, promoting the attachment and growth of neuronal cells (embryonic rat hippocampal and NG108-15 cells) to a greater extent, while providing little attachment for neonatal rat cardiac and skeletal muscle cells (C2C12 cell line). PAA/PAAm multilayer cellular patterns have also shown a remarkable protein adsorption resistance. Protein adsorption protocols commonly used for surface treatment in cell culture did not compromise the cell attachment inhibiting feature of the PAA/PAAm multilayer patterns. The combination of polyelectrolyte multilayer patterns with different adsorbed proteins could expand the applicability of this technology to cell types that require specific proteins either on the surface or in the medium for attachment or differentiation, and could not be patterned using the traditional methods.