Immunogenicity and protective efficacy of recombinant M2e.Hsp70c(Hsp70_(359–610)) fusion protein against influenza virus infection in mice

New strategies in vaccine development are urgently needed to combat emerging influenza viruses and to reduce the risk of pandemic disease surfacing. Being conserved, the M2 e protein, is a potential candidate for universal vaccine development against influenza A viruses. Mycobacterium tuberculosis Hsp70(mHsp70) is known to cultivate the function of immunogenic antigen-presenting cells, stimulate a strong cytotoxic T lymphocyte(CTL) response, and stop the induction of tolerance. Thus, in this study, a recombinant protein from the extracellular domain of influenza A virus matrix protein 2(M2e), was fused to the C-terminus of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Hsp70(Hsp70c), to generate a vaccine candidate. Humoral immune responses, IFN-γ-producing lymphocyte, and strong CTL activity were all induced to confirm the immunogenicity of M2 e.Hsp70c(Hsp70359–610). And challenge tests showed protection against H1N1 and H9N2 strains in vaccinated groups. Finally these results demonstrates M2 e.Hsp70c fusion protein can be a candidate for a universal influenza A vaccine.

Immunogenicity and safety of a recombinant fusion protein vaccine(V-01)against coronavirus disease 2019 in healthy adults:a randomized,double-blind,placebo-controlled,phaseⅡtrial

Background:Innovative coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)vaccines,with elevated global manufacturing capacity,enhanced safety and efficacy,simplified dosing regimens,and distribution that is less cold chain-dependent,are still global imperatives for tackling the ongoing pandemic.A previous phase I trial indicated that the recombinant COVID-19 vaccine(V-01),which contains a fusion protein(IFN-PADRE-RBD-Fc dimer)as its antigen,is safe and well tolerated,capable of inducing rapid and robust immune responses,and warranted further testing in additional clinical trials.Herein,we aimed to assess the immunogenicity and safety of V-01,providing rationales of appropriate dose regimen for further efficacy study.Methods:A randomized,double-blind,placebo-controlled phaseⅡclinical trial was initiated at the Gaozhou Municipal Centre for Disease Control and Prevention(Guangdong,China)in March 2021.Both younger(n=440;18–59 years of age)and older(n=440;≥60 years of age)adult participants in this trial were sequentially recruited into two distinct groups:two-dose regimen group in which participants were randomized either to follow a 10 or 25 mg of V-01 or placebo given intramuscularly 21 days apart(allocation ratio,3:3:1,n=120,120,40 for each regimen,respectively),or one-dose regimen groups in which participants were randomized either to receive a single injection of 50 mg of V-01 or placebo(allocation ratio,3:1,n=120,40,respectively).The primary immunogenicity endpoints were the geometric mean titers of neutralizing antibodies against live severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2,and specific binding antibodies to the receptor binding domain(RBD).The primary safety endpoint evaluation was the frequencies and percentages of overall adverse events(AEs)within 30 days after full immunization.Results:V-01 provoked substantial immune responses in the two-dose group,achieving encouragingly high titers of neutralizing antibody and anti-RBDimmunoglobulin,which peaked at day 35(161.9[95%confidence interval[CI]:133.3–196.7]and 149.3[95%CI:123.9–179.9]in 10 and 25 mg V-01 group of younger adults,respectively;111.6[95%CI:89.6–139.1]and 111.1[95%CI:89.2–138.4]in 10 and 25 mg V-01 group of older adults,respectively),and remained high at day 49 after a day-21 second dose;these levels significantly exceed those in convalescent serum from symptomatic COVID-19 patients(53.6,95%CI:31.3–91.7).Our preliminary data showthat V-01 is safe andwell tolerated,with reactogenicity predominantly being absent or mild in severity and only one vaccinerelated grade 3 or worse AE being observed within 30 days.The older adult participants demonstrated a more favorable safety profile compared with those in the younger adult group:with AEs percentages of 19.2%,25.8%,17.5%in older adults vs.34.2%,23.3%,26.7%in younger adults at the 10,25 mg V-01 two-dose group,and 50 mg V-01 one-dose group,respectively.Conclusions:The vaccine candidate V-01 appears to be safe and immunogenic.The preliminary findings support the advancement of the two-dose,10 mg V-01 regimen to a phaseⅢtrial for a large-scale population-based evaluation of safety and efficacy.

A fusion protein containing murine vascular endothelial growth factor and tissue factor induces thrombogenesis and suppression of tumor growth in a colon carcinoma model

Induction of tumor vasculature occlusion by targeting a thrombogen to newly formed blood vessels in tumor tissues represents an intriguing approach to the eradication of primary solid tumors. In the current study, we construct and express a fusion protein containing vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and tissue factor (TF) to explore whether this fusion protein has the capability of inhibiting tumor growth in a colon carcinoma model. The murine cDNA of VEGF A and TF were amplified by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and then cloned into prokaryotic expression plasmid pQE30 with a linker. The expression product recombinant VEGF-TF (rVEGF-TF) was purified and proved to have comparable enzyme activity to a commercial TF and the capability of specific binding to tumor vessels. Significant decrease of tumor growth was found in the mice administered with rVEGF-TF on Day 6 after initiated rVEGF-TF treatment (P<0.05), and the tumor masses in 2 of 10 mice were almost disappeared on Day 14 after the first treatment. In addition, valid thrombogenesis and tumor necrosis were observed in the tumor tissues injected with rVEGF-TF. Our results demonstrate that occlusion of tumor vasculature with rVEGF-TF is potentially an effective approach for cancer therapy.

Construction of the recombinant expression vector for CD80-IgG fusion gene and its expression in Chinese hamster ovary cells

To construct the recombinant expression functionally in Chinese hamster ovary cells in order vector for CD80-IgG fusion gene and to express it to be used as an effective method to eliminate the immune escape of leukemic cells, the cDNA encoding the signal and extracellular domains of murine CD80 was generated by PCR amplification from plasmid pcDNMB7 containing the full length cDNA of murine CD80 and those of murine IgG1, in which the Fc fragment was obtained through RT-PCR amplification from murine spleen cells. These two cDNAs were then cloned in tandem into eukaryotic expression vector pcDNA3.0 and the resultant recombinant plasmid pcDNA/CD80-IgG was then transfected to Chinese hamster ovary cells with liposome transfection reagent. The cell clones constitutively expressing CD80-IgG fusion protein were obtained by G418 screening. Western blotting and dot ELISA assay were used to detect the expression of the fusion protein in the supernatants of these cells. Meanwhile, the fusion protein expressed was then purified with affinity chromatography, and its biological activity was demonstrated by flow cytometry, MTr colorimetry and ELISA assay. The experimental resuits showed that these two inserts were successfully cloned into plasmid pcDNA3.0, and the highly purified fusion protein was obtained. This fusion protein was proved to be able to upregulate the density of CD80 on leukemic cells, deliberately promote the proliferative reactions of mouse allogenic lymphocytes and increase the killing activity against WEHI-3 cells from 49.7 % up to 84.6 %. In addition, this fusion protein could also enhance the IL-2 secretion from allogenic lymphocytes activated by tumorspecific antigens. It is concluded that the recombinant vector constructed can be functionally expressed in the mammalian cells, thus providing a solid foundation for the further investigation on the mechanism to eliminate the immune escape of leukemic cells in vivo.

Purification and application of C-terminally truncated hepatitis C virus El proteins expressed in Escherichia coli

AIM: To explore the possibility of expressing hepatitis C virus (HCV) envelope protein 1 (E1) in Escherichia coli(E, coli) and to test the purified recombinant E1 proteins for clinical and research applications. METHODS: C-terminally truncated E1 fragments were expressed in E, coli as hexa-histidine-tagged fusion proteins. The expression products were purified under denaturing conditions using immobilized-metal affinity chrbmatography. Purified E1 proteins were used to immunize rabbits. Rabbit anti-sera thus obtained were reacted with both E. coli- and mammalian cell-expressed E1 glycoproteins as detected by Western blot. RESULTS: Full-length E1 protein proved difficult to express in E. coli, C-terminally truncated E1 was successfully expressed in E. coli as hexa-histidine-tagged recombinant fusion protein and was purified under denaturing conditions on Ni2+-NTA agarose. Rabbit anti-sera raised against purified recombinant E1 specifically reacted with mammalian cell-expressed E1 giycoproteins in Western blot. Furthermore, E. coli-derived E1 protein was able to detect animal antibodies elicited by E1-based DNA immunization. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate that the prokaryotically expressed E1 proteins share identical epitopes with eukaryotically expressed E1 glycoprotein. The E coli-derived E1 proteins and corresponding antisera can become useful tools in anti-HCV vaccine research.

Procedure for preparing peptide-major histocompatibility complex tetramers for direct quantification of antigen-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes

AIM： To establish a simplified method for generating peptide-major histocompatibility complex （MHC） class I tetramers.METHODS： cDNAs encoding the extracellular domain of human lymphocyte antigen （HLA）-A＊0201 heavy chain （A2） and β2-microglobulin （132m） from total RNA extracted from leukocytes of HLA-A2＋ donors were doned into separate expression vectors by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The recombinant A2 and 132m proteins were expressed in ~/a oo/i^uain BL21（DE3） and recovered from the inclusion body fraction. Soluble A2 proteins loaded with specific antigen peptides were refolded by dilution from the heavy chain in the presence of light chain 132m and HLA-A2-restricted peptide antigens. The refolded A2 monomers were biotinylated with a commercial biotinylation enzyme （BirA） and purified by low pressure anion exchange chromatography on a Q-Sepharose （fast flow） column.The tetramers were then formed by mixing A2 monomers with streptavidin-PE in a molar ratio of 4：1. Flow cytometry was used to confirm the expected tetramer staining of CD8^＋ T cells.RESULTS： Recombinant genes for HLA-A＊0201 heavy chain （A2） fused to a BirA substrate peptide （A2-BSP） and mature β2m from HLA-A2＋ donor leukocytes were successfully doned and highly expressed in E. coli, Two soluble monomeric A2-peptide complexes were reconstituted from A2-BSP in the presence of 132m and peptides loaded with either human cytomegalovirus pp65495-503 peptide （NLVPMVATV,NLV; designated as A2-NLV） or influenza virus matrix protein Mp58-66 peptide （GILGFVFTL, GIL; designated as A2-GIL）. Refolded A2-NLV or A2-GIL monomers were biotinylated and highly purified by single step anion exchange column chromatography. The tetramers were then formed by mixing the biotinylated A2-NLV or A2-GIL monomers with streptavidin-PE, leading to more than 80% multiplicationas revealed by SDS-PAGE under non-reducing, unboiled conditions. Flow cytometry revealed that these tetramers could specifically bind to CD8^＋ T cells from a HLA-A2^＋ donor,but failed to bind to those from a HLA-A2- donor.CONCLUSION： The procedure is simple and efficient for generating peptide-MHC tetramers.

Detection of anti-preS1 antibodies for recovery of hepatitis B patients by immunoassay

AIM: To establish a convenient immunoassay method based on recombinant antigen preS1(21-119aa) to detect anti-preS1 antibodies and evaluate the clinical significance of antibodies in hepatitis B. METHODS: The expression plasmid pET-28a-preS1 was constructed, and a large quantity of preS1(21-119aa) fragment of the large HBsAg protein was obtained. The preS1 fragment purified by Ni(2+)-IDA affinity chromatography was used as coated antigen to establish the indirect ELISA based on streptavidin-biotin system for detection of the anti-preS1 antibodies in sera from HBV-infected patients. For follow-up study, serial sera were collected during the clinical course of 21 HBV-infected patients and anti-preS1 antibodies, preS1 antigen, HBV-DNA and other serological HBV markers were analyzed. RESULTS: preS1(21-119aa) fragment was highly expressed from the plasmid pET-28a-preS1 in a soluble form in E.Coli (30mg.L(-1)), and easily purified to high purity over 90% by one step of Ni(2+)-IDA-sepharose 6B affinity chromatography. The purity and antigenicity of the purified preS1(21-119aa) protein was determined by 150g.L(-1) SDS-PAGE, Western blot and a direct ELISA. Recombinant preS1(21-119aa) protein was successfully applied in the immunoassay which could sensitively detect the anti-preS1 antibodies in serum specimens of acute or chronic hepatitis B patients. Results showed that more than half of 19 acute hepatitis B patients produced anti-preS1 antibodies during recovery of the disease, however, the response was only found in a few of chronic patients. In the clinical follow-up study of 11 patients with anti-preS1 positive serological profile, HBsAg and HBV-DNA clearance occurred in 6 of 10 acute hepatitis B patients in 5-6 months, and seroconversion of HBeAg and disappearance of HBV-DNA occurred in 1 chronic patients treated with lavumidine, a antiviral agent. CONCLUSION: The high-purity preS1(21-119aa) coated antigen was successfully prepared by gene expression and affinity chromatography. Using this antigen, a conveniently detective system of anti-preS1 antibodies in sera was established. Preliminarily clinical trial the occurrence of anti-preS1 antibodies in acute hepatitis B patients suggests the clearance of HBV from serum in a short-term time, and anti-preS1 positive in chronic patients means health improvement or recovery from the disease.

Inhibitory effect of endostatin expressed by human liver carcinoma SMMC7721 on endothelial cell proliferation in vitro

AIM: To construct a stable transfectant of human liver carcinoma cell line SMMC7721 that could secret human endostatin and to explore the effect of human endostatin expressed by the transfectant on endothelial cell proliferation. METHODS: Recombinant retroviral plasmid pLncx-Endo containing the cDNA for human endostatin gene together with rat albumin signal peptide was engineered and transferred into SMMC7721 cell by lipofectamine. After selection with G418, endostatin-transfected SMMC7721 cells were chosen and expanded. Immunohistochemical staining and Western blot were used to detect the expression of human endostatin in transfected SMMC7721 cells and its medium. The conditioned medium of endostatin-transfected and control SMMC7721 cells were collected to cultivate with human umbilical vein endothelial cells for 72 hours. The inhibitory effect of endostatin, expressed by transfected SMMC7721 cells, on endothelial proliferation in vitro was observed by using MTT assay. RESULTS: A 550 bp specific fragment of endostatin gene was detected from the PCR product of endostatin-transfected SMMC7721 cells. Immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis confirmed the expression and secretion of foreign human endostatin protein by endostatin-transfected SMMC7721 cells. In vitro endothelial proliferation assay showed that 72 hours after cultivation with human umbilical vein endothelial cells, the optical density (OD) in group using the medium from endostatin-transfected SMMC7721 cells was 0.51 +/- 0.06, lower than that from RPMI 1640 group (0.98 +/- 0.09) or that from control plasmid pLncx-transfected SMMC7721 cells (0.88 +/- 0.11). The inhibitory rate for medium from endostatin-transfected SMMC7721 cells was 48%, significantly higher than that from empty plasmid pLncx-transfected SMMC7721 cells (10.2%, P【0.01). CONCLUSION: Human endostatin can be stably expressed by SMMC7721 cell transferred with human endostatin gene and its product can significantly inhibit the proliferation of human umbilical vein endothelial cell in vitro.

Hepatitis E virus chimeric DNA vaccine elicits immunologic response in mice

AIM： To construct the plasmid pcHEV23 containing fragments of HEV ORF2 and ORF3 chimeric gene and to assess its ability to elicit specific immunologic response in mice. METHODS： The gene encoding the structural protein of HEV ORF2 fragment and full-length ORF3 was amplified by PCR. The PCR products were cloned into an eucaryotic expression plasmid pcDNA3. The resulting plasmid pcHEV23 was used as a DNA vaccine to inoculate BALB/c mice intramuscularly thrice at a dose of 100 or 200 ug. Mice injected with empty pcDNA3 DNA or saline served as control and then specific immune responses in the mice were detected. RESULTS： After 2-3 times of inoculation, all mice injected with pcHEV23 had anti-HEV IgG seroconversion and specific T lymphocyte proliferation. The lymphocyte stimulation index in the group immunized with pcHEV23 （3.1＋0.49） was higher than that in the control group （0.787±0.12, P〈0.01）. None in the control group had a detectable level of anti-HEV IgG. CONCLUSION： DNA vaccine containing HEV ORF2 and ORF3 chimeric gene can successfully induce specific humoral and cellular immune response in mice.

Humoral immune responses induced by anti-idiotypic antibody fusion protein of 6B11scFv/hGM-CSF in BALB/c mice

Background We have previously developed and characterized a monoclonal anti-idiotype antibody, designated 6B 11, which mimics an ovarian carcinoma associated antigen OC166-9 and whose corresponding monoclonal antibody is COC166-9 （Abl）. In this study, we evaluate the humoral immune responses induced by the fusion protein 6B11 single-chain variable fragment （scFv）/human granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor （hGM-CSF） and 6B 1 lscFv in BALB/c mice. Methods The fusion protein 6B 11 scFv/hGM-CSF was constructed by fusing a recombinant single-chain variable fragment of 6B11scFv to GM-CSE BALB/c mice were administrated by 6B11scFv/hGM-CSF and 6B11scFv, respectively. Results The fusion protein 6B11scFv/hGM-CSF retained binding to the anti-mouse F（ab）2＇ and was also biologically active as measured by proliferation of human GM-CSF dependent cell TF1 in vitro. After immunization with the 6B11scFv/hGM-CSF and 6BllScFv, BALB/c mice showed significantly enhanced Ab3 antibody responses to 6B11 scFv/hGM-CSF compared with the 6B11 scFv alone. The level of Ab3 was the highest after the first week and maintained for five weeks after the last immunization. Another booster was given when the Ab3 titer descended, and it would reach to the high level in a week. Conclusion The fusion protein 6B11scFv/hGM-CSF can induce humoral immunity against ovarian carcinoma in vivo. We also provide the theoretical foundation for the application of the fusion protein 6B11 scFv/hGM-CSF for active immunotherapy of ovarian cancer.

Urokinase-targeted recombinant bacterial protein toxins-a rationally designed and engineered anticancer agent for cancer therapy

Urokinase-targeted recombinant bacterial protein toxins are a sort of rationally designed and engineered anticancer recombinant fusion proteins representing a novel class of agents for cancer therapy.Bacterial protein toxins have long been known as the primary virulence factor(s)for a variety of pathogenic bacteria and are the most powerful human poisons.On the other hand,it has been well documented that urokinase-type plasminogen activator(uPA)and urokinase plasminogen activator receptor(uPAR),making up the uPA system,are overexpressed in a variety of human tumors and tumor cell lines.The expression of uPA system is highly correlated with tumor invasion and metastasis.To exploit these characteristics in the design of tumor cell-selective cytotoxins,two prominent bacterial protein toxins,i.e.,the diphtheria toxin and anthrax toxin are deliberately engineered through placing a sequence targeted specifically by the uPA system to form anticancer recombinant fusion proteins.These uPA system-targeted bacterial protein toxins are activated selectively on the surface of uPA systemexpressing tumor cells,thereby killing these cells.This article provides a review on the latest progress in the exploitation of these recombinant fusion proteins as potent tumoricidal agents.It is perceptible that the strategies for cancer therapy are being innovated by this novel therapeutic approach.

Effect of tumor necrosis factor-α on ventricular arrhythmias in rats with acute myocardial infarction in vivo

Acute myocardial infarction （AMI） is an acute cardiovascular emergency. This study was undertaken to assess the effect of tumor necrosis factor-a （TNF-a） on ventricular arrhythmias induced byAMI in rats in vivo. Two hundred and forty male Wistar rats were randomized into a sham- operation group, an AMI group, and a recombinant human tumor necrosis factor receptor：Fc fusion protein（rhTNFR：Fc） group. Acute anterior wall myocardial infarction was produced in the AMI group by ligating the left anterior descending coronary artery （LAD）, and there was no ligation but operation in the sham-operation group. The rhTNFR：Fc group was treated with rhTNFR：Fc（10 mg/kg）, a TNF-a antagonist, 24 hours before LAD ligation. The spontaneous and induced programmed electrical stimulation ventricular arrhythmias were recorded at baseline and 10 minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes, 60 minutes, 3 hours, 6 hours and 12 hours after ligation. At the same time the protein and mRNA expression levels of TNF-a among different groups were detected by histochemistry and real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR. Expression of TNF-a increased markedly from 10 minutes after infarction, peaked at 20-30 minutes, and returned to baseline gradually in the AMI group and rhTNFR：Fc group. The time- windows of spontaneous and induced ventricular arrhythmias were similar. Compared with the AMI group, the rhTNFR：Fc group showed a lesser expression of TNF-a protein and a lower incidence of ventricular arrhythmias （P〈0.05）. There was no obvious change in the sham-operation group. The expression of TNF-a induced by AMI could contribute to the onset of ventricular arrhythmias.

Recombinant human B7.2 IgV-like domain expressed in bacteria maintains its co-stimulatory activity in vitro

OBJECTIVE: To investigate which of the two immunoglobulin (Ig)-like domains, the immunoglobulin variable region homologous domain IgV (hB7.2 IgV) and the immunoglobulin constant region homologous domain IgC (hB7.2 IgC) on the human B7.2 molecule contains receptor binding sites, and to evaluate whether the B7.2 protein expressed in bacteria has biological activity in vitro. METHODS: Three fragments of hB7.2 IgV,hB7.2 IgC and the complete extracellular region of human B7.2 containing both the IgV and IgC domains,hB7.2 Ig (V+C), were amplified by PCR and subcloned into pGEM-Teasy. Three recombinants,pGEX-4T-3-hB7.2 IgV,pGEX-4T-3-hB7.2 IgC and pGEX-4T-3-hB7.2 Ig (V+C), were generated by cloning the fragments into a prokaryote expression plasmid (pGEX-4T-3) and transformed into the host strain E. coli DH5alpha. The relevant target fusion proteins consisting of GST and hB7.2 IgV,hB7.2 IgC and hB7.2 Ig (V+C), were identified by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting. With the presence of the first signal imitated by anti-CD3 antibody, T cell activation was observed by exposing purified T lymphocytes to each soluble form of the three bacterially-produced human B7.2 fusion proteins by [(3)H]-TdR incorporation. RESULTS: Three recombinant fusion proteins of human B7.2, GST-hB7.2 IgV, GST-hB7.2 IgC and GST-hB7.2 Ig (V+C) were produced and detected in inclusion body form from engineered bacteria. With the first signal present,T lymphocytes proliferated when co-stimulated by bacterially-produced either GST-hB7.2 Ig (V+C) or GST-hB7.2 IgV fusion proteins, but not by GST-hB7.2 IgC. CONCLUSIONS: Functional human B7.2 fusion protein can be produced in bacteria. The IgV-like domain of human B7.2 is sufficient for B7.2 to interact with its counter-receptors and co-stimulate T lymphocytes.

Polymorphisms and functions of the aldose reductase gene 5' regulatory region in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

OBJECTIVE: To screen the 5' regulatory region of the aldose reductase (AR) gene for genetic variabilities causing changes in protein expression and affecting the promoter function. METHODS: The screenings were carried out by polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP). All SSCP variants were submitted for DNA sequencing and inserted into the plasmid chloromycetin acetyl transferase (CAT) enhancer vector. The constructs were used to transfect Hela cells, and CAT assays were performed to assess promoter activity. Gel mobility shift and footprinting assays were also performed to determine the interaction between the DNA and nuclear proteins. RESULTS: Two polymorphisms, C (-106) T and C (-12) G, were identified in the regulatory region in 123 Chinese control subjects and 145 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The frequencies of genotypes WT/WT, WT/C (-12) G and WT/C (-106) T were not significantly different between the subjects and patients. In the patients with and without retinopathy, frequencies of WT/C (-106) T were 31.5% and 17.5% (P 0.05) respectively. The total frequency of WT/C (-12) G and WT/C (-106) T in patients with retinopathy was 41.8%, significantly higher than that (20.0%) in patients without retinopathy (P