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A TLR7/8 agonist increases efficacy of anti-fentanyl vaccines in rodent and porcine models.

ABSTRACT: Opioid use disorders (OUD) and overdose are public health threats worldwide. Widespread access to highly potent illicit synthetic opioids such as fentanyl is driving the recent rise in fatal overdoses. Vaccines containing fentanyl-based haptens conjugated to immunogenic carrier proteins offer a long-lasting, safe, and cost-effective strategy to protect individuals from overdose upon accidental or deliberate exposure to fentanyl and its analogs. Prophylactic or therapeutic active immunization with an anti-fentanyl vaccine induces the production of fentanyl-specific antibodies that bind the drug in the blood and prevent its distribution to the brain, which reduces its reinforcing effects and attenuates respiratory depression and bradycardia. To increase the efficacy of a lead anti-fentanyl vaccine, this study tested whether the incorporation of synthetic toll-like receptor (TLR) 4 and TLR7/8 agonists as vaccine adjuvants would increase vaccine efficacy against fentanyl challenge, overdose, and self-administration in either rats or Hanford miniature pigs. Formulation of the vaccine with a nucleolipid TLR7/8 agonist enhanced its immunogenicity and efficacy in preventing fentanyl-induced respiratory depression, analgesia, bradycardia, and self-administration in either rats or mini-pigs. These studies support the use of TLR7/8 adjuvants in vaccine formulations to improve their clinical efficacy against OUD and potentially other substance use disorders (SUD).

SUBMITTER: Crouse B

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10366150 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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A TLR7/8 agonist increases efficacy of anti-fentanyl vaccines in rodent and porcine models.

Crouse Bethany B Miller Shannon M SM Muelken Peter P Hicks Linda L Vigliaturo Jennifer R JR Marker Cheryl L CL Guedes Alonso G P AGP Pentel Paul R PR Evans Jay T JT LeSage Mark G MG Pravetoni Marco M

NPJ vaccines 20230724 1

Opioid use disorders (OUD) and overdose are public health threats worldwide. Widespread access to highly potent illicit synthetic opioids such as fentanyl is driving the recent rise in fatal overdoses. Vaccines containing fentanyl-based haptens conjugated to immunogenic carrier proteins offer a long-lasting, safe, and cost-effective strategy to protect individuals from overdose upon accidental or deliberate exposure to fentanyl and its analogs. Prophylactic or therapeutic active immunization wit ...[more]

PMID: 37488109

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Project description:BACKGROUND:Vaccines play increasingly important roles in cancer treatment due to their advantages of effective targeting and few side effects. Our laboratory has attempted to construct vaccines by conjugating TLR7 agonists with tumor-associated antigens. Furthermore, immunochemotherapy has recently become an appealing approach to cancer therapy. 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), a commonly used chemotherapeutic agent, can reportedly potently and selectively kill tumor-associated MDSCs in vivo. METHODS:Gastric cancer vaccines were synthesized by the covalent attachment of our TLR7 agonist with the gastric cancer antigen MG7-Ag tetra-epitope, leading to T7 - ML (linear tetra-epitope) and T7 - MB (branched tetra-epitope). Cytokines induced by the vaccines in vitro were assessed by ELISA. A tumor challenge model was created by treating BALB/c mice on either a prophylactic or therapeutic vaccination schedule. 5-FU was simultaneously applied to mice in the combination treatment group. CTL and ADCC activities were determined by the LDH method, while CD3+/CD8+, CD3+/CD4+ T cells and MDSCs were evaluated by flow cytometry. RESULTS:In vitro, rapid TNF-α and IL-12 inductions occurred in BMDCs treated with the vaccines. In vivo, among all the vaccines tested, T7 - MB most effectively reduced EAC tumor burdens and induced CTLs, antibodies and ADCC activity in BALB/c mice. Immunization with T7 - MB in combination with 5-FU chemotherapy reduced tumor sizes and extended long-term survival rates, mainly by improving T cell responses, including CTLs, CD3+/CD8+ and CD3+/CD4+ T cells. 5-FU also enhanced the T7 - MB efficiency by reversing immunosuppressive factors, i.e., MDSCs, which could not be validly inhibited by the vaccines alone. In addition, T7 - MB repressed tumor growth and immune tolerance when the therapeutic schedule was used, although the effects were weaker than those achieved with either T7 - MB alone or in combination with 5-FU on the prophylactic schedule. CONCLUSIONS:A novel effective gastric cancer vaccine was constructed, and the importance of branched multiple antigen peptides and chemical conjugation to vaccine design were confirmed. The synergistic effects and mechanisms of T7 - MB and 5-FU were also established, observing mainly T cell activation and MDSC inhibition.

Dataset Information

A TLR7/8 agonist increases efficacy of anti-fentanyl vaccines in rodent and porcine models.

Publications

A TLR7/8 agonist increases efficacy of anti-fentanyl vaccines in rodent and porcine models.

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