Augmented humoral responses to HIV Env trimers delivered as transmembrane immunogens by self-replicating RNA.

ABSTRACT: mRNA vaccines have emerged as an important platform for vaccine development. Unlike protein subunit vaccines, mRNA-expressed antigens can be expressed in either secreted or transmembrane (TM) forms mimicking a viral envelope (Env) protein. Here, we investigated the impact of antigen expression format on the antigenicity profile, glycosylation, and immunogenicity of stabilized HIV Env trimer immunogens expressed from self-replicating RNA (replicon) vaccines. Replicon-encoded trimers in both forms exhibited proper folding, and replicon-expressed secreted trimers exhibited glycosylation patterns largely consistent with recombinant trimer protein, although with enrichment of complex glycans over high mannose at some sites. Both formats were highly immunogenic in mice, eliciting comparable seru

SUBMITTER: Yousefpour P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12425358 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature