Protect, modify, deprotect (PMD): A strategy for creating vaccines to elicit antibodies targeting a specific epitope.

ABSTRACT: In creating vaccines against infectious agents, there is often a desire to direct an immune response toward a particular conformational epitope on an antigen. We present a method, called protect, modify, deprotect (PMD), to generate immunogenic proteins aimed to direct a vaccine-induced antibody (Ab) response toward an epitope defined by a specific monoclonal Ab (mAb). The mAb is used to protect the target epitope on the protein. Then the remaining exposed surfaces of the protein are modified to render them nonimmunogenic. Finally, the epitope is deprotected by removal of the mAb. The resultant protein is modified at surfaces other than the target epitope. We validate PMD using a well-characterized antigen, hen egg white lysozyme, then demonstrate the utility of PMD using influenza virus h

SUBMITTER: Weidenbacher PA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6525525 | biostudies-literature | 2019 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature