Project description:Systems vaccinology approaches have been used to successfully define early signatures of the vaccine-induced immune response. However, the possibility that transcriptomics can also predict vaccine reactogenicity has not been fully explored. We have compared four licensed vaccines that have a demonstrated safety profile, as well as three agonists of TLRs that have a known inflammatory potential, to elucidate the transcriptomic profile of an acceptable response to a vaccination versus those which push the inflammatory envelope. In mice, we looked at the transcriptomic changes in the injected muscle, the lymph node that drained the muscle and the PBMC isolated from the circulating blood from the very early timepoint of 4 hours to over the period of one week. A detailed examination and comparative analysis of the transcriptome from each of these tissues, at all the timepoints of 4, 8, 24, 48, 72 and 168 hr and with these eight different vaccines, TLR or saline control injections, revealed a set of novel biomarkers that are reflective of inflammation after vaccination. These biomarkers are easily sampled and readily measurable in the peripheral blood, providing a useful tool to predict levels of reactogenicity, as a way to select candidates with acceptable immunogenicity and safety profiles.
Project description:Adenoviral (Ad) vectors and mRNA vaccines exhibit distinct patterns of immune responses, with reactogenicity influencing their use during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. However, despite the clinical significance, the underpinning mechanisms remain unclear. Innate and innate-like lymphocytes, such as mucosal-associated invariant T cells, are highly sensitive to cytokines and can enhance both innate and adaptive vaccine responses. We compared longitudinal human immune responses and reactogenicity following homologous ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 and BNT162b2 vaccination to define the interactions between innate-like lymphocytes and adaptive immunity – and their in vivo consequences. Specifically, Ad vector priming elicited robust early type I interferon (IFN)-mediated activation of innate-like T cells, augmenting T cell responses (innate to adaptive signalling), which diminished upon boosting in the presence of anti-vector immunity. In contrast, mRNA vaccine responses in innate-like cells were markedly enhanced after boosting. This was initiated by IFN-γ signalling from spike-specific memory T cells and amplified by IFN-γR+ innate-like lymphocyte networks (adaptive to innate signalling). Importantly, extending the interval between doses reduced inflammatory responses to mRNA vaccination. In an independent clinical trial, spike-specific T cells predicted severe reactogenicity to mRNA vaccine boosting regardless of the dosing interval and vaccine type. These findings reveal a close integration of innate-like and adaptive responses to novel vaccines, including an IFN-γ-mediated function of innate-like T cells in orchestrating critical early responses to mRNA vaccines which may have significant implications for optimising future vaccine regimens.
Project description:Adenoviral (Ad) vectors and mRNA vaccines exhibit distinct patterns of immune responses, with reactogenicity influencing their use during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. However, despite the clinical significance, the underpinning mechanisms remain unclear. Innate and innate-like lymphocytes, such as mucosal-associated invariant T cells, are highly sensitive to cytokines and can enhance both innate and adaptive vaccine responses. We compared longitudinal human immune responses and reactogenicity following homologous ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 and BNT162b2 vaccination to define the interactions between innate-like lymphocytes and adaptive immunity – and their in vivo consequences. Specifically, Ad vector priming elicited robust early type I interferon (IFN)-mediated activation of innate-like T cells, augmenting T cell responses (innate to adaptive signalling), which diminished upon boosting in the presence of anti-vector immunity. In contrast, mRNA vaccine responses in innate-like cells were markedly enhanced after boosting. This was initiated by IFN-γ signalling from spike-specific memory T cells and amplified by IFN-γR+ innate-like lymphocyte networks (adaptive to innate signalling). Importantly, extending the interval between doses reduced inflammatory responses to mRNA vaccination. In an independent clinical trial, spike-specific T cells predicted severe reactogenicity to mRNA vaccine boosting regardless of the dosing interval and vaccine type. These findings reveal a close integration of innate-like and adaptive responses to novel vaccines, including an IFN-γ-mediated function of innate-like T cells in orchestrating critical early responses to mRNA vaccines which may have significant implications for optimising future vaccine regimens.
Project description:Mandatory potency testing of Leptospira vaccine batches relies partially on in vivo procedures, requiring large numbers of laboratory animals. Cell-based assays could replace in vivo tests if biomarkers indicative of Leptospira vaccine potency are identified. We investigated innate immune responsiveness induced by inactivated L. interrogans serogroups Canicola and Icterohaemorrhagiae, and two bivalent, non-adjuvanted canine Leptospira vaccines containing the same serogroups. First, the transcriptome and proteome analysis of canine 030-D cells stimulated with Leptospira strains, and the corresponding vaccine revealed more than 900 DEGs and 23 DEPs in common to these three stimuli. Second, comparison of responses induced by this Leptospira vaccine and a vaccine from another manufacturer revealed a large overlap in DEGs and DEPs as well, suggesting potential to identify biomarkers of Leptospira vaccine activity. Because not many common DEPs were identified, we selected seven molecules from the identified DEGs, associated with pathways related to innate immunity, of which CXCL-10, IL-1β, SAA, and complement C3 showed increased secretion upon stimulation with both Leptospira vaccines. These molecules could be interesting targets for development of biomarker-based assays in the future. Additionally, this study contributes to the understanding of the mechanisms by which Leptospira vaccines induce innate immune responses in the dog.
Project description:Leishmania spp. is a protozoan parasite that affects millions of people around the world. At present, there is no effective vaccine to prevent leishmaniases in humans. A major limitation in vaccine development is the lack of precise understanding of the particular immunological mechanisms that allow parasite survival in the host. The parasite-host cell interaction induces dramatic changes in transcriptome patterns in both organisms, therefore, a detailed analysis of gene expression in infected tissues will contribute to the evaluation of drug and vaccine candidates, the identification of potential biomarkers, and the understanding of the immunological pathways that lead to protection or progression of disease. High-throughput real-time quantitative PCR is a highly sensitive, and specific technique that allows analysis of gene expression in multiple genes at the same time. Hence, it is an interesting approach that may bring light to this complex topic. In this large-scale analysis, forty-seven BALB/c mice were divided in two groups: control mice and mice infected with L. infantum promastigotes. After infection animals were sacrificed at different timepoints, RNA was purified from spleens and expression of 112 genes related with immune system was determined by high-throughput qPCR. These extensive gene-expression analyses reveal a selective recruitment of lymphocytes to the spleen and an immunosuppressive response, which favors parasite persistence, in early stages of the infection. In later stages of infection, gene-expression patterns suggest an inflammatory process that should resolve infection. Nevertheless, a detailed analysis reveals that L. infantum infection induces a regulatory process that counteracts the Th1/M1 response. This large pool of data was also used to identify a group of potential biomarkers of infection and parasitic burden in spleen, on the bases of two different statistical models, a logistic regression analysis and a linear regression analysis. Given the results, it seems clear that gene expression signature analysis is a useful tool to identify the mechanisms involved in disease outcome and to establish a rational approach for the identification of potential biomarkers useful for monitoring disease progression, new therapies or vaccine development in Leishmaniases.
Project description:We used RNAseq to investigate innate immune responsiveness in canine 030-D cell line induced by inactivated L. interrogans serogroups Canicola and Icterohaemorrhagiae, and two bivalent, non-adjuvanted canine Leptospira vaccines containing the same serogroups. We identified more than 900 DEGs associated with pathways related to innate immune responses in common to these three stimuli. Several molecules including CXCL-10, SAA, and complement factor C3 were identified that could serve as targets for development of a biomarker-based in vitro assay to assess Leptospira vaccine quality. In vitro assay could replace the current animal vaccine-challenge potency assay and contribute to reduction of animal use in vaccine manufacturing.