Efficacy of soybean-based vaccines using a model antigen

描述（由申请人提供）：刺激胃肠道粘膜免疫应答的疫苗将是有利的，因为这种制剂将在病原体进入部位提供免疫力。食用疫苗受到了广泛关注，因为在理论上，它们代表了一种疫苗来源，可以刺激胃肠道的免疫反应，生产成本低，给药安全，并且是一种高度稳定的形式，可以在世界各地运输。不幸的是，在试图将这种潜力变为现实时，仍然存在许多实际问题。在此进行的研究将直接解决该技术在大豆中开发可食用亚单位疫苗所面临的一些最重要的挑战，这些疫苗可应用于新型人类胃肠道疫苗的配制。我们建议使用模型抗原，E。大肠杆菌FanC，使明确的问题，可以解决有关的体液和细胞介导的胃肠道反应时，这种可食用疫苗与口服佐剂耦合诱导的保护性。 模型抗原E.大肠杆菌FanC，在转基因大豆将被用来提供实用的信息，关于实用的可食用亚单位疫苗。用转基因大豆中表达的FanC与口服佐剂联用口服免疫后，将在粘膜和全身部位确定体液和细胞免疫应答。此外，该疫苗制剂保护小鼠免受肠毒素E.大肠杆菌也将被确定。最后，将研究这种可食用疫苗的新配方是否具有刺激胃肠道免疫的潜力。尽管基于植物的疫苗有望作为刺激胃肠道免疫的低成本方法，但关于开发用于免疫人类的这种方法的可行性仍然存在重大问题。目前的建议集中在使用可食用亚单位疫苗口服免疫的实用性。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Vaccines that stimulate mucosal immune responses of the gastrointestinal tract would be advantageous since such formulations would provide immunity at the site of pathogen entry. Edible vaccines have received much attention since, in theory, they represent a source of vaccine that would stimulate immune responses of the gastrointestinal tract, be cost-effective to produce, safe to administer, and a highly stable form for shipment throughout the world. Unfortunately, there are many practical problems that remain when trying to reduce such potential into reality. Studies to be conducted here will directly address some of the most important challenges that face this technology for developing edible subunit vaccines in soybeans which could be applied to the formulation of novel human gastrointestinal vaccines. We propose the use of a model antigen, E. coli FanC, so that definitive questions can be addressed regarding the protective nature of the humoral and cell mediated gastrointestinal response induced when this edible vaccine is coupled with an oral adjuvant. Expression of the model antigen, E. coli FanC, in transgenic soybeans will be used to provide practical information regarding the utility of edible subunit vaccines. Following oral immunization with FanC expressed in transgenic soybeans coupled with an oral adjuvant, the humoral and cellular immune response will be defined at mucosal and systemic sites. In addition, the ability of this vaccine formulation to protect mice against a challenge with enterotoxigenic E. coli will also be determined. Finally, novel formulations of this edible vaccine will be investigated for their potential to stimulate gastrointestinal immunity. Despite the promise of plant based vaccines as a low cost method for stimulating gastrointestinal immunity, significant questions still remain about the feasibility of developing such methods for immunizing humans. The present proposal focuses on the practicality of using edible subunit vaccines for oral immunization.