Development of an intradermal or inhaled DNA vaccine for COVID-19 and beyond

皮内和吸入递送核酸疫苗可以临床上有效、安全且可全球部署以对抗多种复杂疾病。该项目旨在结合联合收割机物理和肽基输送系统，以提高该等技术的效力，并将其应用于我们的财团（由Innovate-UK资助）目前正在开发的COVID-19疫苗（“Covidity”）。这个博士将制定和测试组合系统的皮肤和肺为重点的疫苗输送在离体组织模型，然后移动到啮齿动物模型，检查病毒中和，T细胞反应和保护病毒挑战的动物。优化和展示的平台技术将对核酸疫苗方法（包括DNA，mRNA和寡核苷酸方法）的未来应用产生广泛影响。博士学位还将直接帮助尝试翻译抗体和肽工程技术，以生成用于多种复杂疾病的快速部署和安全的免疫系统。

Intradermal and inhaled delivery of nucleic acid vaccines could be clinically effective, safe and globally-deployable against multiple complex diseases. This project will aim to combine physical and peptide-based delivery systems to enhance the efficacy and application of such technologies to the COVID-19 vaccine ('Covidity') presently under-development by our consortium (funded by Innovate-UK). This PhD will formulate and test combined systems for skin and lung-focused vaccine delivery in ex vivo tissue models, then move to rodent models, examining virus neutralisation, T cell responses and protection in virally challenged animals. The platform technology optimised and demonstrated will have wide ranging impact on future applications of nucleic acid vaccine approaches (including DNA, mRNA and oligo-based methods). The PhD will also directly aid attempts to translate antibody and peptide-engineering knowhow to generate a rapidly deployable and safe immunisation system for multiple complex diseases.