DNA and protein-generated chimeric molecules for delivery of influenza viral epitopes in mouse and humanized NSG transfer models

Abstract

Purified subunit viral antigens are weakly immunogenic and stimulate only the antibody but not the T cell-mediated immune response. An alternative approach to inducing protective immunity with small viral peptides may be the targeting of viral epitopes to immunocompetent cells by DNA and protein-engineered vaccines. This review will focus on DNA and protein-generated chimeric molecules carrying engineered fragments specific for activating cell surface co-receptors for inducing protective antiviral immunity. Adjuvanted protein-based vaccine or DNA constructs encoding simultaneously T - and B-cell peptide epitopes from influenza viral hemagglutinin, and scFvs specific for costimulatory immune cell receptors may induce a significant increase of anti-influenza antibody levels and strong CTL activity against virus-infected cells in a manner that mimics the natural infection. Here we summarize the development of several DNA and protein chimeric constructs carrying influenza virus HA317–41 fragment. The generated engineered molecules were used for immunization in intact murine and experimentally humanized NSG mouse models.

What is the role of microbial biotechnology and genetic engineering in medicine?

“…Chimeric and humanized antibodies are two types of nonhuman recombinant antibodies whose sequences have been obtained from the nonhuman immune system (such as from mice). The key difference between a chimeric and a humanized antibody is that a chimeric antibody is made up of domains of different species and carries a larger stretch of nonhuman protein, while a humanized antibody is an antibody that has been modified to increase its similarity to antibody variants produced naturally in humans (Mihaylova et al, 2024) aeruginosa infections (Ali et al, 2019). In addition, other developments blend the advantages of using an antibody and a small molecule, such as an antibiotic.…”