SBIR-STTR Award

The objective of the proposal is to develop an adenovirus-like particle (AdVLP) platform technology to create safe and highly efficacious multivalent adenovirus vaccines that can be manufactured in a rapid and cost-efficient manner and can be formulated in a powder composition to facilitate storage, distribution and administration. VLPs are structures resembling native virus, however they do not contain viral genetic material and therefore are unable to replicate or cause infection. The particulate nature of the VLPs together with the display of an array of repetitive surface antigens make VLP vaccine compositions highly immunogenic as clearly demonstrated by the two licensed VLP based vaccines, HPV and Hepatitis B. Our strategy for creating AdVLP is based on co-expression in mammalian cells of adenovirus structural genes that self-assemble into particles resembling native adenovirus. We will characterize and evaluate immunogenicity (sera-neutralization) of the AdVLP vaccines and establish stable transfected cell lines for continuous vaccine production. This technology is suitable for multivalent vaccine formulation and rapid upgrade with new adenovirus serotypes. Creating an AdVLP system for multivalent vaccine manufacturing in mammalian cells offers a suitable and robust strategy for generating safe and highly effective adenovirus vaccines at a competitive cost.

One of the most important infectious diseases affecting the health of military recruits is adenovirus, which causes acute outbreaks of respiratory disease in military facilities incapacitating personnel, burdening hospitals, disrupting military operations and increasing medical costs. We propose to continue the development of a new generation of adenovirus vaccines based on adenovirus-like particle (AdVLP) technology. This vaccine will significantly benefit the military by protecting servicemen against multiple adenovirus serotypes. This will minimize the impact of adenovirus disease in military facilities, which will reduce the costs associated with these disruptions and improve readiness.The current adenovirus vaccine is effective in eliciting strong protection against two of several respiratory disease causing adenoviral serotypes. However the resulting vacated ecological niches created by this immunity are subsequently occupied by other viral serotypes, which leads to the reemergence of acute respiratory illness in vaccinated military recruits.To address these limitations of the live adenovirus vaccine, it seems imperative therefore, to design produce and test a new generation of adenovirus vaccines and delivery strategies.Our strategy for adenovirus vaccine development is based on the recombinant expression of adenovirus-like particles (AdVLPs) composed of alternative combinations of structural elements involved in the morphogenesis of complete icosahedral virion particles.