Development of a Universal Influenza Prevention Nanostructure Vaccine

KAIST Department of Biological Sciences Professors Jeon Sang-yong and Song Ji-jun Joint Research Team Develops Protein Nanostructure Vaccine Platform
Expected to Enable Development of Vaccines Against Various Infectious Pathogens

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] A nano-structured vaccine that can be used for universal influenza has been developed.

The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) announced on the 29th that a research team led by Professors Jeon Sang-yong and Song Ji-jun from the Department of Life Sciences succeeded in developing a self-assembling protein-based nano-structured vaccine for effective prevention of infectious diseases such as influenza.

The research team developed a new vaccine platform against influenza by utilizing the outer membrane protein of Brucella bacteria, which causes zoonotic infections, as an antigen delivery vehicle for the influenza virus. In particular, it induced virus antigen-specific humoral immune responses (antibody production), effectively preventing infection from various strains of the influenza virus.

Some naturally occurring protein-based nano-structures can mimic Virus Like Particles (VLPs) and be used as antigen delivery vehicles for vaccines. However, to increase immunogenicity against antigens, adjuvants must be used, which often cause side effects.

To overcome these limitations, the research team newly developed an influenza virus vaccine based on a barrel-shaped nano-structure derived from the Brucella pathogen’s outer membrane protein BP26, which has intrinsic immunogenicity and immune-enhancing effects. Although vaccines for the influenza virus have already been developed, seasonal influenza still occurs annually due to vaccine mismatch caused by the virus’s high mutation rate. This requires a complicated process of predicting, producing, and administering vaccines every year. The research team developed a universal influenza nano vaccine that can induce broad protective immunity against various influenza viruses to overcome these limitations.

The team fused the influenza virus antigen M2e, which is conserved with similar sequences across influenza virus subtypes and thus has universality but limited use due to low immunogenicity, with the BP26 protein. The protein nano-structure formed by self-assembly of monomers was utilized as a new vaccine platform against the influenza virus.

The barrel-shaped nano-structure vaccine induced a much stronger M2e antigen-specific humoral immune response compared to the M2e antigen protein, regardless of the use of adjuvants. It was also confirmed to effectively protect animals from various influenza virus infections.

Professor Jeon Sang-yong said, "We have developed the first universal influenza vaccine based on bacterial-derived protein nano-structures," adding, "It is expected to be used as a versatile vaccine platform that can respond not only to influenza but also to various infectious pathogens. We are currently conducting follow-up research to develop new vaccine candidates against the coronavirus pandemic."

This research was published in the online edition of the prestigious American Chemical Society nano journal, ACS Nano, on the 11th.

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