Botulinum Toxin HA Adjuvant for Mucosal Immunity

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current mucosal vaccines lack an effective and safe adjuvant to induce sufficient immune responses on mucosal surfaces, with existing adjuvants like bacterial toxins and non-toxin compounds often causing safety concerns due to excessive inflammatory responses.

Innovation Solution

A protein complex composed of hemagglutinin (HA) subcomponents HA1, HA2, and HA3, with specific amino acid substitutions, is used as an adjuvant to enhance immune responses on mucosal surfaces without affecting innate immunity or causing inflammation, by accelerating the production of IgG and secretory IgA antibodies.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If bacterial endotoxins (CT, LT) are used as adjuvants to activate mucosal immunity, then immune response is enhanced, but safety deteriorates due to facial nerve palsy and other adverse effects

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimmune response effectivenessVSAvoidsafety
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts and uses only the non-toxic hemagglutinin (HA) component from botulinum toxin, separating it from the toxic neurotoxin portion. This allows the adjuvant to provide immune stimulation benefits without the harmful neurotoxic effects that caused facial nerve palsy in previous adjuvants.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention converts the historically harmful botulinum toxin into a beneficial adjuvant by utilizing its hemagglutinin component's ability to interact with M cells and induce immune responses, while eliminating the toxic effects through selective purification and mutation of the HA component.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If non-toxin compounds (MPL, Flagellin, poly(I:C)) are used as adjuvants, then safety is improved compared to toxins, but excessive inflammatory responses occur deteriorating safety

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovetoxicityVSAvoidinflammatory response
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The invention modifies the HA component through specific amino acid mutations (K607A, E609A) to alter its properties. These parameter changes in the protein structure allow the adjuvant to stimulate immune responses effectively while reducing excessive inflammatory reactions compared to other non-toxin adjuvants.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If HA complex is used to disrupt epithelial cell barrier for toxin transport, then adjuvant activity is achieved, but intercellular adhesion deterioration occurs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadjuvant activityVSAvoidintercellular adhesion
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts and utilizes only the hemagglutinin (HA) component's ability to interact with M cells for adjuvant activity, while the specific mutations (K607A, E609A) prevent the disruption of intercellular adhesion that occurs with wild-type HA, thus separating the beneficial adjuvant function from the harmful barrier-disrupting effect.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The HA protein complex effectively induces antigen-specific immune responses in both mucosal and systemic systems, providing enhanced protection against mucosal infections while maintaining safety by not disrupting intercellular adhesion or causing inflammation.

Implementation Method 1

HA assists migration and entrance of a neurotoxin complex from the M cells to the basolateral side via transcytosis

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectTranscytosis:

Implementation Method 2

non-toxic hemagglutinin (HA) is known to have functions of disrupting the barrier function of epithelial cells on the basolateral membrane side

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectBarrier disruption:

Implementation Method 3

accelerating the production of IgG and secretory IgA antibodies

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectImmune response induction:

Data Source

PatentEP3153175B1Adjuvant for mucosal vaccine
Publication Date: 2019.08.07 OSAKA UNIVERSITY
  • EP3153175B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3153175B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3153175B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An object of the present invention is to provide an adjuvant for a mucosal vaccine with high safety that induces a sufficient immune response in a mucosal membrane. According to the present invention, an adjuvant for a mucosal vaccine containing a protein complex composed of hemagglutinin (HA) subcomponents HA1 and HA2, and mutant subcomponent HA3 of botulinum toxin is provided.