Chimeric Protein Adjuvant for Reproducible Immune Response

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current vaccines rely on adjuvants to enhance antigen-specific immune responses, but there is a need for adjuvants that can induce specific and reproducible immune responses, as existing adjuvants may also elicit responses against themselves, and their effectiveness varies with the host's immune system.

Innovation Solution

A nucleic acid molecule encoding a polypeptide with a specific amino acid sequence, derived from Leishmania species, is genetically fused with an antigen, creating a chimeric protein that acts as an adjuvant, enhancing the immunogenic potential and inducing a high humoral response when administered in vivo.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional adjuvants are used to enhance antigen-specific immune responses, then the immunogenicity of the antigen is improved, but the adjuvants may also elicit immune responses against themselves and their effectiveness varies with the host's immune system

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvereproducibility of immune responseVSAvoidimmune response against adjuvant
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the adjuvant and antigen into a single chimeric protein molecule, where the adjuvant domain and antigen domain are covalently linked. This merging ensures that the adjuvant only elicits immune responses against the fused antigen portion, eliminating separate immune responses against the adjuvant itself, while maintaining reproducible and enhanced immunogenicity across different host immune systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Productivity

If adjuvants are used to enhance and activate immune responses to antigens, then the immunogenic potential of the antigen is increased, but the purity and nature of the adjuvant must be precisely controlled to ensure reproducible immune responses

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimmunogenic potentialVSAvoidadjuvant specificity control
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs precise control of the adjuvant's amino acid sequence parameters, using specifically defined sequences (such as those with at least 50% identity to SEQ ID NO:1) to ensure consistent immunogenic performance. This parameter control allows for reproducible immune responses while maintaining high immunogenic potential, as the defined sequence parameters ensure batch-to-batch consistency in the chimeric protein's adjuvant activity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Adaptability or versatility

If the immune response direction is influenced by the adjuvant nature, then the therapeutic value of the antigen is substantially influenced, but new adjuvants are continuously needed for different vaccine developments

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimmune response direction controlVSAvoidadjuvant variety requirement
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent describes a universal adjuvant platform based on defined amino acid sequences that can be fused to various different antigens to achieve consistent immune response enhancement and direction control. This multi-functional adjuvant design allows a single adjuvant sequence to work effectively across multiple vaccine applications, reducing the need for developing entirely new adjuvants for each vaccine while maintaining adaptability to different antigen types and desired immune response profiles.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP2638062B1New adjuvant
Publication Date: 2018.04.25 LABORATORIOS LETI SL UNIPERSONAL
  • EP2638062B1 patent drawingFigure 1A~1E
  • EP2638062B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2D
  • EP2638062B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3D

AI summary

The invention relates to a new adjuvant and to its use in combination with an antigen.