Composite Antigen Vaccines for Broad Influenza Strain Coverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional influenza vaccines are limited in their ability to provide universal protection due to antigenic drift and shift, requiring annual reformulation and high doses, and there is a need for a vaccine that can protect against a broad range of strains and multiple pathogens, especially in the absence of effective treatments for highly virulent strains like H5N1.
Innovation Solution
Development of composite antigens comprising multiple antigenic regions from pathogens, including influenza and other bacteria, which are artificially constructed to induce a robust immune response, providing protection against various strains, serotypes, and species.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional influenza vaccines are used, then protection against specific strains is achieved, but the vaccine requires annual reformulation due to antigenic drift and shift
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing a vaccine platform that can protect against multiple influenza strains simultaneously. The system uses a universal influenza vaccine antigen that targets conserved regions of the virus, enabling a single vaccine formulation to provide protection across different strains and types (A and B), eliminating the need for annual reformulation while maintaining broad coverage
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs parameter changes by modifying the antigen structure to target conserved epitopes rather than variable regions. This structural parameter change in the vaccine antigen allows it to recognize and bind to invariant portions of the influenza virus across different strains, providing stable protection despite viral mutation
2Reliability
If conventional influenza vaccines are used, then immunity is provided, but high doses are required achieving protective response
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by concentrating the immune response on specific conserved epitopes rather than distributing the antigen across variable regions. The vaccine is designed to present targeted conserved sequences that elicit focused neutralizing antibodies, achieving effective protection with lower overall antigen doses by optimizing the quality and specificity of the immune response
3Reliability
If vaccines are reformulated annually, then effectiveness against current strains is maintained, but manufacturing time and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-identifying and incorporating conserved antigenic sequences that are invariant across influenza strains into the vaccine platform. This preliminary design allows the vaccine to maintain effectiveness without requiring annual reformulation, enabling advance manufacturing and inventory preparation that eliminates production delays during pandemics
4Measurement precision
If conventional vaccines target specific strains, then targeted protection is achieved, but protection against antigenic drift and shift is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent achieves universality by designing a vaccine that simultaneously targets conserved regions across multiple influenza A and B strains. The multi-functional antigen structure includes sequences from different viral components (hemagglutinin, neuraminidase, matrix proteins) that are conserved across strains, enabling a single vaccine to provide broad-spectrum protection while maintaining precision against drifted and shifted variants
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to composite antigens comprising a peptide with contiguous amino acid sequence derived from a plurality of antigenic epitopes of one or more pathogens that induces an immune response in a mammal that is protective against infection by the one or more pathogens. In addition, the invention relates to vaccines comprising composite antigens and to method for treating and preventing an infection.