Synthesis, liposomal formulation, and immunological evaluation of a minimalistic carbohydrate-α-galCer vaccine candidate.

Broecker F, Götze S, Hudon J, Rathwell DCK, Pereira CL, Stallforth P, Anish C, Seeberger PH (2018) Synthesis, liposomal formulation, and immunological evaluation of a minimalistic carbohydrate-α-galCer vaccine candidate. J Med Chem 61(11), 4918-4927.

Abstract

Fully synthetic glycan-based vaccines hold great potential as preventive and therapeutic vaccines against infectious diseases as well as cancer. Here, we present a two-component platform based on the facile conjugation of carbohydrate antigens to α-galactosylceramide (α-GalCer) to yield fully synthetic vaccine candidates. Formulation of the cancer-associated Tn antigen glycolipid model vaccine candidate into liposomes of different sizes and subsequent immunization of mice generated specific, high-affinity antibodies against the carbohydrate antigen with characteristics of T cell-dependent immunity. Liposome formulation elicited more reproducible glycan immunity than a conventional glycoconjugate vaccine bearing the same glycan antigen did. Further evaluation of the immune response revealed that the size of the liposomes influenced the glycan antibody responses toward either a cellular (Th1) or a humoral (Th2) immune phenotype. The glycolipid vaccine platform affords strong and robust antiglycan antibody responses in vivo without the need for an external adjuvant.

Leibniz-HKI-Authors

Pierre Stallforth

Identifier

doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.8b00312

PMID: 29742893