A lymph node–targetedAmphiphile vaccine induces potent cellular and humoral immunity to SARS-CoV-2

February 5, 2021

Martin P. Steinbuck; Lochana M. Seenappa; Aniela Jakubowski; Lisa K. McNeil; Christopher M. Haqq; Peter C. DeMuth

Science Advances

Steinbuck et al. (Elicio Therapeutics) utilized an amphiphile vaccine adjuvant (AMP-CpG) to improve the SARS-CoV-2 Spike-2 receptor binding domain protein (RBD) vaccine efficacy. AMP-CpG functions through interactions with endogenous albumin that enhance transport to the lymph nodes to cause a 30-to-50 fold increase in immune response without systemic toxicity. The immune responses of the AMP-CpG adjuvant compared to unmodified CpG and alum were evaluated following murine injection with a repeat-dose regimen. The cytokine producing cell activity within different tissues, neutralizing antibodies, and Spike RBD-specific antibodies were quantified. In general, they found that mice injected with the Amp-CpG Spike RBD adjuvant produced higher levels of cytokine response than the control groups. They also experimented with dose sparing scenarios: even when the dosage was reduced by about 10x, AMP-CpG Spike adjuvant still maintained robust immune response. An enhanced cellular and humoral response compared to unmodified CpG or alum was also observed following a similar vaccination protocol in aged mice.

Steinbuck MP, Seenappa LM, Jakubowski A, McNeil LK, Haqq CM, DeMuth PC. A lymph node-targeted Amphiphile vaccine induces potent cellular and humoral immunity to SARS-CoV-2. Sci Adv 2021; 7(6): eabe5819.

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