Production of a Shigella sonnei Vaccine Based on Generalized Modules for Membrane Antigens (GMMA), 1790GAHB

PLoS One. 2015 Aug 6;10(8):e0134478. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0134478. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

Recently, we developed a high yield production process for outer membrane particles from genetically modified bacteria, called Generalized Modules of Membrane Antigens (GMMA), and the corresponding simple two step filtration purification, enabling economic manufacture of these particles for use as vaccines. Using a Shigella sonnei strain that was genetically modified to produce penta-acylated lipopolysaccharide (LPS) with reduced endotoxicity and to maintain the virulence plasmid encoding for the immunodominant O antigen component of the LPS, scale up of the process to GMP pilot scale was straightforward and gave high yields of GMMA with required purity and consistent results. GMMA were formulated with Alhydrogel and were highly immunogenic in mice and rabbits. In mice, a single immunization containing 29 ng protein and 1.75 ng of O antigen elicited substantial anti-LPS antibody levels. As GMMA contain LPS and lipoproteins, assessing potential reactogenicity was a key aspect of vaccine development. In an in vitro monocyte activation test, GMMA from the production strain showed a 600-fold lower stimulatory activity than GMMA with unmodified LPS. Two in vivo tests confirmed the low potential for reactogenicity. We established a modified rabbit pyrogenicity test based on the European Pharmacopoeia pyrogens method but using intramuscular administration of the full human dose (100 μg of protein). The vaccine elicited an average temperature rise of 0.5°C within four hours after administration, which was considered acceptable and showed that the test is able to detect a pyrogenic response. Furthermore, a repeat dose toxicology study in rabbits using intramuscular (100 μg/dose), intranasal (80 μg/dose), and intradermal (10 μg/dose) administration routes showed good tolerability of the vaccine by all routes and supported its suitability for use in humans. The S. sonnei GMMA vaccine is now in Phase 1 dose-escalation clinical trials.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Bacterial / blood
  • Dysentery, Bacillary / prevention & control
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin G / blood
  • Interleukin-6 / metabolism
  • Leukocytes, Mononuclear / cytology
  • Leukocytes, Mononuclear / immunology
  • Leukocytes, Mononuclear / metabolism
  • Lipopolysaccharides / immunology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Monocytes / cytology
  • Monocytes / immunology
  • O Antigens / genetics
  • O Antigens / immunology*
  • O Antigens / metabolism
  • Rabbits
  • Shigella sonnei / immunology*
  • Shigella sonnei / metabolism
  • Vaccines, Synthetic / biosynthesis
  • Vaccines, Synthetic / genetics
  • Vaccines, Synthetic / immunology*

Substances

  • Antibodies, Bacterial
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Interleukin-6
  • Lipopolysaccharides
  • O Antigens
  • Vaccines, Synthetic

Grants and funding

This work was supported by Novartis and by the European Union Seventh Framework Programme [FP7/2007-2013] under Grant Agreement 261472 'STOPENTERICS'. During the course of the study, CGe, AMC, CGi, SS, LS, LBM, JA, VDC, and AS were employed by Novartis Vaccines Institute for Global Health S.r.l. (now part of the GSK family and called Sclavo Behring Vaccines Institute for Global Health). CGV was employed by Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics S.r.l., (now a GSK company). Novartis provided support in the form of salaries for authors CGe, AMC, CGi, SS, LS, LBM, JA, VDC, AS and CGV but did not have any additional role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. The specific roles of these authors are articulated in the Author Contributions section. The European Commission had no role in these activities.