Vaccination is a critical tool in medicine for achieving the
immunological protection of a host against a disease. Vaccines typically
comprise an antigen and an adjuvant. The former is the target against which the
host’s immune response is raised. The latter is an essential booster of that
response.
Double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) is a potent adjuvant. It acts
through TLR3, RIG-I, MDA5, and other innate immunity signaling molecules to
stimulate the immune response. When delivered as a bulk adjuvant, however, dsRNA
is known to have toxic effects. This generally precludes its use in typical
vaccination protocols.
Professor Bertram Jacobs and his colleagues at Arizona State
University’s Biodesign Institute have developed a unique and very powerful
adjuvant technology that fuses an antigen of interest to a dsRNA-binding domain
or dsRNA-binding protein.
This fusion protein or fusion conjugate carries both the
adjuvant and antigen of interest to the antigen presenting cells, inducing a
strong immune response. Since the dsRNA adjuvant here has been made essentially
site-specific, this eliminates any need to administer bulk dsRNA.
This technology exploits the excellent adjuvant properties
of dsRNA while effectively eliminating its toxicity.
Potential Applications
Benefits
and Advantages
- Only a much lower concentration of adjuvant dsRNA is
required, and this reduces the potential for side effects.
- Ease of preparing fusion protein or fusion
conjugate
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For more information about the inventor(s) and their
research, please see
Dr.
Jacob's directory webpage
