HYPOVACC · Hydrogel/Polymersome-based Subunit Vaccines in the Fight Against COVID-19
Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- Duration
- 2021-06-01 → 2025-01-31
- EU contribution
- €257,620
- Participants
- 2
- Scheme
- MSCA-IF
Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.
Results in brief
Hydrogel/Polymersome-based Subunit Vaccines in the Fight Against COVID-19
The development of effective vaccine technologies for the fight against severe infectious diseases has been one of the most successful global health interventions in history. Yet, the threat of future and ongoing pandemics arisen from viruses such as the SARS-CoV-2 virus complexifies the design of readily applicable vaccine formulations. Over the last three years, the COVID-19 pandemic has quickly evolved with the emergence of multiple variants, including the immune evasive variant Omicron that can escape the immune response and participates in reducing vaccine effectiveness. To face the overall challenges of the pandemic, Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccines have been authorized for emergency use. While this technology is revolutionary, it suffers from strict storage conditions as well as lack of protection over long timescales and against variants, which lead to burdensome vaccination schedules as well as expensive manufacturing and distribution. There is therefore a need for more protective, potent, and easily manufacturable vaccines to enhance immunity and decrease the burden of patient compliance. The project HYPOVACC aims to overcome these issues by designing cost-effective vaccine systems able to effectively protect against a variety of viruses belonging to the family of coronaviruses such as SARS-CoV-2 or potential future related viruses. These efforts envision to decrease the cost of manufacturing/distribution, and number of vaccinations, reinforcing therefore worldwide vaccine equity and patient compliance.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
In light of current events, developing new technologies for the fight against severe infectious diseases, such as the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, is a global health emergency. Despite the tremendous improvement of vaccine technologies, the design of potent, durable and safe vaccines displaying an ease of distribution and a reduced cost, remains a major technological challenge. This research project proposes to develop a novel biocompatible, injectable and scalable vaccine technology based on supramolecular hydrogels-containing polymersomes to enable a controlled local vaccine exposure for durable and broadly protective immune response against the SARS-CoV-2 infection. The platform will leverage supramolecular hydrogels as depot carriers for a sustained co-release of complex mixtures of immunomodulatory compounds comprising a typical vaccine and polymersomes to enhance the presentation of subunit antigens. Immunogenicity will be improved through potent immune stimulating-adjuvants mixtures, selected from a precise screening of vastly different molecules in terms of chemical nature and size, and a controlled multipresentation of antigens by fine-tuned antigen-grafted polymersomes. This highly innovative project will cover various disciplines ranging from chemistry, material science, to bioengineering, and will use new polymersomes and hydrogels constructs, vaccine technology and recently developed immunological assays. The proposal will be conducted in two internationally recognized leading teams in the field of drug delivery systems in Bordeaux University, France and Stanford University, USA. The international exposure and the outstanding scientific environment gained through the fellowship will be a key step for the independence and maturity of the researcher. She will acquire a unique multidisciplinary research profile which will be of significant interest for her future independent career in Europe.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- UNIVERSITE DE BORDEAUX · BordeauxCoordinatorFrance
- BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY · STANFORDUnited States
Links
Data: CORDIS, © European Union