How Antigen & Immune Adjuvant Secretory Cell Works

Engineering cells to secrete both antigens and immune adjuvants is a promising approach in the field of vaccine development. This approach aims to enhance the immune response by delivering both the target antigen and an immune-stimulating molecule directly to the immune system. By expressing both the antigen and immune adjuvant, the cell vaccine can effectively mimic the presence of the pathogen in the body, prompting the immune system to recognize and attack it. This can lead to the generation of specific immune cells, such as cytotoxic T cells and antibody-producing B cells, that can specifically target the antigen and eliminate the pathogen.

• The secreted antigen is a specific molecule or protein derived from a pathogen. When expressed by the cell vaccine, the antigen serves as a target for the immune system to recognize and develop an immune response against.
• The secreted adjuvant can activate and boost the immune system, making it more effective in mounting a response against the antigen. Immune adjuvants can stimulate various components of the immune system, such as antigen-presenting cells, T cells, and B cells, to produce a robust and specific immune response.

Fig.1 The immune response after vaccination of antigens combined with adjuvants.¹

Antigen & Immune Adjuvant Secretory Cell Engineering Service

Development of a successful cell vaccine requires expertise in molecular biology, genetic engineering, cell culture, and immunology to ensure proper antigen expression and immune stimulation. At Creative Biolabs, we have developed a state-of-the-art technology platform that enables the efficient generation of antigen & immune adjuvant secretory cells. Our platform integrates various aspects of cell vaccines to ensure the optimal expression of antigens and adjuvants in host cells. Our comprehensive service portfolio covers every step of the cell vaccine development process, starting from the design of antigen expression vectors and selection of suitable host cells to the cell engineering, and characterization of the final cell products.

Workflow

• Identification of antigen: Determine the specific antigen of interest that needs to be expressed by the cell.
• Selection of a suitable cell type: Choose a cell line or primary cell type that can be easily engineered and has a high protein expression capacity. Popular choices include mammalian cell lines such as HEK293, CHO, or human primary cells like dendritic cells.
• Genetic engineering: Introduce the genetic material encoding the antigen into the selected cell using suitable molecular techniques like plasmid transfection, viral-based vectors, or genome editing tools.
• Incorporation of immune adjuvant: Similarly, the immune adjuvant can be introduced into the same cell using the same genetic engineering techniques mentioned above. The choice of adjuvant can vary based on the desired immune response.
• Characterization: Once the cells are successfully engineered, they will express both the antigen and immune adjuvant. The secreted proteins can be quantified and characterized for quality and potency, ensuring that they elicit the desired immune response. We utilize several techniques such as western blotting, immunofluorescence staining, or ELISA to detect the presence of the proteins.

Publications Sharing

Publication 1

Host cell: Human lung adenocarcinoma cell lines (AD100)

Secreted antigen: SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, gp96-Ig (a chaperone specialized for antigen cross-presentation)

Secreted adjuvant molecule: OX40L

Fig.2 B cell and T follicular helper responses after vaccination.²

References

1. Fan, Jingyi, et al. "Advances in infectious disease vaccine adjuvants." Vaccines 10.7 (2022): 1120.
2. Padula, Laura, et al. "Secreted heat shock protein gp96-Ig and OX40L-Fc combination vaccine enhances SARS-CoV-2 Spike (S) protein-specific B and T cell immune responses." Vaccine: X 12 (2022): 100202.

For Research Use Only | Not For Clinical Use