Liposome-Mediated Delivery of MERS Antigen Induces Potent Humoral and Cell-Mediated Immune Response in Mice

• Published in: Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 27; no. 2; p. 403
• Main Authors: Khan, Masood Alam, Malik, Ajamaluddin, Alzohairy, Mohammad A, Alruwetei, Abdulmohsen M, Alhatlani, Bader Y, Rugaie, Osamah Al, Khan, Arif
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 09-01-2022; MDPI
• Subjects: Alanine; Alanine transaminase; Animals; Antibodies; Antigens; antiviral immunity; Aspartate transaminase; Blood; Cell growth; Cell Proliferation; Cholesterol; Coronavirus Infections - prevention & control; Coronavirus Papain-Like Proteases - immunology; Coronaviruses; Disease transmission; E coli; Female; Freund's incomplete adjuvant; Immune response; Immune response (cell-mediated); Immune response (humoral); Immune system; Immunity, Cellular; Immunity, Humoral; Immunization; Immunization - methods; Immunoglobulin G; Immunoglobulin G - blood; Infections; Interferon-gamma - metabolism; L-Lactate dehydrogenase; Lactate dehydrogenase; Lactic acid; liposome; Liposomes; Liposomes - administration & dosage; Liposomes - chemistry; Liposomes - immunology; Liposomes - toxicity; Lymphocytes - metabolism; MERS-CoV; Mice; Middle East respiratory syndrome; Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus - immunology; Nanoparticles; Nanotechnology; Papain; Proteins; Respiratory diseases; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Splenocytes; Stimulation; Toxicity; Transaminase; Urea; vaccine delivery; Vaccines; Viral infections; Viral Vaccines - administration & dosage; Viral Vaccines - chemistry; Viral Vaccines - immunology; Viral Vaccines - toxicity; γ-Interferon; Saudi Arabia; United States > US; vaccine delivery; MERS-CoV; antiviral immunity; liposome
• ISSN: 1420-3049; 1420-3049
• DOI: 10.3390/molecules27020403

The advancements in the field of nanotechnology have provided a great platform for the development of effective antiviral vaccines. Liposome-mediated delivery of antigens has been shown to induce the antigen-specific stimulation of the humoral and cell-mediated immune responses. Here, we prepared dried, reconstituted vesicles (DRVs) from DPPC liposomes and used them as the vaccine carrier system for the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus papain-like protease (DRVs-MERS-CoV PLpro). MERS-CoV PLpro emulsified in the Incomplete Freund's Adjuvant (IFA-MERS-CoV PLpro) was used as a control. Immunization of mice with DRVs-MERS-CoV PLpro did not induce any notable toxicity, as revealed by the levels of the serum alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in the blood of immunized mice. Immunization with DRVs-MERS-CoV PLpro induced greater antigen-specific antibody titer and switching of IgG1 isotyping to IgG2a as compared to immunization with IFA-MERS-CoV PLpro. Moreover, splenocytes from mice immunized with DRVs-MERS-CoV PLpro exhibited greater proliferation in response to antigen stimulation. Moreover, splenocytes from DRVs-MERS-CoV PLpro-immunized mice secreted significantly higher IFN-γ as compared to splenocytes from IFA-MERS-CoV PLpro mice. In summary, DRVs-MERS-CoV PLpro may prove to be an effective prophylactic formulation to prevent MERS-CoV infection.