Licensing Opportunity: Ferritin Nanoparticle Technology for Display of Co-Assembled Trimeric Antigens

Licensing Opportunity:

Ferritin Nanoparticle Technology for Display of Co-Assembled Trimeric Antigens

Antigen multimerization on a nanoparticle can result in improved neutralizing antibody responses. NIAID researchers designed two-component ferritin variants that allow the attachment of two different antigens on a single particle in a defined ration and geometric pattern. Immunizations in an animal model elicited neutralizing antibody responses against the respective viruses. Credit: NIAID

Antigens on the surface of virus particles are displayed in a regular, repetitive pattern that facilitates B-cell activation. Presenting trimeric antigens on engineered particles that mimic the geometric patterns of native viral proteins can lead to an improved host antibody response.

NIAID researchers are developing novel recombinant ferritin nanoparticles that are based on insect ferritin proteins and have been engineered to display two different trimeric antigens in a defined ratio and geometric pattern. This system has been tested with antigens derived from HIV-1 envelope (Env) and influenza hemagglutinin (HA). Interestingly, an animal study demonstrated that after immunization with ferritin nanoparticles displaying two different trimeric antigens, induced B cells could simultaneously recognize both trimeric antigens, thus leading to an immune response with improved neutralization breadth.

This technology can be used as a platform for multimerized display of trimeric antigens such as viral type I fusion glycoproteins and may be applied to many high-priority vaccine targets, such as HIV-1, influenza, respiratory syncytial virus, parainfluenza viruses, and coronaviruses.

Read more about this exciting collaboration opportunity: https://www.ott.nih.gov/technology/e-270-2015.