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Vaccines
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State-of-the-Art Vaccine Research in AustralAsia
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State-of-the-Art Vaccine Research in AustralAsia

A special issue of Vaccines (ISSN 2076-393X). This special issue belongs to the section "COVID-19 Vaccines and Vaccination".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2025 | Viewed by 11378

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Mariusz Skwarczynski

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
Interests: vaccines and nanomedicine; vaccine design; nanotechnology; peptide chemistry; medicinal chemistry; vaccine/drug delivery; antimicrobial agents; macromolecules; adjuvants; immunology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Asia and Australia are globally renowned for their research on vaccine development, which also includes extensive efforts toward the development of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. Indeed, there is a large number of research teams devoting their work to vaccine development across Australasian countries. Moreover, many countries have their own medical research center/institute working on many aspects of vaccine development; these include the following, to mention a few: Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research and Doherty Institute (Australia), Center for Vaccine and Adjuvant Research and Institute for Vaccine Research and Development (Japan), International Vaccine Institute (Korea), Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Chinese PLA Center for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases (China), and Malaysian Genome and Vaccine Institute (Malaysia). Australia is home to the first prophylactic vaccine against cancer, Japan developed the first vaccine against chickenpox and China has not only introduced new vaccines against COVID-19 but also developed a smallpox inoculation technique over 500 years ago, which could be treated as the earliest recorded vaccination attempt in human history.

This Special Issue is devoted to vaccine development in Australia and Asia. The Special Issue is expected to promote vaccine work from Australasia worldwide. Research articles and reviews are welcome, as long as they provide a consolidated view of the state of the art in this area.

Australian and Asian academics are invited to submit their research/reviews/opinions to this Special Issue.

Dr. Mariusz Skwarczynski
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Vaccines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • SARS-CoV-2
  • COVID
  • antiviral
  • vaccines
  • mucosal
  • adjuvants
  • humoral immunity
  • antibodies
  • cellular immunity
  • infectious disease
  • influenza
  • viral infection

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 3225 KiB  
Article
Nanocapsules Comprised of Purified Protein: Construction and Applications in Vaccine Research
by Ivana Skakic, Aya C. Taki, Jasmine E. Francis, Chaitali Dekiwadia, Thi Thu Hao Van, Carina C. D. Joe, Tram Phan, George Lovrecz, Paul R. Gorry, Paul A. Ramsland, Anna K. Walduck and Peter M. Smooker
Vaccines 2024, 12(4), 410; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines12040410 - 12 Apr 2024
Viewed by 1441
Abstract
Nanoparticles show great promise as a platform for developing vaccines for the prevention of infectious disease. We have been investigating a method whereby nanocapsules can be formulated from protein, such that the final capsules contain only the cross-linked protein itself. Such nanocapsules are [...] Read more.
Nanoparticles show great promise as a platform for developing vaccines for the prevention of infectious disease. We have been investigating a method whereby nanocapsules can be formulated from protein, such that the final capsules contain only the cross-linked protein itself. Such nanocapsules are made using a silica templating system and can be customised in terms of size and porosity. Here we compare the construction and characteristics of nanocapsules from four different proteins: one a model protein (ovalbumin) and three from infectious disease pathogens, namely the influenza virus, Helicobacter pylori and HIV. Two of the nanocapsules were assessed further. We confirm that nanocapsules constructed from the urease A subunit of H. pylori can reduce subsequent infection in a vaccinated mouse model. Further, we show that capsules constructed from the HIV gp120 protein can be taken up by dendritic cells in tissue culture and can be recognised by antibodies raised against the virus. These results point to the utility of this method in constructing protein-only nanocapsules from proteins of varying sizes and isoelectric points. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Vaccine Research in AustralAsia)
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10 pages, 1862 KiB  
Article
Efficacy of Alum-Adjuvanted Peptide and Carbohydrate Conjugate Vaccine Candidates against Group A Streptococcus Pharyngeal Infection in a Non-Human Primate Model
by Tania Rivera-Hernandez, Diane G. Carnathan, Johanna Richter, Patrick Marchant, Amanda J. Cork, Gayathiri Elangovan, Anna Henningham, Jason N. Cole, Biswa Choudhury, Peter M. Moyle, Istvan Toth, Michael R. Batzloff, Michael F. Good, Paresh Agarwal, Neeraj Kapoor, Victor Nizet, Guido Silvestri and Mark J. Walker
Vaccines 2024, 12(4), 382; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines12040382 - 4 Apr 2024
Viewed by 1716
Abstract
Vaccine development against group A Streptococcus (GAS) has gained traction in the last decade, fuelled by recognition of the significant worldwide burden of the disease. Several vaccine candidates are currently being evaluated in preclinical and early clinical studies. Here, we investigate two conjugate [...] Read more.
Vaccine development against group A Streptococcus (GAS) has gained traction in the last decade, fuelled by recognition of the significant worldwide burden of the disease. Several vaccine candidates are currently being evaluated in preclinical and early clinical studies. Here, we investigate two conjugate vaccine candidates that have shown promise in mouse models of infection. Two antigens, the J8 peptide from the conserved C-terminal end of the M protein, and the group A carbohydrate lacking N-acetylglucosamine side chain (ΔGAC) were each conjugated to arginine deiminase (ADI), an anchorless surface protein from GAS. Both conjugate vaccine candidates combined with alum adjuvant were tested in a non-human primate (NHP) model of pharyngeal infection. High antibody titres were detected against J8 and ADI antigens, while high background antibody titres in NHP sera hindered accurate quantification of ΔGAC-specific antibodies. The severity of pharyngitis and tonsillitis signs, as well as the level of GAS colonisation, showed no significant differences in NHPs immunised with either conjugate vaccine candidate compared to NHPs in the negative control group. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Vaccine Research in AustralAsia)
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17 pages, 3482 KiB  
Article
Impaired IgM Memory B Cell Function Is Common in Coeliac Disease but Conjugate Pneumococcal Vaccination Induces Robust Protective Immunity
by Olivia G. Moscatelli, Amy K. Russell, Lee M. Henneken, Melinda Y. Hardy, Nadia Mazarakis, Rachel Higgins, Jesse Ekin, Harry McLeod, Paul Simkin, Paul V. Licciardi, Vanessa L. Bryant and Jason A. Tye-Din
Vaccines 2024, 12(2), 214; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines12020214 - 19 Feb 2024
Viewed by 2865
Abstract
Coeliac disease (CD) is associated with hyposplenism, an acquired impairment of spleen function associated with reduced IgM memory B cells and increased susceptibility to serious pneumococcal infection. Little is known about the immune implications of hyposplenism in CD or the optimal pneumococcal vaccination [...] Read more.
Coeliac disease (CD) is associated with hyposplenism, an acquired impairment of spleen function associated with reduced IgM memory B cells and increased susceptibility to serious pneumococcal infection. Little is known about the immune implications of hyposplenism in CD or the optimal pneumococcal vaccination strategy. In this study, the immune effects of hyposplenism in CD, and the accuracy of screening approaches and protective responses induced by two different pneumococcal vaccines were examined. Active and treated CD cohorts, and healthy and surgically splenectomised controls underwent testing for the presence of Howell–Jolly bodies and pitted red cells, spleen ultrasound, and immune assessment of IgM memory B cell frequency and IgM memory B cell responses to T cell-dependent (TD) or T cell-independent (TI) stimulation. Responses following conjugate (TD) and polysaccharide (TI) pneumococcal vaccination were compared using ELISA and opsonophagocytic assays. Although hyposplenism is rare in treated CD (5.1%), functional B cell defects are common (28–61%) and are not detected by current clinical tests. Conjugate pneumococcal vaccination induced superior and sustained protection against clinically relevant serotypes. Clinical practice guidelines in CD should recommend routine pneumococcal vaccination, ideally with a conjugate vaccine, of all patients in lieu of hyposplenism screening. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Vaccine Research in AustralAsia)
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14 pages, 1847 KiB  
Article
Polymeric Nanoparticles as Oral and Intranasal Peptide Vaccine Delivery Systems: The Role of Shape and Conjugation
by Prashamsa Koirala, Ahmed O. Shalash, Sung-Po R. Chen, Mohammad O. Faruck, Jingwen Wang, Waleed M. Hussein, Zeinab G. Khalil, Robert J. Capon, Michael J. Monteiro, Istvan Toth and Mariusz Skwarczynski
Vaccines 2024, 12(2), 198; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines12020198 - 15 Feb 2024
Viewed by 1801
Abstract
Mucosal vaccines are highly attractive due to high patient compliance and their suitability for mass immunizations. However, all currently licensed mucosal vaccines are composed of attenuated/inactive whole microbes, which are associated with a variety of safety concerns. In contrast, modern subunit vaccines use [...] Read more.
Mucosal vaccines are highly attractive due to high patient compliance and their suitability for mass immunizations. However, all currently licensed mucosal vaccines are composed of attenuated/inactive whole microbes, which are associated with a variety of safety concerns. In contrast, modern subunit vaccines use minimal pathogenic components (antigens) that are safe but typically poorly immunogenic when delivered via mucosal administration. In this study, we demonstrated the utility of various functional polymer-based nanostructures as vaccine carriers. A Group A Streptococcus (GAS)-derived peptide antigen (PJ8) was selected in light of the recent global spread of invasive GAS infection. The vaccine candidates were prepared by either conjugation or physical mixing of PJ8 with rod-, sphere-, worm-, and tadpole-shaped polymeric nanoparticles. The roles of nanoparticle shape and antigen conjugation in vaccine immunogenicity were demonstrated through the comparison of three distinct immunization pathways (subcutaneous, intranasal, and oral). No additional adjuvant or carrier was required to induce bactericidal immune responses even upon oral vaccine administration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Vaccine Research in AustralAsia)
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Review

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10 pages, 1075 KiB  
Review
The Common Mucosal System Fifty Years on: From Cell Traffic in the Rabbit to Immune Resilience to SARS-CoV-2 Infection by Shifting Risk within Normal and Disease Populations
by Robert Clancy AM
Vaccines 2023, 11(7), 1251; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines11071251 - 17 Jul 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2518
Abstract
The idea of a common mucosal immune system (CMS) is 50 years old. Its relevance to immune protection at mucosal sites and its potential to modulate the impact of vaccination-induced protection against infection of the airway has been poorly understood. The consequent failure [...] Read more.
The idea of a common mucosal immune system (CMS) is 50 years old. Its relevance to immune protection at mucosal sites and its potential to modulate the impact of vaccination-induced protection against infection of the airway has been poorly understood. The consequent failure of the current SARS-CoV-2 vaccination to satisfy expectations with respect to prevention of infection, viral transmission, duration of protection, and pattern of clinical protection, led to public health and medical decisions now under review. This review summarises knowledge of the CMS in man, including the powerful role it plays in immune protection and lessons with respect to what can and cannot be achieved by systemic and mucosal vaccination for the prevention of airway infection. The powerful impact in both health and disease of optimising delivery of immune protection using selected isolates from the respiratory microbiome is demonstrated through a review of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in subjects with chronic airway disease, and in otherwise healthy individuals with risk factors, in whom the idea of mucosal immune resilience is introduced. This review is dedicated to two giants of mucosal immunology: Professors John Bienenstock and Allan Cripps. Their recent deaths are keenly felt by their colleagues and students. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Vaccine Research in AustralAsia)
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Planned Papers

The below list represents only planned manuscripts. Some of these manuscripts have not been received by the Editorial Office yet. Papers submitted to MDPI journals are subject to peer-review.

Title: Covax-19®/Spikogen® vaccine, an Advax-CpG adjuvanted recombinant protein COVID-19 vaccine
Authors: Nikolai Petrovsky
Affiliation: Vaxine Pty Ltd
Abstract: The development of safe and effective vaccines is a key requirement to conquering the COVID-19 pandemic. Recombinant proteins represent the best understood and reliable approach to pandemic vaccine delivery with well-established safety, but nevertheless face challenges in design, structural characterisation, manufacture, potency testing and ensuring adequate immunogenicity. We used the SARS-CoV-2 genomic sequence and in silico structural modelling to design a recombinant protein vaccine based on a stabilised spike protein extracellular domain (ECD). The codon optimised sequenced was inserted into a baculovirus backbone to allow the protein to be expressed in insect cell cultures. This spike ECD was formulated with our proprietary Advax-CpG55.2 adjuvant and tested for immunogenicity in C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice. The vaccine now known as Covax-19® or SpikoGen® induced high titers of spike protein binding antibody that neutralised the original wildtype virus as well as multiple subsequent virus variants. It also induced potent spike-specific CD4+ and CD8+ memory T-cells with a dominant Th1 phenotype that were able to kill spike-labelled target cells in vivo. Immunised ferrets, hamsters and aged monkeys were protected against SARS-CoV-2 infection. The vaccine was also shown to block virus transmission in the hamster model. A successful human clinical trial program demonstrated tolerability, safety and effectiveness in reducing risk of symptomatic and particularly serious disease caused by the delta variant. SpikoGen® vaccine received emergency use authorisation in Iran in October 2021 making it the first recombinant spike-protein vaccine in the world to be approved. It also became the first Australian-developed human vaccine to achieve approval in four decades. The current focus is extending its approval to paediatric populations and applying it as a booster dose to counter waning immunity in those previously immunised with adenovirus vector or mRNA vaccines.

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