Principal Investigator
Mélanie Arbour
CNRC
Co-investigator
Wangxue Chen
CNRC
François Meurens
Université de Montréal
Fanny Renois
Université de Montréal
Project of $1,133,677 over 3 years
- Supported by CQDM through:
Ministère de l’Économie, de l’Innovation et de l’Énergie du Québec (MEIE) - And by co-funding partner:
– Glycovax Pharma inc.
Challenge
Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa) is a multidrug-resistant bacterium and ESKAPE pathogen responsible for nosocomial infections and a predominant cause of morbidity and mortality in cystic fibrosis patients. No vaccine is yet available to prevent Pa infections.
Solution
The NRC has identified a vaccine antigen in the Pa bacterium’s type A liposaccharide that is common to several clinical strains. Specifically, the antigen identified is a methylated rhamnan oligosaccharide, which when conjugated to the CRM197 carrier protein proved immunogenic and antigenic in both mice and rabbits. Glycovax and the NRC are planning to develop a vaccine based on this glycoantigen and the novel adjuvant SLA, which was also designed by the NRC. The candidate vaccine contains two vaccine components, SLA and CRM197, which Glycovax is manufacturing for commercialization. Development activities will consist of proof-of-concept studies in animals with selection of the optimal vaccine composition, formulation and route of administration in mice. The functional efficacy of vaccination against a Pa infection will then be demonstrated by quantifying protection in translational studies using a large animal model such as the pig at the veterinary school of Université de Montréal.
Expected Achievements/Impact
Establishing the vaccine composition and its preliminary efficacy by translational studies in new animal models of Pa infection is the first step towards clinical trials. A Pa vaccine available to cystic fibrosis patients and people entering hospitals at risk of nosocomial infection will be a real public-health breakthrough. The project will train young professionals in Quebec in animal models of bacterial infection, as well as in the specific regulatory stages of vaccine development, where the latter expertise is directly applicable to the development of other new vaccines.
