Effects of Differential Glycosylation on Filovirus Glycoprotein Immunogenicity
Abstract
Filoviruses are dangerous viruses that infect humans and often lead to severe illness or death. Filoviruses include Ebola, Marburg, and Cueva viruses. There are experimental filovirus vaccines being tested now. These vaccines contain a single, non-infectious piece of the filovirus, called a glycoprotein. The glycoprotein is a protein that is covered in sugar molecules. After a person is vaccinated, immune responses are made against the glycoprotein in the vaccine, so that if the vaccinated individual gets infected later with the real filovirus, the existing immune response against the filovirus glycoprotein will stop the infection. These experimental vaccines are made in different types of cells. These different types of cells put different types of sugar patterns on the filovirus glycoprotein. Studies have shown that these different sugar patterns can change the type and strength of immune responses after vaccination. However, no one knows what type of sugar pattern on filovirus glycoproteins is best for making strong immune responses. This proposal will attempt to figure out what sugar patterns on filovirus glycoproteins are needed to make the best vaccine. The first step in this proposal is to make and purify all the filovirus glycoproteins in different types of cells. Then, the purified glycoproteins will be tested to find out what kind of sugar patterns are on them to see how the different cell types change the sugar pattern. Next, the glycoproteins made in the different cell types will be put in vaccines in test tubes and in mice to see which types of sugar patterns make the best immune responses. Overall, this project will hopefully tell us how to make better vaccines against filoviruses by changing sugar patterns on filovirus glycoproteins.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- May 26, 2016
- Source ID
- HDTRA11510061
Entities
People
- Steven Bradfute
Organizations
- Defense Threat Reduction Agency
- University of New Mexico