Researchers re-engineer red blood cells to trigger immune system against COVID-19

Date:
March 11, 2022
Source:
McMaster University
Summary:
Researchers have been able to re-engineer red blood cells and use
them as a promising new vehicle for vaccine delivery.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Physicists, chemists and immunologists at McMaster University have
teamed up to modify red blood cells to transport viral agents which can
safely trigger the immune system to protect the body against SARS-CoV-2, creating a promising new vehicle for vaccine delivery.


========================================================================== Developing new strategies and vaccine technologies is critical for
controlling the pandemic and preparing for future outbreaks as the
coronavirus continues to evolve and mutate, say the researchers.

The new method, described in the journalPLOS ONE, is an entirely unique approach to vaccination. Red blood-cell membranes are embedded with
SARS-CoV- 2 spike proteins, which then form virus-like particles.

"We take red blood cells and remove everything from the inside. We then
attach spike proteins to their outside to mimic a corona virus," explains graduate student Isabella Passos-Gastaldo, a lead author on the paper.

The particles, shown to activate the immune system and produce antibodies
in mice, are completely harmless.

"Current vaccine delivery methods often cause drastic immune system
reactions and have short-lived responses," says Maikel Rheinstadter,
a senior supervisor on the paper and a professor in the Department of
Physics & Astronomy at McMaster.



========================================================================== "Some of the vaccines that have been developed have shown side
effects. This delivery platform opens new possibilities for vaccines
and therapeutics," he says.

The researchers found cells can be loaded with a large dose of viral
proteins, yet likely produce few side effects, making the new method
more tolerable and effective than other vaccine options.

"We have developed a method where we can trigger an immune response
without the use of genetic material and yet we are able to synthesize
these particles in a very short amount of time," says Sebastian Himbert,
lead author on the study and a recent graduate student in the Department
of Physics & Astronomy at McMaster.

The technology can be quickly adapted to develop vaccines for variants
or new viruses that may emerge in future.

"This is the kind of creative, interdisciplinary research that McMaster
is known for. It was exhilarating working with physicists, structural biologists and immunologists to design a radically different vaccine
platform," says Dawn Bowdish, Professor of Medicine at McMaster and
Canada Research Chair in Aging & Immunity and co-author of the paper.

The researchers first reported this technique in 2020, when they
modified red blood cells to deliver drugs throughout the body, which
could then target infections or treat catastrophic diseases such as
cancer or Alzheimer's.

"This platform makes our own blood cells smart in many different ways," explains Rheinstadter. "In this case it's a vaccine. We are using our
own cells much like nano robots inside of our bodies and whenever they
see a disease, they can fight it."

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by McMaster_University. Note: Content
may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Sebastian Himbert, Isabella Passos Gastaldo, Rashik Ahmed,
Karla Martinez
Pomier, Braeden Cowbrough, Dushyant Jahagirdar, Samantha Ros, Janos
Juhasz, Harald D. H. Sto"ver, Joaquin Ortega, Giuseppe Melacini,
Dawn M.

E. Bowdish, Maikel C. Rheinsta"dter. Erythro-VLPs: Anchoring
SARS-CoV- 2 spike proteins in erythrocyte liposomes. PLOS ONE,
2022; 17 (3): e0263671 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0263671 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/03/220311141424.htm

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