A5014416326- Immunotherapy and Immune Responses
- SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research
- vaccines and immunoinformatics approaches
- Animal Virus Infections Studies
- Vector-borne infectious diseases
- Influenza Virus Research Studies
- Virus-based gene therapy research
- RNA Interference and Gene Delivery
- Viral Infections and Vectors
- Respiratory viral infections research
- Pneumonia and Respiratory Infections
- Vector-Borne Animal Diseases
- CAR-T cell therapy research
- Herpesvirus Infections and Treatments
- interferon and immune responses
- Immune Response and Inflammation
- COVID-19 Clinical Research Studies
- COVID-19 diagnosis using AI
- Dermatological diseases and infestations
- Gut microbiota and health
- Toxin Mechanisms and Immunotoxins
- Cancer Research and Treatments
Health Canada
2021-2025
University of Ottawa
2020-2025
Ottawa University
2024
Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
2020-2023
Ottawa Hospital
2020-2023
Introduction The incidence of Lyme disease (LD) in Canada and the United States has risen over last decade, nearing 480,000 cases each year. Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, causative agent LD, is transmitted to humans through bite an infected tick, resulting flu-like symptoms often a characteristic bull’s-eye rash. In more severe cases, disseminated bacterial infection can cause arthritis, carditis neurological impairments. Currently, no vaccine available for prevention LD humans. Methods...
In recent years, lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) have emerged as a revolutionary technology for vaccine delivery. LNPs serve an integral component of mRNA vaccines by protecting and transporting the payload into host cells. Despite their prominence in vaccines, there remains notable gap our understanding potential application delivery DNA vaccines. this study, we sought to investigate suitability leading LNP formulations plasmid (pDNA). addition, aimed explore key differences properties popular...
SARS-CoV-2 infections present a tremendous threat to public health. Safe and efficacious vaccines are the most effective means in preventing infections. A variety of have demonstrated excellent efficacy safety around globe. Yet, development alternative forms remains beneficial, particularly those with simpler production processes, less stringent storage conditions, capability being used heterologous prime/boost regimens which shown improved against many diseases. Here we reported novel DNA...
Poxvirus vectors represent versatile modalities for engineering novel vaccines and cancer immunotherapies. In addition to their oncolytic capacity immunogenic influence, they can be readily engineered express multiple large transgenes. However, the integration of payloads into poxvirus genomes by traditional recombination-based approaches highly inefficient, time-consuming cumbersome. Herein, we describe a simple, cost-effective approach rapidly generate purify vector with By utilizing...
Lyme disease (LD), caused by infection with the tick-borne bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi, is associated a wide array of symptoms in human patients. Variations clinical manifestations are thought to be influenced genetic differences among B. burgdorferi strains. In this study, we evaluated infectivity, tissue bacterial load, pathology, and immunogenicity five strains sensu stricto (297 Ah130, Bb16-54, B31-A3, Bb16-126, JD1) female C3H/HeN mice at three infectious doses (104, 105, 106...
The gut microbiome's pivotal role in health and disease is well established. SARS-CoV-2 infection often causes gastrointestinal symptoms associated with changes of the microbiome both human animal studies. While hamsters serve as important models for coronavirus research, there exists a notable void functional characterization their microbiomes metaproteomics. In this study, we present workflow analyzing hamster microbiome, including metagenomics-derived microbial protein database...
The urgent need for effective, safe and equitably accessible vaccines to tackle the ongoing spread of COVID-19 led researchers generate vaccine candidates targeting varieties immunogens SARS-CoV-2. Because its crucial role in mediating binding entry host cell proven safety profile, subunit 1 (S1) spike protein represents an attractive immunogen development. Here, we developed assessed immunogenicity a DNA encoding SARS-CoV-2 S1. Following vitro confirmation characterization, humoral cellular...
Increasing cases of SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infections from immunization with current spike protein-based COVID-19 vaccines highlight the need to develop alternative using different platforms and/or antigens. In this study, we expressed and nucleocapsid proteins based on a novel vaccinia virus (VACV) ACAM2000 platform (rACAM2000). platform, host range immunoregulatory gene E3L was deleted make attenuated enhance innate immune responses, another gene, K3L, replaced poxvirus ortholog taterapox...
The effectiveness of mRNA vaccines largely depends on their lipid nanoparticle (LNP) component. Herein, we investigate the DLin-KC2-DMA (KC2) and SM-102-based LNPs for intramuscular delivery a plasmid encoding B.1.617.2 (Delta) spike fused with CD40 ligand. LNP encapsulation this CD40L-adjuvanted DNA vaccine either formulation drastically enhanced antibody responses, enabling neutralization heterologous Omicron variants. DNA-LNP formulations provided excellent protection from homologous...
The rising prevalence of Lyme disease (LD) in North America and Europe has emerged as a pressing public health concern. Despite the availability veterinary LD vaccines, no vaccine is currently available for human use. Outer surface protein C (OspC) found on outer membrane causative agent,
The nucleoprotein (NP) of type A influenza virus (IAV) is highly conserved across all strains, making it an attractive candidate antigen for universal vaccines. While various studies have explored NP-induced mucosal immunity, here we interrogated the mechanistic differences between intramuscular (IM) and intranasal (IN) delivery a recombinant adenovirus carrying NP fused with bifunctional CD40 ligand. Despite being less effective than IM in inducing systemic cellular immune responses...
ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic has emphasized the importance and need for accessible safe, effective, versatile vaccine platforms. While approved SARS-CoV-2 vaccines have been instrumental in saving lives reducing healthcare economic burdens, induction of mucosal immunity remains an unmet need. Here, we engineered evaluated a non-replicating adenovirus 5 (rAd5)-based expressing S1 subunit (rAd5-SARS2-S1). We assessed immunogenicity, durability, protective efficacy intramuscular (IM)...
The urgent need for effective, safe and equitably accessible vaccines to tackle the ongoing spread of COVID-19 led researchers generate vaccine candidates targeting varieties immunogens SARS-CoV-2. Because its crucial role in mediating binding entry host cell proven safety profile, subunit 1 (S1) spike protein represents an attractive immunogen development. Here, we developed assessed immunogenicity a DNA encoding SARS-CoV-2 S1. Following vitro confirmation characterization, humoral cellular...
A quarter of all seasonal influenza cases are caused by type B virus (IBV) that also dominates periodically. Here, we investigated a recombinant adenovirus vaccine carrying synthetic HA2 representing the consensus sequence IBV hemagglutinins. The fully protected mice from lethal challenges both genetic lineages, demonstrating its breadth protection. protection was not mediated neutralizing antibodies but robust antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity and cell-mediated immune responses....
Influenza and Respiratory Syncytial virus (RSV) infections together contribute significantly to the burden of acute lower respiratory tract infections. Despite disease burden, no approved RSV vaccine is available. While vaccines are available for influenza, seasonal vaccination required maintain protection. In addition both being viruses, they follow a common seasonality, which warrants necessity concerted approach. Here, we designed bivalent by utilizing highly conserved sequences,...
Abstract mRNA vaccines were instrumental in limiting the extent of COVID-19 pandemic. Despite being presented as an alternative to vaccines, DNA have not achieved similar levels clinical success. We evaluated immunogenicity and protective efficacy a CD40L-adjuvanted Spike vaccine based on B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant when encapsulated lipid nanoparticle formulations, created using DLin-KC2-DMA SM-102 ionizable lipids. Syrian hamsters vaccinated twice intramuscularly with unformulated or...
Abstract The gut microbiome’s pi votal role in health and disease is well-established. SARS-CoV-2 infection often causes gastrointestinal symptoms associated with changes of the microbiome both human animal studies. While hamsters serve as important models for coronavirus research, there exists a notable void functional characterization their microbiomes metaproteomics. In this study, we present workflow analyzing hamster microbiome, including metagenomics-derived microbial protein database...
The appearance of several variants concern (VOCs) SARS-CoV-2 affects the efficacy currently available vaccines and causes continuous spread reinfection between humans. These possess different spike (S) protein mutations, which could affect viral pathogenicity, transmission, immune escape. Herein, we develop a synthetic codon-optimized DNA vaccine (VIU-1007) expressing full-length S protein. developed is stabilized by two K986P V987P proline substitutions resistant to cleavage proteases such...