Carbohydrates play key immunological roles at the host-pathogens interface, and these interactions are extremely important while designing vaccine-candidates against infectious diseases. The traditional mechanism of action of conjugate-vaccines considers the peptides generated from the immunogenic carrier proteins (toxoids etc) to be responsible of T-cells activation, B-cells maturation and antibodies production. However, in conjugate-vaccines, the carbohydrates could play a two-faced role: they are the antigens able to elicit specific anti-carbohydrate immune responses, and at the same time they could work as an immune-potentiator to enhance the immune responses to themselves. We demonstrated the active involvement of some S. pneumoniae polysaccharides in determining a series of in vitro innate immune responses in human. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were stimulated with approved and in clinical use S. pneumoniae carbohydrate-based vaccine coupled to the carrier tetanus toxoid and different read-out have been measured. In addition, we also recently applied a rational “glyco-approach” to design different SARS-CoV-2 vaccine-candidates now in clinical trial. In conclusion, our results aim at considering carbohydrate-mediated “innate” interactions while designing vaccine-candidates against infectious diseases.

Carbohydrate-mediated Innate considerations in designing vaccine-candidates

ACS Spring Meeting 2021

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.