Immune-tolerant elastin-like polypeptides (iTEPs) and their application as CTL vaccine carriers |
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Authors: | S. Cho K. N. Parent |
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Affiliation: | 1. Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA and;2. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA |
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Abstract: | Background: Cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) vaccine carriers are known to enhance the efficacy of vaccines, but a search for more effective carriers is warranted. Elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs) have been examined for many medical applications but not as CTL vaccine carriers.Purpose: We aimed to create immune tolerant ELPs using a new polypeptide engineering practice and create CTL vaccine carriers using the ELPs.Results: Four sets of novel ELPs, termed immune-tolerant elastin-like polypeptide (iTEP) were generated according to the principles dictating humoral immunogenicity of polypeptides and phase transition property of ELPs. The iTEPs were non-immunogenic in mice. Their phase transition feature was confirmed through a turbidity assay. An iTEP nanoparticle (NP) was assembled from an amphiphilic iTEP copolymer plus a CTL peptide vaccine, SIINFEKL. The NP facilitated the presentation of the vaccine by dendritic cells (DCs) and enhanced vaccine-induced CTL responses.Discussion: A new ELP design and development practice was established. The non-canonical motif and the immune tolerant nature of the iTEPs broaden our insights about ELPs. ELPs, for the first time, were successfully used as carriers for CTL vaccines.Conclusion: It is feasible to concurrently engineer both immune-tolerant and functional peptide materials. ELPs are a promising type of CTL vaccine carriers. |
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Keywords: | Cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) vaccine immune-tolerant elastin-like polypeptide inverse phase transition non-canonical elastin-like polypeptide motifs reversible vaccine carrier thermally-induced |
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