TRANSFECTION REAGENT ADJUVANT - Isis Project No 2791

Non-liposomal cationic polymers have been shown to be effective as adjuvants able to improve immune responses to HIV antigens.

MARKETING OPPORTUNITY

There is a pressing need to develop new vaccines, including an effective HIV vaccine, but to date it has proved difficult to generate protective antibody-based immunity using what are in many cases poorly immunogenic antigens. Adjuvants are frequently added to vaccine compositions to improve the quality or magnitude of immune responses to an antigen, and HIV appears to be a prime example of a disease for which an adjuvant is required. It is further recognised that there is a need to produce better adjuvants for many other infectious disease vaccines for which current adjuvants are ineffectual or suboptimal.

THE OXFORD INVENTION

Researchers at the University of Oxford have discovered that non-liposomal cationic transfection reagents such as poly(ethylenimine) (PEI) may be used in combination with HIV antigens to boost the immune response in rabbits and mice. PEI in particular was able to boost antibody production at least as effectively as Alum, a recognised adjuvant, and at a much lower molar dose. Moreover, the functional (neutralising) antibody response induced by PEI was greater than that induced by Alum. PEI was also shown to up-regulate expression of MHC Class II and co-stimulatory molecules on bone marrow derived dendritic cells, and to generate equivalent systemic and mucosal immunoglobulin responses when compared to Cholera Toxin B-subunit.

The use of a reagent such as PEI may represent an efficacious, safe and cost-effective alternative to other adjuvants in development. The results obtained for PEI when used in combination with HIV antigens also suggest that it may be even more effective when used with more immunogenic antigens from other pathogens.

PATENT STATUS

This work is the subject of patent application covering the use of this class of transfection reagents as adjuvants, and Isis would like to talk to companies interested in developing the commercial opportunity that this represents. Please contact the Isis Project Manager to discuss this further.

Request Further Information: Project Number 2791 Transfection Reagent Adjuvant