Immune-boosting bacterial platform could aid nasal vaccines | CEPI

Nov 01, 2024

28 October 2024, OSLO, Norway and STOCKHOLM, Sweden - Researchers at Abera Bioscience are set to test whether their bacterial-based platform could strengthen intranasal vaccines being developed to protect against epidemic and pandemic threats.

Supported by a new CEPI grant of up to US$1 million, Abera Bioscience will investigate the role of bacterial outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) in boosting a special type of protection—known as mucosal immunity—which scientists believe could be key to stopping the onward transmission of viruses.

Unlike traditional vaccines, which are commonly injected into muscle, vaccines inhaled into the lungs or sprayed into the nose (the mucosal route) could induce this special type of protection.

OMVs—non-infectious particles naturally released by some bacteria that are known to boost immunity—can enhance intranasal vaccines, strengthening levels of protection at the point of pathogen entry so those vaccinated not only avoid getting sick but also avoid passing on the infection to others. Abera Bioscience’s preclinical studies have shown their OMV-based platform triggers strong immune responses against various bacterial and viral pathogens, inducing mucosal immunity.

“While OMVs have already been used in vaccines injected into muscles, this exploratory project seeks to take their role one step further and discover how they can also act as an immune-boosting ingredient in intranasal vaccines” explains Dr Kent Kester, Executive Director of Vaccine R&D at CEPI.

Abera Bioscience researchers will use the new CEPI funding to decorate OMVs, developed on its proprietary vaccine platform, BERA, with antigens produced by cell-free-production methods, resulting in new immune-boosted nasal vaccine sprays and powders.

The BERA platform enables decoration of OMVs with antigens into one particle, by contrast with existing OMV vaccines consisting of a mix of OMVs and antigens. In this project, flu vaccines will be tested for proof-of-concept in preclinical models and the level of immunogenicity induced during the testing will be benchmarked against currently approved flu vaccines.

If successful, Dr Kent Kester said that OMV-boosted protein vaccines could have a range of benefits to help swiftly tackle emerging infectious disease threats.

“OMVs can be stockpiled and, in the event of a new pathogen threat, could be quickly coupled with different antigens to accelerate the development of new vaccines. The plug-and-play innovation also supports accessible pricing, facilitates technology transfer, and has a favourable thermostability profile, all of which are beneficial qualities for many Global South environments”

“Development of transmission blocking vaccines will provide a valuable tool to help stop future viral pandemic threats. Our versatile platform has consistently demonstrated strong immunogenicity, and this project provides an exciting opportunity to further validate its potential for pandemic preparedness. By decorating the already immunogenic OMVs, these particles mimic viruses in shape and size, thereby significantly boosting their immunogenic effects. The plug-and-play technology enables fast development of new vaccines by exchanging the antigens depending on viral variants. We are honored to be among the distinguished recipients of CEPI grants and we look forward to work with them to help the world achieve the ambitious 100 Day Mission”, says Maria Alriksson, CEO of Abera Bioscience.

This is the latest partnership to be announced as part of CEPI’s call for vaccine R&D and manufacturing innovations which could be critical to helping the world better prepare for future epidemics and pandemics, in support of the 100 Days Mission.

CEPI and Abera Biosciences are committed to enabling equitable access to the outputs of their partnership, in line with CEPI’s Equitable Access Policy. This includes Abera Biosciences exploring whether a Global South manufacturer could produce OMVs to help contribute to equitable access. Project results, including data generated as part of this project, will be published open access for the benefit of the global scientific community.

CEPI is an innovative partnership between public, private, philanthropic and civil organisations. Its mission is to accelerate the development of vaccines and other biologic countermeasures against epidemic and pandemic threats so they can be accessible to all people in need. CEPI has supported the development of more than 50 vaccine candidates or platform technologies against multiple known high-risk pathogens or a future Disease X. Central to CEPI’s pandemic-beating five-year plan for 2022-2026 is the 100 Days Mission to compress the time taken to develop safe, effective, globally accessible vaccines against new threats to just 100 days.

Abera Bioscience AB is a Swedish vaccine and biotechnology company founded in 2012, originating from molecular biology research at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and Stockholm University. Abera has developed several proprietary, patented platform technologies that enable the efficient development of vaccine candidates with significant advantages over existing vaccines, including the ability to deliver vaccines as a nasal spray. Leveraging these innovative technologies, the company has developed multiple vaccine candidates and is currently focused on two key areas: pneumococcal vaccines and pandemic preparedness. Abera's lead candidate, Ab-01.12, is a nasal vaccine against pneumococcal infections, ready to enter phase 1 clinical trials.

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