Understanding vaccine architectures

People working with me on this project at CRMN: A. Rancz (PhD student), S. Medina-Gomez (post-doc), J. Schlagnitweit (CRCN CNRS), L. Salmon (DR CNRS), A. Lesage (IRHC CNRS).

Collaborators: Pr. Y. Mely (Univ. Strasbourg, FR), Pr. G. Lollo (Univ. Lyon, FR), Pr. K. Jaudzems (University of Riga, LV), Pr. K. Tars (Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Riga, LV), Sanofi Pasteur (FR).

This research focuses on two complementary objectives in advanced vaccine design. The first targets lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), effective carriers for mRNA vaccines. Despite their therapeutic potential, the structural organization of mRNA-loaded LNPs remains poorly understood, with open questions surrounding the positioning and interactions of the encapsulated mRNA and lipid distribution. This project aims to characterize these molecular structures through cutting-edge solid-state NMR with Dynamic Nuclear Polarisation (DNP) approaches, using isotopically labeled RNA to probe mRNA location and its interactions within the LNP architecture.
The second objective explores virus-like particles (VLPs), which mimic the structure of viruses but lack infectious material, as versatile platforms for presenting antigens in vaccines. The project addresses the structural integrity of antigens after chemical attachment to VLPs, crucial for generating an effective immune response. Building on the CRMN’s solid-state NMR advancements, this work seeks to assess antigen structure and dynamics post-conjugation, with broader applications in biotechnology for stabilising functional proteins and enhancing therapeutic efficacy.

See: Jaudzems et al. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021, 60, 12847.