Recently, Prof. Wu Xuanjun's team from the National Glycoengineering Research Center at Shandong University, in cooperation with the University of Science and Technology of China and the Wuhan Institute of Virology, published a paper entitled "Developing next-generation protein-based vaccines using high-affinity glycan ligand-decorated glyconanoparticles" in Advanced Science (IF 17.521). The corresponding author is Prof. Wu Xuanjun and his collaborators. Gao Yanan, a doctoral student at Shandong University, is the co-first author (the first) of the paper. Shandong University is the first author affiliation and the last corresponding author affiliation.

Cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) and humoral responses are the main mechanisms by which vaccines work. Nanoparticle vaccines have shown great potential in inducing CTL and humoral immunity. In previous studies, the uptake of nanoparticle vaccines by immune cells was passive. Interestingly, the efficient delivery of antigens to antigen-presenting cells through active transport effectively boosts immunity. Macrophages are antigen-presenting cells that play a vital role in mediating immune responses. Therefore, designing new systems that target macrophages is an effective strategy for developing a new generation of vaccines.

Recently, Prof. Wu Xuanjun’s team developed a novel universal vaccine design system (^TCCSia-Ace-Dex-PA-Rd). This system consists of a high-affinity trisaccharide ligand (^TCCSia-LacNAc), protein antigen (PA), adjuvant (resiquimod, Rd), and glyconanoparticles (Ace-Dex NPs) that enhance CTL and humoral immune responses by targeting macrophages. Based on this system, the authors developed a novel anti-tumor vaccine using a model protein antigen (ovalbumin) and two novel anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccines using the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) protein (the receptor-binding domain of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein or nucleocapsid protein). Overall, a new universal vaccine design system was constructed using high-affinity glycan ligand-modified glyconanoparticles, which provided a new strategy for developing a new generation of anti-tumor and antiviral vaccines.

This work was financially supported by the Youth Fund Project supported by Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation (ZR2020QB165), the Excellent Youth Fund Project supported by Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation (ZR2022YQ17), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (22007058), the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (BK20200236), the Qilu Young Scholar Fund of Shandong University, and the Central Government Guide Local Science and Technology Development Funds (YDZX20203700002579).

Prof. Wu Xuanjun 's group (homepage:http://glycoeng.sdu.edu.cn/english/info/1087/2031.htm) is mainly engaged in researching a new generation of carbohydrate-based vaccines. Recently, a new generation of vaccines for high-risk neuroblastoma and breast cancer has been developed. Recent results were published in international journals, including Angewandte Chemie International Edition, Journal of the American Chemical Society, Advanced Science, Advanced Functional Materials, Biomaterials, and Chemical Science.

Link to the article:

https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202204598