Modulation of antigen delivery and lymph node activation in nonhuman primates by saponin adjuvant saponin/monophosphoryl lipid A nanoparticle

Parisa Yousefpour, Yiming J. Zhang, Laura Maiorino, Mariane B. Melo, Mariluz A. Arainga Ramirez, Sidath C. Kumarapperuma, Peng Xiao, Murillo Silva, Na Li, Katarzyna K. Michaels, Erik Georgeson, Saman Eskandarzadeh, Michael Kubitz, Bettina Groschel, Kashif Qureshi, Jane Fontenot, Lars Hangartner, Rebecca Nedellec, J. Christopher Love, Dennis R. BurtonWilliam R. Schief, Francois J. Villinger, Darrell J. Irvine

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

Saponin-based vaccine adjuvants are potent in preclinical animal models and humans, but their mechanisms of action remain poorly understood. Here, using a stabilized HIV envelope trimer immunogen, we carried out studies in nonhuman primates (NHPs) comparing the most common clinical adjuvant aluminum hydroxide (alum) with saponin/monophosphoryl lipid A nanoparticles (SMNP), an immune-stimulating complex–like adjuvant. SMNP elicited substantially stronger humoral immune responses than alum, including 7-fold higher peak antigen-specific germinal center B-cell responses, 18-fold higher autologous neutralizing antibody titers, and higher levels of antigen-specific plasma and memory B cells. Positron emission tomography and computed tomography imaging in live NHPs showed that, unlike alum, SMNP promoted rapid antigen accumulation in both proximal and distal lymph nodes (LNs). SMNP also induced strong type I interferon transcriptional signatures, expansion of innate immune cells, and increased antigen-presenting cell activation in LNs. These findings indicate that SMNP promotes multiple facets of the early immune response relevant for enhanced immunity to vaccination.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article numberpgae529
JournalPNAS Nexus
Volume3
Issue number12
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 1 2024

Keywords

  • HIV
  • SMNP (saponin/MPLA nanoparticles)
  • adjuvant
  • nonhuman primate
  • vaccine

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General

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