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Biophysical and immunological profiling of a nanoparticle nicotine vaccine

Research Project
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01.10.2009
 - 30.09.2011

Our current project is a novel, fully synthetic anti-nicotine vaccine based on self-assembling polypeptide nanoparticles (SAPN). It combines the latest insights of nanotechnology, genetic engineering, new repetitive antigen display modalities and immunology to eventually yield a better vaccine: 1) The three vaccine candidates currently under evaluation ( Cytos AG, Nabi Inc, Celtic Pharma ) all require an adjuvant in order to maximize antibody titers. The vaccine of the present project is adjuvant free. This will eliminate all adjuvant induced side effects and reduce the price. 2) Good antibody induction without adjuvant should open the door to significantly better tolerated vaccination regimes such as intra-nasal immunization, which we will evaluate with the vaccine of the actual project. Current vaccines require painful intra-muscular injections. 3) The absence of adjuvant should furthermore allow an extremely simple galenic formulation of the vaccine in one vial, make obsolete the need for a skilled person for preparation and application, thus open the door for third world application of the vaccine. 4) Better helper T cell lymphocyte epitopes (HTL epitopes) than used in today's vaccine candidates should allow broader population coverage and improve efficacy.

Members (3)

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Ueli Aebi

Principal Investigator
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Peter Burkhard

Co-Investigator
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Christian Mittelholzer

Project Member