Jose Martinez-Costas (CIQUS)
Looking for Partnership Looking for Extra EU Funds
Coming from basic molecular virology research on avian reoviruses, we have developed a method to generate protein microspheres containing any antigen of interest that are potent inducers of the immune system. They work nicely as subunit vaccines without any adjuvant, are easily and quickly produced, purified and are very stable. The sphere and the coupling between the antigen and the sphere are both carried out by the cell by means of a molecular tagging method named “IC-Tagging”. Although the published method and vaccine trial were done with microspheres produced in the citosol of Sf9 cells (1), we have recently modified the method to work inside the endoplasmic reticulum, so it can be used for glycoproteins to mimic the surface of enveloped viruses (patent pending, unpublished, 2). We can easily make protein microspheres containing the desired virus antigens in the citosol or inside the ER (for glycoproteins). The antigens can be individually loaded onto the spheres or several antigens can be combined in the same sphere where they can interact and form complex quaternary structures (3).
1- Antiviral Research 110, 42–51 (2014).
2- http://patentae.com/20151020/formar-inclusiones-métodos-usos
3- Journal of Biotechnology 155, 284–286 (2011).