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Formulation of IMXQB: Nanoparticles Based on Quillaja brasiliensis Saponins to be Used as Vaccine Adjuvants

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Plant Secondary Metabolism Engineering

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 2469))

Abstract

Adjuvants are essential components of subunit, recombinant, nonreplicating and killed vaccines, as they are substances that boost, shape, and/or enhance the immune response triggered by vaccination. Saponins obtained from the Chilean Q. saponaria tree are used as vaccine adjuvants in commercial vaccines, although they are scarce and difficult to obtain. In addition, tree felling is needed during its extraction, which has ecological impact. Q. brasiliensis leaf-extracted saponins arise as a more sustainable alternative, although its use is still limited to preclinical studies. Despite the remarkable immunostimulating properties of saponins, they are toxic to mammalian cells, due to their intrinsic characteristics. For these reasons they are mostly used in veterinary vaccines, although recently the Q. saponaria purified saponin QS-21 has been included in adjuvant systems for human vaccines, such as Mosquirix and Shingrix (GSK). In order to abrogate the toxicity of the saponins fractions, they can be formulated as immunostimulating complexes (ISCOMs). ISCOM-matrices are cage-like nanoparticles of approximately 40 nm, formulated combining saponins and lipids, without antigen, and are great adjuvants able to promote Th1-biased immune responses in a safe manner. Herein we describe how to formulate ISCOM-matrices nanoparticles using Q. brasiliensis purified saponin fractions (IMXQB) by the dialysis method. In addition, we indicate how to verify the appropriate size and homogeneity of the formulated nanoparticles.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank BSc Álvaro D. Olivera of Laboratorio de Alta Resolución, Depto. Desarrollo Tecnológico, Centro Universitario Regional Este, Universidad de la República (CURE, Udelar) for his technical contribution operating the HR-MET in order to visualize the nanoparticles by this method.

This work was supported by the ANII (Agencia Nacional de Investigación e Inovación, Uruguay) scholarship POS_NAC_2018_1_151537 granted to M.R.P. In addition, F.S. and M.R.P. are categorized within the Sistema Nacional de Investigadores of ANII, and are recipients of ANII research productivity fellowship, level 1, and initiation respectively. The authors thank the support of the Programa de Desarrollo de las Ciencias Básicas (PEDECIBA Uruguay), and to Comisión Sectorial de Investigación Científica (CSIC, Udelar).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biotechnological Development, Hygiene Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay

    Mariana Rivera-Patron & Fernando Silveira

  2. Cellular and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Center for Biotechnology-CBiotec, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil

    Samuel P. Cibulski

  3. Clinical Immunology-BIOCLIN Dept., Biotechnology Laboratory, Technological Pole Institute of Pando, Faculty of Chemistry, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay

    Iris Miraballes

Authors
  1. Mariana Rivera-Patron
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  2. Samuel P. Cibulski
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  3. Iris Miraballes
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  4. Fernando Silveira
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Fernando Silveira .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Biotechnology and Department of Botany, Plant Physiology Laboratory, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil

    Arthur Germano Fett-Neto

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Rivera-Patron, M., Cibulski, S.P., Miraballes, I., Silveira, F. (2022). Formulation of IMXQB: Nanoparticles Based on Quillaja brasiliensis Saponins to be Used as Vaccine Adjuvants. In: Fett-Neto, A.G. (eds) Plant Secondary Metabolism Engineering. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 2469. Humana, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-2185-1_15

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-2185-1_15

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  • Publisher Name: Humana, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-0716-2184-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-0716-2185-1

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