Griffith University Develops Novel Chikungunya Vaccine Candidate

Researchers at Griffith University have engineered an innovative vaccine candidate designed to combat chikungunya, a significant global health issue known for affecting human joint tissue. The breakthrough involves E.coli-produced biopolymer particles designed to mimic the virus, triggering an immune response without causing disease.

The Vaccine Breakthrough

Professor Bernd Rehm and his team from the Institute for Biomedicine and Glycomics spearheaded the development. They engineered E.coli to produce synthetic biopolymer particles that display chikungunya antigens.

"These particles function as a vaccine."

These synthetic biopolymer particles, referred to as adjuvant-free E2-BP-E1, effectively imitate the virus structure. They successfully triggered an immune response where the body's immune system recognized them as a virus without inducing the actual disease. This mechanism allows immune cells to efficiently absorb the particles and initiate an anti-virus response in the body.

The Threat of Chikungunya

Chikungunya is transmitted to humans through infected mosquitoes. Upon infection, the virus enters the bloodstream, impacting the immune system, joints, muscles, and in some cases, the nervous system. Common symptoms include fever, chills, severe malaise, intense joint and muscle pain, headache, rash, and joint swelling.

The virus exhibits a particular affinity for joint tissues, muscle fibers, and connective tissue. This targeting can lead to direct tissue damage, significant inflammation, and immune-mediated attacks that resemble autoimmune responses. A critical concern is the immune system's persistent attack on joint tissues even after the virus has cleared from the body.

"Up to 60% of patients experience long-lasting joint pain, which can persist for months or years and may resemble rheumatoid arthritis."

Advancing to Clinical Development

Following the successful completion of the initial study, Professor Rehm and his team are now focused on advancing the vaccine into clinical development. This next phase will involve conducting clinical trials, beginning with safety assessments, followed by efficacy trials.

The detailed research findings were published in the journal Biomaterials under the title 'Adjuvant-free biopolymer particles mimicking the Chikungunya virus surface induce protective immunity'.