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Principal Investigator: YANG XU
Organization: LUNA INNOVATIONS, INC.
Fiscal Year: 2019
Award: $1,999,997
Funding agency: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
RNA-based vaccines and therapeutics have emerged as great promise for HIV prevention and treatment, respectively. However, many obstacles still need to be overcome, in particular RNA instability, manufacturing problems, and clinically relevant delivery mechanisms of RNA into target cells. RNA vaccine approaches have some advantages in relation to other vaccine technologies; they can be delivered directly into the cytoplasm and do not require nuclear localization to generate expression. Improvements of methods for mRNA synthesis and stabilization and development of improved self-amplifying RNAs have recently yielded promising results. RNA approaches also stimulate the host’s innate defense system, in part through activation of the TLR pathways that recognize single and double stranded RNAs. Furthermore, RNA-based therapeutics have shown the potential to silence HIV effectively upon direct transfection in vitro, but delivery into cells in vivo is still unsatisfactory. Vector-based (lentivirus, adeno-associated virus) delivery to quiescent cells has proven inefficient, and the vectors themselves pose a risk to the host. The primary goal of this contract solicitation is to develop improved platform technologies for the delivery of RNA into specific cells and tissues to improve the efficacy of HIV vaccines or therapeutics. Examples of HIV RNA vaccines include, but are not limited to mRNA and self-amplifying RNAs. Examples of RNA therapeutics include small interfering RNA (siRNA), microRNA (miRNA), microRNA antagonists, aptamers, messenger RNA (mRNA), splice-switching oligonucleotides, antisense oligonucleotides, and plasmid or other circular DNAs encoding messenger RNAs and transcription regulatory sequences. To enhance the efficacy of traditional HIV vaccines and therapeutics, combinations of cytokines, adjuvants, broadly neutralizing monoclonal antibodies, immune checkpoint inhibitors, etc. can also be co-delivered in mRNA form. The short-term goal of this project is to perform feasibility studies for the development and use of delivery mechanisms for RNA-based HIV vaccines and therapies. The long-term goal of this project is to enable a small business to bring fully developed delivery systems for RNA-based HIV vaccines and therapies to the clinic and eventually to the market.
Terms: <AIDS Virus><AIDS prevention><Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome Virus><Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Virus><Adeno-Associated Viruses><Adjuvant><Animals><Anti-Sense Oligonucleotides><Antisense Agent><Antisense Oligonucleotides><Biodistribution><Body Tissues><Businesses><Cell Body><Cells><Checkpoint inhibitor><Circular DNA><Clinic><Contracting Opportunities><Contracts><Cytoplasm><Dependoparvovirus><Dependovirus><Development><Domestic Rabbit><Double-Stranded RNA><Feasibility Studies><Formulation><Gene Transcription><Genetic Transcription><Goals><HIV><HIV Prevention><HIV therapy><HIV vaccine><HIV/AIDS Vaccines><HIV/AIDS prevention><Human Immunodeficiency Viruses><Immune checkpoint inhibitor><In Vitro><LAV-HTLV-III><Lentivirinae><Lentivirus><Lymphadenopathy-Associated Virus><Messenger RNA><Methods><Micro RNA><MicroRNAs><Modeling><Non-Polyadenylated RNA><Nuclear><Oligo><Oligonucleotides><Oryctolagus cuniculus><Pathway interactions><Phase><Plasmids><RNA><RNA Expression><RNA Gene Products><RNA Instability><RNA Splicing><RNA amplification><RNA chemical synthesis><RNA synthesis><RNA vaccine><Rabbits><Rabbits Mammals><Regulatory Pathway><Ribonucleic Acid><Risk><Route><Short interfering RNA><Small Interfering RNA><Splicing><Subfamily lentivirinae><System><Technology><Testing><Therapeutic><Tissues><Toxic effect><Toxicities><Transcription><Transfection><Vaccines><Virus-HIV><Virus-Lenti><adeno associated virus group><animal efficacy><anti-sense agent><anti-sense oligo><antisense oligo><aptamer><base><clinical relevance><clinically relevant><cytokine><developmental><dsRNA><efficacy study><human immunodeficiency virus vaccine><humanized mice><humanized mouse><immune check point inhibitor><immunogenicity><improved><in vivo><mRNA><mRNA vaccine><miRNA><miRNAs><mouse model><murine model><neutralizing mAb><neutralizing monoclonal antibodies><oligos><pathway><pre-clinical toxicity><preclinical toxicity><product development><scale up><siRNA><subcutaneous><therapeutic RNA><vaccine efficacy><vector>