Transcript Vaccinomics: Current Findings, Challenges and Novel

VACCINOMICS: CURRENT FINDINGS,
CHALLENGES AND NOVEL APPROACHES FOR
Dr. Inna G. Ovsyannikova and Dr. Gregory A. Poland
VACCINE DEVELOPMENT
Megan Brown
Key Terms
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Vaccinomics
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Immunogenetics
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To identify and understand genetic markers of immune
response in order to provide new vaccine approaches
Studies the relationship between the immune system and
genetics
HLA genes
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Part of the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) system
The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) in humans
 Primary genes responsible for immune function
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Why study this?
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To ensure that our vaccine technology evolves to best
combat emerging pathogens
To improve immune response from patients
To see the effects of various genes on immune responses in
differing individuals
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Using population-based gene studies/SNP association studies
To understand the ties between vaccine-specific immunity
and immune response gene variants
To encourage the use of new sequencing technologies and
bioinformatics towards to further study the relationship
between genetics and immune response
Things to note
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Vaccine response is largely heritable
 Twin
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studies
Focus on HLA class I and II genes
 Deliver
pathogen-derived peptide epitopes (antigenic
determinants) to Tcells
 Significant polymorphisms
Rubella genotyping study
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738 children
Examined candidate SNPs and haplotypes, and
their relationship to immune measures
Found that cytokine and cytokine receptor genetic
variants were responsible for both cytokine and
humoral responses
The point: developing a vaccine that included
cytokines to “fill in the gaps” could provide
improved immunity
Innate Genes
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The immune system is complex; as such, genes
outside of the MHC are important
Toll-like receptors (TLR)
 Pattern
recognition receptors
 Detect viruses by sensing RNA and viral proteins
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The point: new vaccines using adjuvants that target
non-HLA genes have been very effective
The future of this field
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Genome-wide studies
 SNP
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association with markers of immunity to pathogens
Next Generation Sequencing (NGS)
 Identify
rare polymorphisms, alternative splice variants,
copy number variants, and their relationship to immune
response
 Improve knowledge of immune response mechanisms in
combination with immunogenetic data