Botulism is a severe neuroparalytic disease caused by one of seven botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs), produced by the anaerobic, spore-forming bacterium Clostridium botulinum. These protein neurotoxins are the most potent toxins known to man. There are BoNT toxoid vaccines available currently as Investigational New Drugs. However, due to the numerous shortcomings associated with the toxoid vaccines (i.e., dangerous to produce, high cost of manufacturing, high reactogenicity), there is an urgent need to develop new generation vaccines for the prevention of botulism. The goals of this research are to develop a new botulism vaccine using the carboxyl-terminal 50 kDa C-fragments (Hc) of the heavy chains in BoNTs as antigens and to study the delivery of the vaccine utilizing a replication-defective adenoviral vector via the intranasal and transcutaneous routes. These non-invasive vaccine delivery methods will undoubtedly enhance the compliance of a vaccination program, which is especially critical in response to a potential bioterrorist attack using BoNTs. After construction of replication-defective adenoviral vectors encoding the immunogenic C-fragments of the heavy chains in BoNTs, vaccination protocols in mice comparing the intranasal and transcutaneous delivery modes with the subcutaneous injection of the currently available pentavalent botulinum toxoid vaccine (PBT) will be studied.
The specific aims of this project are:
Specific Aim #1 : To construct replication-defective adenoviral vectors encoding the C-fragments of the heavy chains in BoNTs.
Specific Aim #2 : To study the mucosal and systemic immunity elicited by the vectored vaccine developed in aim #1 through intranasal and transcutaneous immunization in a mouse model.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Type
Exploratory/Developmental Grants (R21)
Project #
5R21AI055946-02
Application #
6772486
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-VACC (02))
Program Officer
Van de Verg, Lillian L
Project Start
2003-08-01
Project End
2007-07-31
Budget Start
2004-08-01
Budget End
2007-07-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2004
Total Cost
$315,000
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Rochester
Department
Microbiology/Immun/Virology
Type
Schools of Dentistry
DUNS #
041294109
City
Rochester
State
NY
Country
United States
Zip Code
14627
Chen, Shan; Xu, Qingfu; Zeng, Mingtao (2013) Oral vaccination with an adenovirus-vectored vaccine protects against botulism. Vaccine 31:1009-11
Xu, Q; Pichichero, M E; Simpson, L L et al. (2009) An adenoviral vector-based mucosal vaccine is effective in protection against botulism. Gene Ther 16:367-75
Zeng, Mingtao; Xu, Qingfu; Elias, Md et al. (2007) Protective immunity against botulism provided by a single dose vaccination with an adenovirus-vectored vaccine. Vaccine 25:7540-8