Sanofi Pasteur Vaxdesign Corporation

Virginia Commonwealth University

Vaxdesign Corporation

Mohey Eldin M El Shikh

William L Warren

Eric Mishkin

Donald Drake

John G Tew

Russell Higbee

Heather Fahlenkamp

Guzman Sanchez-Schmitz

Anatoly Kachurin

Conan Li

Luis Mosquera

Selva Sukumar

Haifeng Song

Inderpal Singh

The present invention incorporates germinal centers (GCs) into three-dimensional (3D) engineered tissue constructs (ETCs). In an embodiment, we have incorporated the GC in the design of an artificial immune system (AIS) to examine immune responses to vaccines and other compounds. Development of an in vitro GC adds functionality to an AIS, in that it enables generation of an in vitro human humoral response by human B lymphocytes that is accurate and reproducible, without using human subjects. The invention also permits evaluation of, for example, vaccines, allergens, and immunogens, and activation of human B cells specific for a given antigen, which can then be used to generate human antibodies. In an embodiment of the present invention the function of the in vitro GC is enhanced by placing FDCs and other immune cells in a 3D ETC; FDCs appear more effective over a longer time (antibody production is sustained for up to about 14 days.

Methods for assaying responses to vaccines

Methods of evaluating an immune response to an antigen

In vitro germinal centers

The present invention is directed to methods for constructing and using in vivo and in vitro models of aspects of human immunity and, in particular, construction of a human immune system model for the testing of, for example, vaccines, adjuvants, immunotherapy candidates, cosmetics, drugs, biologics and other chemicals. The present invention comprises both in vivo and in vitro models of aspects of human immunity that are useful for assessing the interaction of substances with the immune system, and thus can be used to accelerate and improve the accuracy and predictability of, for example, vaccine, drug, biologic, immunotherapy, cosmetic and chemical development. The invention is also useful for the generation of human monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies.

Models for vaccine assessment

Growing community of inventors

Richmond, VA, United States of America

Mohey Eldin M El Shikh