4 research outputs found

    One-Pot Synthesis of Amide-Functional Main-Chain Polybenzoxazine Precursors

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    Main-chain polybenzoxazines containing amide linkages were successfully prepared in one pot. Three different polymers were synthesized by reacting 3,4-dihydrocoumarine (DHC) and paraformaldehyde with 1,3-diaminopropane or 1,6-diaminohexane or Jeffamine ED-900. The one-pot reaction proceeded through the combination of the ring-opening of DHC with amines, and subsequent Mannich and ring-closure reactions occurring in a cascading manner. The obtained polymer from Jeffamine exhibited good film-forming properties, and free-standing flexible films were easily solvent- casted on Teflon plates. All polymeric precursors were characterized by spectroscopic analysis, and their curing behavior and thermal stability were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA)

    Vaccination with a bacterial peptide conjugated to SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain accelerates immunity and protects against COVID-19

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    Poor immunogenicity of critical epitopes can hamper vaccine efficacy. To boost immune recognition of non- or low-immunogenic antigens, we developed a vaccine platform based on the conjugation of a target protein to a chimeric designer peptide (CDP) of bacterial origin. Here, we exploited this immune Boost (iBoost) technology to enhance the immune response against the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein. Despite its fundamental role during viral infection, RBD is only moderately immunogenic. Immunization studies in mice showed that conjugation of CDP to RBD induced superior immune responses compared to RBD alone. CDP-RBD elicited cross-reactive antibodies against the variants of concern Delta and Omicron. Furthermore, hamsters vaccinated with CDP-RBD developed potent neutralizing antibody responses and were fully protected from lung lesion formation upon challenge with SARS-CoV-2. In sum, we show that the iBoost conjugate vaccine technology provides a valuable tool for both quantitatively and qualitatively enhancing anti-viral immunity

    Vaccination with a bacterial peptide conjugated to SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain accelerates immunity and protects against COVID-19

    No full text
    Summary: Poor immunogenicity of critical epitopes can hamper vaccine efficacy. To boost immune recognition of non- or low-immunogenic antigens, we developed a vaccine platform based on the conjugation of a target protein to a chimeric designer peptide (CDP) of bacterial origin. Here, we exploited this immune Boost (iBoost) technology to enhance the immune response against the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein. Despite its fundamental role during viral infection, RBD is only moderately immunogenic. Immunization studies in mice showed that the conjugation of CDP to RBD induced superior immune responses compared to RBD alone. CDP-RBD elicited cross-reactive antibodies against the variants of concern Delta and Omicron. Furthermore, hamsters vaccinated with CDP-RBD developed potent neutralizing antibody responses and were fully protected from lung lesion formation upon challenge with SARS-CoV-2. In sum, we show that the iBoost conjugate vaccine technology provides a valuable tool for both quantitatively and qualitatively enhancing anti-viral immunity
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