Heat Biologics (NASDAQ:HTBX) announces results from preclinical testing of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate that, it says, showed immunogenicity in animal models including expansion of human-HLA-restricted T cells against immunodominant epitopes of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, adding that the results also showed expansion of antibody-supporting CD4+ and virus-killing CD8+ T cells in the lungs of mice.
Natasa Strbo MD, DSc, Assistant Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and co-developer of Heat’s gp96 platform, says, “We are encouraged by the observed T-cell expansion and cytokine secretion in response to spike protein stimulation in preclinical models. Measured cytokines, produced by antiviral CD4+ T-cells, important for B cell antibody class switching, and CD8+ T-cells, important to clear virus-infected cells, suggests that an optimal immune response is being generated in response to our vaccination. These preclinical data imply that our vaccine is prompting a robust and effective immune response to support anti-viral immunity. In addition, stimulation of anti-viral killer CD8+ T-cells in human HLA-A2-positive transgenic mice provides encouraging pre-clinical data to support human trials, as we can expand cells specific for viral antigens presented in the context of the human immune system.”
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