Biology subjects

Strand, K. A.

Publications and source records attributed to Strand, K. A..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Atomic Layering Thermostable Antigen and Adjuvant (ALTA(R)) platform provides unique antigen delivery system through controlled release to improve immune response to vaccination

Prophylactic vaccines are commonly delivered using a multi-dose regimen with the goal of generating potent, durable protection against a specific pathogen. However, the requirement for multiple administrations can impede patient adherence and reduce overall protection. Designing a single-shot vaccine without compromising efficacy could significantly improve vaccine adherence and performance. Previously, it has been shown that atomic-layer deposition (ALD) of alumina (Al2O3) can be applied to spray dried, thermostabilized antigen-containing powders to produce alumina-coated vaccine particles that, when compared to a liquid control, elicit improved humoral immunity with response kinetics controlled by ALD-coat thickness. However, previous studies have not defined the particle release/antigen delivery profile of ALD-coated vaccines. The studies in this manuscript were designed to investigate how the kinetics of antigen release from ALD-coated vaccines impacts the timing and magnitude of the immune response relative to single- and multi-dose liquid vaccine regimens using two distinct antigens, Ovalbumin and the HIV-1 envelope trimer, N332-GT5 gp140. By combining longitudinal in vivo imaging and immunological readouts, we demonstrate that ALD-coated vaccines exhibit tunable, variable-rate release and deliver antigen in a unique, prolonged manner that results in an improved immune response to single-shot vaccination for difficult to target pathogens, such as HIV-1. Furthermore, using in vitro analytical methods, we confirmed the ability of our Atomic Layering and Thermostable Antigen and Adjuvant (ALTA(R)) platform to impart thermostability upon the N332-GT5 gp140 antigen, a clinically relevant HIV-1 immunogen, indicating the potential for ALTA(R) formulation to generate thermostable, single-dose vaccine products. Highlights- ALTA(R) microparticles provide sustained antigen delivery with variable release rates, which can be controlled by altering ALD-coat thickness - Sustained antigen release from thermostable, spray-dried ALTA(R) vaccine products impacts kinetics of humoral and cellular responses, and improves antigen-specific immunogenicity compared to single administration of liquid vaccine - ALTA(R) formulation imparts vaccine thermostability through spray-drying and ALD-coating to clinically relevant HIV-1 Env antigen, N332-GT5 gp140

immunology↗

bioRxiv2026

Subunit Vaccination Using Atomic Layering Thermostable Antigen and Adjuvant (ALTA(R)) Platform Elicits Enhanced Humoral and Cellular Immune Responses

AbstractCreating effective and thermostable vaccines is of significant relevance for public health. The Atomic Layering Thermostable Antigen and Adjuvant (ALTA(R)) platform combines spray drying to stabilize antigens in a sugar matrix followed by coating with atomic layer deposition (ALD) for temporal control over in vivo release. While these technologies have shown preliminary promise for different vaccine antigens, further characterizations of the immune response to ALTA(R) formulated antigens are still needed. Here, the immune response to ALTA(R) formulated antigens is described and compared to a set of adjuvanted liquid vaccine formulations that included Alhydrogel(R), AddaVax, and Alhydrogel(R)+CpG. The humoral and cell-mediated responses were measured by ELISA and flow cytometry. Increased and lasting antigen-specific antibody titers following administration of ALTA(R) containing ovalbumin (OVA) demonstrated robust and durable humoral response. Furthermore, ALTA(R) injected mice produced both IgG2c and IgG1 indicating a balanced Th1/Th2 response. Importantly, ALTA(R) OVA elicited robust humoral response at lower doses of aluminum than Alhydrogel(R). The most striking difference between ALTA(R) and the liquid vaccine formulations tested was a greater OVA-specific CD8+ T cell response observed at all antigen doses tested. Mechanistically, antigen encapsulation within ALTA(R) particles was critical for antibody production and CD8+ T cell responses as well as antigen capture by antigen-presenting cells (APCs) at the site of injection and draining lymph nodes. To test these concepts in a more physiological application, protein and polysaccharide vaccine antigens derived from a facultative intracellular bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei, the causative agent of melioidosis, were formulated using the ALTA(R) platform. Compared to liquid vaccine formulations, ALTA(R) immunized mice showed enhanced antigen-specific antibody production and IFN-{gamma} secreting T cell responses using lower adjuvant doses of aluminum and CpG. Overall, ALTA(R) formulated protein and polysaccharide antigens elicited strong humoral and cell-mediated immunity suggesting potential broad applicability of the platform to vaccines against various diseases, including against cancer and infections from intracellular pathogens.

immunology↗

bioRxiv2024

KLF4 in smooth muscle cell-derived progenitor cells is essential for angiotensin II-induced cardiac inflammation and fibrosis

Cardiac fibrosis is defined by the excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) material resulting in cardiac tissue scarring and dysfunction. While it is commonly accepted that myofibroblasts are the major contributors to ECM deposition in cardiac fibrosis, their origin remains debated. By combining lineage tracing and RNA sequencing, our group made the paradigm-shifting discovery that a subpopulation of resident vascular stem cells residing within the aortic, carotid artery, and femoral aartery adventitia (termed AdvSca1-SM cells) originate from mature vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) through an in situ reprogramming process. SMC-to-AdvSca1-SM reprogramming and AdvSca1-SM cell maintenance is dependent on induction and activity of the transcription factor, KLF4. However, the molecular mechanism whereby KLF4 regulates AdvSca1-SM phenotype remains unclear. In the current study, leveraging a highly specific AdvSca1-SM cell reporter system, single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq), and spatial transcriptomic approaches, we demonstrate the profibrotic differentiation trajectory of coronary artery-associated AdvSca1-SM cells in the setting of Angiotensin II (AngII)-induced cardiac fibrosis. Differentiation was characterized by loss of stemness-related genes, including Klf4, but gain of expression of a profibrotic phenotype. Importantly, these changes were recapitulated in human cardiac hypertrophic tissue, supporting the translational significance of profibrotic transition of AdvSca1-SM-like cells in human cardiomyopathy. Surprisingly and paradoxically, AdvSca1-SM-specific genetic knockout of Klf4 prior to AngII treatment protected against cardiac inflammation and fibrosis, indicating that Klf4 is essential for the profibrotic response of AdvSca1-SM cells. Overall, our data reveal the contribution of AdvSca1-SM cells to myofibroblasts in the setting of AngII-induced cardiac fibrosis. KLF4 not only maintains the stemness of AdvSca1-SM cells, but also orchestrates their response to profibrotic stimuli, and may serve as a therapeutic target in cardiac fibrosis.

cell biology↗

bioRxiv2023

Smooth muscle-derived adventitial progenitor cells promote key cell type transitions controlling plaque stability in atherosclerosis in a Klf4-dependent manner

We previously established that vascular smooth muscle-derived adventitial progenitor cells (AdvSca1-SM) preferentially differentiate into myofibroblasts and contribute to fibrosis in response to acute vascular injury. However, the role of these progenitor cells in chronic atherosclerosis has not been defined. Using an AdvSca1-SM lineage tracing model, scRNA-Seq, flow cytometry, and histological approaches, we confirmed that AdvSca1-SM cells localize throughout the vessel wall and atherosclerotic plaques, where they primarily differentiate into fibroblasts, SMCs, or remain in a stem-like state. Klf4 knockout specifically in AdvSca1-SM cells induced transition to a more collagen-enriched myofibroblast phenotype compared to WT mice. Additionally, Klf4 depletion drastically modified the phenotypes of non-AdvSca1-SM-derived cells, resulting in more contractile SMCs and atheroprotective macrophages. Functionally, overall plaque burden was not altered with Klf4 depletion, but multiple indices of plaque vulnerability were reduced. Collectively, these data support that modulating the AdvSca1-SM population confers increased protection from the development of unstable atherosclerotic plaques.

pathology↗