Enhancing antibody responses by multivalent antigen display on thymus-independent DNA origami scaffolds

Abstract

Multivalent antigen display is a well-established principle to enhance humoral immunity. Protein-based virus-like particles (VLPs) are commonly used to spatially organize antigens. However, protein-based VLPs are limited in their ability to control valency on fixed scaffold geometries and are thymus-dependent antigens that elicit neutralizing B cell memory themselves, which can distract immune responses. Here, we investigated DNA origami as an alternative material for multivalent antigen display in vivo, applied to the receptor binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 that is the primary antigenic target of neutralizing antibody responses. Icosahedral DNA-VLPs elicited neutralizing antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in a valency-dependent manner following sequential immunization in mice, quantified by pseudo-and live-virus neutralization assays. Further, induction of B cell memory against the RBD required T cell help, but the immune sera did not contain boosted, class-switched antibodies against the DNA scaffold. This contrasted with protein-based VLP display of the RBD that elicited B cell memory against both the target antigen and the scaffold. Thus, DNA-based VLPs enhance target antigen immunogenicity without generating off-target, scaffold-directed immune memory, thereby offering a potentially important alternative material for particulate vaccine design.