Laboratory of Vector Vaccines

The purpose of the laboratory is to develop and integrate into healthcare practice new means of specific protection against pertinent viral and bacterial infections.

Main activities

• Design and improvement of mucosal vector vaccines based on attenuated influenza viruses featuring modified NS1 genes expressing protective antigenic determinants of pertinent viral and bacterial pathogens (influenza, tuberculosis, respiratory syncytial virus, etc.)
• Studies on the selection of optimal methods and regimes of vaccination
• Studies assessing candidate vaccine safety, immunogenicity, specific activity, and mechanisms of action
• Search for immunological markers, at the level of innate and acquired immunity, that correlate with the protective effects of vaccination
• Development of new approaches to the study of post-vaccination immunity in the course of pre-clinical and clinical vector vaccine studies
• Preparation and organization of vaccine clinical studies

Achievements

• Clinical studies of mucosal TB/FLU-04L candidate vector (culture prod.) vaccine, based on the Flu/ESAT-6_Ag85A influenza vector and protective expression of mycobacterial proteins, for the prevention of pulmonary tuberculosis (Science and Technology Program: “Development of a tuberculosis vaccine for healthcare in Kazakhstan”)
• Pre-clinical studies of mucosal TB/FluVac-ИТ vaccine (Flu/ESAT-6, embryonic) for pulmonary tuberculosis immunotherapy
• Pre-clinical studies of TB/FluVac mucosal candidate vaccine (Flu/TB10.4_HspX) for the prevention of pulmonary tuberculosis and relapse (Pharma-2020:  federal targeted program “Development of the Russian pharmaceutical and medical sector until 2020 and beyond”)
• Pre-clinical studies of universal mucosal influenza vector vaccine for the prevention of seasonal and pandemic influenza (Pharma-2020)
• Studying of the mechanisms behind formation of long-term post-vaccination immunity to M. tuberculosis when using recombinant influenza vectors expressing mycobacterial proteins (federal project, Russian Ministry of Health)
• Study of the immunogenicity of conserved influenza antigenic determinants and their enhancement by suppressing the immunosuppressive function of the NS1 protein
• Republic of Kazakhstan patent 81636 dated 04.02.2013: "Recombinant influenza strain TB/FLU-ESAT-6 2A Ag85A and its use in tuberculosis prevention"
• “Bivalent vaccine composition based on recombinant influenza virus strains expressing proteins from different phases of the M. tuberculosis life cycle for specific prevention of pulmonary tuberculosis, including a pulmonary tuberculosis prevention method using this composition” (Russian patent application, priority date Dec. 6, 2016; registration number 2016147805)

Epidemic Situation