Congratulations to Isabella G. Romano, Susan B. Core, Curtis Mowry, Bryce Chacherain, and Kathryn M. Frietze from the University of New Mexico (UNM), Naomi R. Lee from Northern Arizona University, Koen K.A. Van Rompayfrom UC Davis, and Yumei Huang from CellMosaic Inc. After years of collaborative research, they have recently published a peer-reviewed article titled, “A bacteriophage virus-like particle vaccine against oxycodone elicits high-titer and long-lasting antibodies that sequester drug in the blood” (Vaccine, Volume 2, Issue 3, 25 January 2024, pages 471-480).
This paper highlights the importance of developing a vaccine for opioid use disorder and opioid overdose to address the ongoing opioid epidemic. Opioid use disorder is characterized by the misuse of prescription drugs and opioid derivatives, with oxycodone being the most abused prescription opioid. The opioid crisis has resulted in a significant increase in opioid-related deaths, with approximately 82,000 opioid-involved deaths (76%) occurring in 2022, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Vaccine strategies are emerging as a promising approach to tackling opioid use disorder and overdose. While there are promising pre-clinical data for vaccines against nicotine, cocaine, and heroin, no vaccines for drugs of abuse have been licensed for human use. A vaccine that generates high-titer and long-lasting antibody responses could provide treatment for opioid use disorder, particularly for individuals with limited access to medical care due to housing insecurity, lack of transportation, or distrust in the healthcare system. Current vaccine models, such as those using a KLH carrier protein, do not produce the required antibody response.
Led by Kathryn Frietze, Assistant Professor in the Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology at UNM School of Medicine, and graduate student, Isabella Romano, the researcher team developed a vaccine platform using Qβ bacteriophage virus-like-particles (VLPs) to potentially generate a stronger antibody response.
At CellMosaic, we are deeply invested in addressing issues that affect human life. We collaborate with academic and industry partners to develop cancer treatments and other life-saving strategies by designing and producing key bioconjugates. Since 2019, we have been worked with Professor Frietze’s lab to design and synthesize an oxycodone derivative suitable for conjugation to Qβ VLPs. The resulting Qβ-oxycodone vaccine, tested in both rat and primate models, demonstrated the ability to produce high-avidity, high-titer antibody responses to oxycodone within two doses. Importantly, the antibodies produced showed minimal cross-reactivity with medications for opioid use disorder, including methadone and buprenorphine. Additionally, the Qβ vaccine was tested for its ability to withstand conditions necessary for delivery to underserved communities that lack cold storage infrastructure.
To learn more about the collaborative effort to develop a vaccine against drug-of-abuse, read the full paper, and stay tuned for future advancements in this research.
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About Frietze’s Lab at University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center
The Frietze lab studies the antibody response to infectious and chronic disease with a goal of translating that knowledge into new vaccines. For more information, please visit the lab’s website.
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About CellMosaic® Inc.
CellMosaic is a Massachusetts-based biotech company specializing in the research and drug bioconjugate market. Bioconjugates are widely used as research tools, diagnostic reagents, and novel drug modalities, such as antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), antibody-oligo conjugates (AOCs). Since its founding in 2008, CellMosaic® has invested significant research efforts in developing core technologies to address two major challenges in the field: advanced bioconjugation processes for producing high-quality bioconjugates and AqT® technologies for efficiently loading large amounts of hydrophobic small molecules onto biomolecules. Operating from its U.S. facility, CellMosaic® currently offers bioconjugation-related reagents and kits, customer bioconjugation services, contract bioconjugate development and manufacturing, and strategic partnerships for developing proprietary innovative AqT® ADC using its novel AqT® linker-modified drugs.