On February 16, 2023 PDS Biotechnology Corporation (Nasdaq: PDSB), a clinical-stage immunotherapy company developing a growing pipeline of targeted immunotherapies for cancer and infectious disease, reported that new research performed in the laboratory of preeminent CD4 T cell researcher, Andrea Sant, PhD at the University of Rochester Center for Vaccine Biology and Immunology, was published in the peer-reviewed journal, Viruses (Press release, PDS Biotechnology, FEB 16, 2023, View Source [SID1234627318]). The preclinical research studied Infectimune, PDS Biotech’s novel investigational infectious disease immune activating platform, and demonstrated the technology’s potency in eliciting CD4 T cells. The studies focused on comparing Infectimune induced immune responses following primary vaccination against influenza with immune responses induced by leading vaccine adjuvants. This publication follows a recent article in Viruses highlighting the ability of Infectimune to generate a broad immune response against viruses, including SARS-CoV-2 and multiple strains of influenza.

The paper, titled, "R-DOTAP cationic lipid nanoparticles outperform squalene-based adjuvant systems in elicitation of CD4 T cells after recombinant influenza hemagglutinin vaccination," reported findings from a preclinical study investigating the ability of Infectimune (R-DOTAP) to promote CD4 T cell responses to vaccination with recombinant influenza protein. Infectimune was compared to AddaVax, which is analogous to commercial adjuvant MF59, and AddaVax combined with CpG, a commercial adjuvant, using HA-B as the influenza vaccine antigen. Results from the study concluded that Infectimune dramatically enhanced CD4 T cell responses to recombinant HA-B proteins relative to AddaVax and AddaVax plus CpG. Further, the Infectimune elicited CD4 T cells displayed abundant Interferon (IFN)-gamma and Interleukin (IL)-2 production that are critical for protective immunity. CD4 T cells are documented to present multiple functions including CD8 T cell expansion and antibody responses as well as direct anti-viral effects and potentiation of antigen presenting function to enhance protection against viral infection.

"Influenza remains challenging due to low immune responses, especially in the elderly. Thus, there is a significant opportunity to develop a flu vaccine that induces broadly protective responses to influenza," stated Dr. Gregory Conn, Chief Scientific Officer of PDS Biotech.

Dr. Sant, the senior author on the paper stated, "These results showing the potency of R-DOTAP to promote epitope-specific, cytokine-inducing CD4 T cells against a recombinant influenza antigen are exceptionally promising."

The preclinical research published in Viruses demonstrates the ability of Infectimune to significantly boost CD4 T cell activity, suggesting that Infectimune based vaccines could provide durable protection against seasonal flu and potentially emerging pandemic flu.

The research was supported by grants from the NIAID Collaborative Influenza Vaccine Innovation Centers (CIVICs) program and funded in part by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

About Infectimune

Infectimune is a novel investigational immune activating platform that generates broad and robust antibody and T cell responses that provide durable protection against infectious disease. Infectimune based vaccines are given by intramuscular injection and generate robust and durable protection against infectious agents in preclinical studies. Infectimune based vaccines have demonstrated safety in preclinical studies and appear to provide more robust and longer-lasting protection against infectious disease.

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