Te Herenga Waka researchers Associate Professor Bridget Stocker and Associate Professor Mattie Timmer are part of an international team awarded funding for a project aiming to improve the effectiveness of vaccines against major diseases such as tuberculosis, pneumonia, and rotavirus.
The team was awarded a contract with a total value of $15.7 million (US$9.2 m) from a vaccine discovery programme run by the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in the United States.
Bridget and Mattie will work on the project alongside researchers from the University of Groningen (subcontractor) in The Netherlands and the Vaccine Formulation Institute (prime contractor) in Switzerland.
The project focusses on vaccine adjuvants—ingredients that work to increase vaccine efficacy. In particular, the researchers are developing adjuvants that lead to a specific type of immune response known as T-helper 17, or Th17 for short.
“The Th17 response is needed to improve vaccine efficacy against certain pathogens, such as TB, rotavirus, and influenza. Each vaccine for each pathogen may benefit from a tailored adjuvant, or a combination of adjuvants, to induce an optimal immune response,” says Bridget.
The researchers’ sights are set on adjuvants that target an immune cell receptor called “Mincle”—an abbreviation for the macrophage inducible calcium-dependent lectin receptor.
“For an effective Mincle-mediated vaccine adjuvant, we need to consider the structure of the adjuvant and how the adjuvant ligand—or molecule—binds to Mincle, but also how the individual adjuvant components combine to give a specific 3D shape. While formulation always matters when developing vaccines, in the case of Mincle-mediated immune responses, it seems to matter a lot.”
It’s a bit like how our bodies recognise and respond to different pathogens, says Bridget.
“If you think of a pathogen, such as bacteria, it has lots of molecules on its surface. These molecules are spaced at specific intervals and have a particular density. The body can identify the pathogen not only by the type of molecules it has, but also by the spacing of these molecules.”
The aim of the research project, which runs for up to five years, is to identify adjuvants that are better able to stimulate an immune response through Mincle receptors.
“Following testing, the idea is that key molecules that bind to Mincle would be selected, integrated into a vaccine adjuvant, and manufactured. The Vaccine Formulation Institute, which has a mission to develop affordable adjuvants for global health vaccines, will coordinate and lead this stage. Ultimately, our hope is that the adjuvants will be available at low-cost for use in future vaccines.”
Bridget and Mattie already have more than a decade behind them researching vaccine adjuvants. Their previous work led to the discovery of a new class of adjuvant.
“We began working in this area when it wasn’t as topical as it is today. Along the way, we’ve been lucky to get grants to support our research, including grants from the Health Research Council of New Zealand, the Royal Society’s Marsden Fund, and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
“I would not be working as a scientist in New Zealand if it wasn’t for this funding. It’s played a huge part in enabling us to progress our research and become part of the international team that we are now working with,” she says.
Bridget and Mattie are also partners outside the lab, bringing up four children together.
“Having kids means we haven’t been able to go to conferences and be part of the circuits people often use to make connections. So it’s hugely gratifying to have our work speak for us and to be part of this new project with the Vaccine Formulation Institute and the University of Groningen.”