Technology Overview

Rotavirus (RV) causes severe diarrhea in children, claiming ~200,000 lives annually. Due to the mismatched P-types, the two RV vaccines currently in the market do not provide satisfactory efficacy in developing countries, where RV vaccines are needed most. As both vaccines are live attenuated viruses, they also increase risk of intussusception. Unlike traditional live attenuated vaccines, Cincinnati Children’s investigators have developed non-replicating subunit RV vaccines by developing a novel S particle platform and displaying recombinant antigens. The vaccines are safer, can be produced in E. coli system at low cost, and produce multiple P-types for high efficacy in particular in developing countries. The researchers have shown that the vaccine elicited high IgG titers in mice and the antisera strongly neutralized RV. Furthermore, this potent vaccine platform can be applied to many other antigens for novel vaccine development.

Applications

Vaccines for rotavirus (RV) and other antigens

Advantages

• Generate multiple P-types for high efficacy in particular in developing countries
  
• Safer & Low production cost

Market Overview

In 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that 215K child deaths occurred in 2013 due to rotavirus infection. WHO reports that 22% of all rotavirus deaths under five years of age occurred in India, and four countries (India, Nigeria, Pakistan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo) accounted for approximately half (49%).

Investigator Overview

Jason Jiang, PhD & Ming Tan, PhD, Division of Infectious Diseases