Investigation into suitable carrier molecules for use in an anti-gonadotrophin releasing hormone vaccine

Ferro, V. A. and Stimson, W. H. (1998) Investigation into suitable carrier molecules for use in an anti-gonadotrophin releasing hormone vaccine. Vaccine, 16 (11-12). pp. 1095-1102. ISSN 1873-2518 (https://doi.org/10.1016/S0264-410X(98)80104-7)

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Abstract

Gonadal function can be controlled through immunoneutralisation of gonadotrophin releasing hormone (GnRH), with an analogue, GnRH-glycys, linked to a carrier molecule and an appropriate adjuvant. In this study, four different types of carrier molecule were investigated: (a) single and branched amino acid polymers--[poly-(D-glu, D-lys) and poly-(phe, glu)-poly(DL-ala)-poly(lys)]; (b) bacterial toxoids--diphtheria (DT) and tetanus (TT); (c) synthetic T-helper epitopes--derived from malarial circumsporozite protein (CS) and measles virus fusion protein (MVF); and (d) thyroglobulin (Thy)--a large protein. The effect of non-ionic surfactant vesicles (NISV) and an aluminum hydroxide based adjuvant (alum), was also examined. Although good antibody responses were achieved with GnRH-glycys-DT, GnRH-glycys-TT and GnRH-glycys-Thy, adsorbed onto alum and the dimerised synthetic T-helper epitope constructs, incorporated into NISV, a critical antibody titre was necessary to result in morphological changes in the gonads and complete suppression of spermatogenesis. This was only achieved with tetanus toxoid and the dimerised T-helper epitopes.