Lipid nanoparticle-encapsulated mRNA encoding CagW, a conserved component of the Helicobacter pylori type IV secretion system, protects mice against H. pylori challenge

Abstract

Background: Roughly one person in two carries Helicobacter pylori, a pathogen classified by the World Health Organization as a group I carcinogen, and the steady loss of antibiotic efficacy has made prophylaxis an urgent rather than an optional goal. No mRNA vaccine against this organism has yet been tested in the clinic, and CagW, a conserved inner-membrane subunit of the H. pylori type IV secretion system (T4SS), has never been evaluated as an mRNA-encoded antigen. Methods: A codon-optimised construct carrying a signal peptide, the CagW coding sequence and a human IgG Fc tag was synthesised, transcribed into mRNA, encapsulated in lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) and shown to direct antigen expression in HEK293T cells. C57BL/6 mice received three intramuscular doses of CagW-Fc mRNA-LNPs (5 ug mRNA each) at 14-day intervals; animals given alum alone, luciferase mRNA-LNPs or CagW protein adsorbed to alum served as comparators. Humoral readouts (IgG, IgG1, IgG2a, IgM, IgA and secretory IgA), lymphocyte proliferation, CD4+/CD8+ subsets, intracellular IFN-{gamma}, IL-4 and IL-17A and circulating cytokines were quantified before challenge, and protection was assessed after live challenge. Results: The formulation (93.2 nm; PDI 0.13; approximately 90% encapsulation) produced CagW-specific protein in vitro. Vaccination raised high-titre CagW-specific IgG (maximal on day 42), IgM and mucosal sIgA, and drove Th1/Th2-type cellular activation (IL-2, IL-4, IL-12, IFN-{gamma} and IL-17A). After challenge, immunised animals carried markedly fewer gastric bacteria and showed lower urease activity than controls. Conclusions: CagW-Fc mRNA-LNPs are therefore a credible mRNA vaccine platform for H. pylori and warrant further preclinical development.