Next week, Dr. Pamela Lincez and I will be attending Bio International in Boston, Mass. This is one of the largest biotech conferences of the year, and we were recently profiled along with more than a dozen other B.C. biotechs attending the conference by Life Sciences B.C. We aim to develop new potential partnerships and continue to strengthen our relationships with the partners that we’ve been in discussions with for the last few months.

Last week, I was grateful to join the Eyam Team for a soft-launch of our new office, Sentinel AI Office for Pandemic Preparedness. This office is supported through funding from Mitacs and will allow us to hire additional bioinformatics experts to work on the Jennerator Bioinformatics Platform. One of the main goals for this office will be to support our mission to design more effective vaccines and therapeutics, to reduce the time for their design, and to develop new and better ways to personalize them.

Sentinel AI is also quickly becoming an important focus for our grant funding efforts. As you may recall, Eyam has been optimizing the design and development of AI-informed vaccines since our early days. With real-world data from the lab, we’ve been training the Jennerator to produce even better vaccines with the intention of protecting against all current and future strains of a particular virus. Another step in this program is the personalization of those vaccines which we will explore further in this blog.

With recent technological advancements, personalized vaccines are poised to revolutionize healthcare by offering tailored immunization solutions based on an individual’s unique characteristics. At Eyam, we are at the forefront of this groundbreaking field, leveraging the Jennerator to drive advancements in personalized vaccine development.

The Power of Personalized Vaccines

Traditional vaccines have undeniably transformed global healthcare by preventing severe infections and offering the promise of eradicating infectious diseases. One of the hurdles that we’ve addressed in previous blog is that many vaccines are therapeutic in their design, reducing the severity of symptoms, but not effective at blocking infection. Another important hurdle to eradicating disease is the fact that vaccines do not elicit a strong immune response in all people, leaving some vulnerable to severe infection and even death.

Personalized vaccines mark a significant leap forward by enabling customized preventive and therapeutic solutions that consider an individual’s genetic makeup, immune response, and specific health conditions. This tailored approach promises to enhance vaccine efficacy, minimize adverse effects, and optimize disease prevention and treatment outcomes.

Technological Advancements in Personalized Vaccines

While the last three years have been a whirlwind for vaccine research and public health, behind the scenes we’ve witnessed and contributed to the remarkable progress in the development of technologies that underpin personalized vaccines.

The development of personalized vaccines involves several crucial steps. First, comprehensive profiling of the patient is conducted, including genetic analysis, assessment of biomarkers, and examination of the patient’s immune system. This profiling provides insights into the patient’s specific vulnerabilities, genetic predispositions, and potential therapeutic targets.

Next, based on the profiling results, a personalized vaccine formulation is created. This formulation may include antigens specific to the patient’s disease, adjuvants to enhance immune response, and immune modulators to regulate the immune system. The goal is to stimulate a targeted and robust immune response against the disease while minimizing side effects.

These advancements have expanded the possibilities of targeting diverse diseases and populations, bringing us closer to a future where healthcare is truly individualized. Some of these breakthroughs driving innovation in the the field of personalized vaccines include:

• Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS):NGS technologies have revolutionized our ability to analyze an individual’s genetic information with unprecedented speed and accuracy. By sequencing the entire genome or specific gene regions, NGS enables the identification of genetic variations that may influence vaccine response and susceptibility to diseases. This information can inform the selection of antigens and vaccine components tailored to an individual’s unique genetic profile.
•  Omics Technologies:Advancements in genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics have provided comprehensive insights into the molecular signatures and pathways associated with various diseases. Integrating omics data with vaccine development facilitates the identification of specific biomarkers that can guide the design of personalized vaccines. These biomarkers enable targeted interventions, precise monitoring of treatment response, and adjustments in real-time.
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML):AI and ML algorithms have transformed data analysis, accelerating the discovery of novel vaccine targets and optimizing vaccine formulations. These technologies enable the integration of diverse datasets, including genetic, clinical, and epidemiological information, to generate personalized vaccine strategies. AI-driven approaches also enhance our understanding of immune responses, predict vaccine efficacy, and guide the development of tailored immunotherapies.
• Nanotechnology and Delivery Systems:Innovative nanotechnology-based delivery systems have emerged as powerful tools for personalized vaccines. Nanoparticles can encapsulate antigens, adjuvants, and other immune-modulating components, enhancing vaccine stability, targeted delivery, and immune response. These systems can be tailored to specific diseases, allowing for controlled release, extended vaccine durability, and improved antigen presentation to the immune system.

Areas of Application

Infectious Diseases: Personalized vaccines hold tremendous potential across various disease areas. In infectious diseases, personalized vaccines can be designed to address the challenges posed by rapidly evolving pathogens, such as viruses that mutate frequently. This is done by targeting specific viral strains or unique epitopes, personalized vaccines can then provide enhanced protection and reduce the risk of vaccine escape.

Cancer: In cancer immunotherapy, personalized vaccines offer new avenues for precision medicine. By targeting tumor-specific antigens or neoantigens, these vaccines aim to train the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells specifically. This personalized approach has the potential to improve treatment outcomes and minimize adverse effects associated with conventional therapies.

Autoimmune: Beyond infectious diseases and cancer, personalized vaccines can also be applied to autoimmune diseases, allergies, and chronic conditions. By tailoring the vaccine formulation to modulate the immune response or induce tolerance, personalized vaccines may help alleviate symptoms, reduce disease progression, or even achieve remission in some cases.

Personalized Vaccines and the Gemini Platform

We believe that Eyam’s Gemini Platform has emerged as a potential game-changer in the realm of personalized vaccines. Gemini combines the power of self-amplifying RNA and DNA delivery systems, opening new avenues for tailored immunization strategies. The Gemini Platform offers several distinct advantages that position it as a key player in the development of personalized vaccines:

1. Enhanced Targeting: Gemini’s precise delivery mechanism enables the possibility of selection and delivery of antigens specifically tailored to an individual’s health condition or disease profile. By targeting antigens of high relevance, Gemini maximizes the vaccine’s efficacy while minimizing unnecessary immune response.
2. Customizable Formulations: The flexibility of the Gemini Platform allows for the incorporation of diverse adjuvants, immune stimulants, or immune modulators, ensuring personalized formulations that optimize immune responses based on individual needs. This customization empowers healthcare providers to tailor vaccine formulations according to specific disease characteristics and patient requirements.
3. Real-Time Monitoring: Personalized vaccines developed using the Gemini Platform can incorporate biomarkers and indicators for real-time treatment monitoring. This feature enables healthcare professionals to track treatment responses, gauge efficacy, and make informed adjustments as necessary. Such real-time monitoring enhances treatment outcomes and fosters personalized care.
4. Safety and Stability: The self-amplifying nature of Gemini’s RNA and DNA delivery systems eliminates the need for lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) commonly used in other vaccine platforms. This elimination could potentially enhance safety in humans by mitigating potential side effects associated with LNPs. Additionally, Gemini maintains stability even after repeated freezing and thawing cycles, enabling easier storage, transportation, and administration of vaccines. This is critical as a strong immune response requires integrity of the vaccine material – a vulnerability of current vaccines.
5. Extended Immune Response: Gemini’s self-amplifying twin constructs exhibit longer protein expression, leading to the possibility of a prolonged immune response in patients. This property could potentially eliminate the need for repeated immunizations, reducing the burden on patients and healthcare systems while ensuring long-lasting protection against diseases.

Looking Ahead

The era of personalized vaccines has dawned, offering immense possibilities for improved healthcare outcomes. By leveraging the power of individualized medicine, these vaccines offer the potential for improved efficacy, reduced side effects, and better patient outcomes.

By combining our expertise in vaccine technology with the latest advancements in genomics, proteomics, and AI, Eyam aims to deliver transformative solutions that redefine the future of preventive and therapeutic immunization.