Create a vaccine

You are challenged with a daunting task. There is a viral pathogen spreading throughout the world that will cause mass mortalities if an effective vaccine is not made, BUT the global community is vaccine hesitant and you have been instructed to make a vaccine that will work with just one dose (no booster). You have already made some initial discoveries: The virus enters our cells using a surface glycoprotein (glycosylated protein), and that only antibodies of the IgG isotype will neutralize the virus. Your laboratory has been able to make a recombinant viral glycoprotein. Your early studies in mice show that following a single vaccination with the glycoprotein plus an adjuvant, the mice generate a strong IgM antibody response, but little to no IgG titer is detected. These immunized mice, upon challenge with live virus, all die. You get permission to try an immunization study in humans, and you see the same result as you observed in mice: a strong IgM titer and little IgG produced. Given that outcome, you pull on the brakes and don't try a human challenge study. You are uncertain as to why you are not getting effective isotype switching in both mice and humans, but you have to solve it. The world depends on you! 1) Describe the experimental approach you are going to take to resolve why humans and mice are not isotype switching to the viral glycoprotein. 2) Describe your solution. 3) Draw a model of the cellular interactions (using the PATHOGEN — MHC presentation model we used in class) to demonstrate what you believe happened a. in the first in vivo studies with humans and mice where they did not class switch. b. How you have altered the system and your new approach will work. 4) You need to design and make the vaccine.... Briefly describe your approach. 5) Add a section that discusses potential pitfalls and problems with your approach. There is more than one correct answer. However, you only need to develop one answer. You are allowed to make assumptions, but you must clearly state those assumptions in your answer. I want you to model (a drawing) the cellular and antigen interactions. I want you to use paragraphs to explain the models and experiments you will use. Hint: Are you going to experiment with changing the protein, manipulating the immune response, or both? This should take —3 pages to answer, including the two drawings. Please do not go above 5 pages. References are not required but can be used to support your approach to making the vaccine