Research team explores next-gen vaccines to guard against sexually transmitted infections

A research team from the University of Toronto is creating a new generation of vaccines that aims to overcome key hurdles faced by some existing formulations. 

For example, a common shortcoming of many traditional vaccines is that they can’t produce antibodies in tissues where sexually transmitted infections (STIs) often enter the body. 

“Most current vaccines fail to produce sufficient antibodies within mucosal tissues, leaving a significant gap in our defense against sexually transmitted infections,” says Aereas Aung, an assistant professor at the Institute of Biomedical Engineering in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering who is leading the research effort.

“Our goal is to develop a novel strategy that leverages the strengths of parenteral vaccination while also targeting the mucosal immune system.” 

Normally vaccines are injected parenterally, meaning it is injected into or under the skin, into the muscle or directly into the bloodstream. The vaccine then travels to lymph nodes, which are small glands that help produce antibodies. Mucosal tissues in the cervix and rectum present a unique challenge since the mucus in these areas can break down the vaccine quickly and wash it away, making it difficult to reach the lymph nodes and be effective. 

Aung’s research proposes fusing a protein carrier to the disease antigens, allowing it to reach distant mucosal lymph nodes after injection.  

“We aim to incorporate potent immunostimulatory components into our antigen construct, optimizing its distribution and enhancing mucosal antibody responses,” says Aung.  

“If successful, this work could lay the foundation for more effective vaccines that curb the spread of STIs, particularly in marginalized communities disproportionately affected by these diseases.” 

Aung’s project is one of 51 U of T faculty members whose work is being supported by the Connaught New Researcher Awards in the most recent round – and one of eight at U of T Engineering. The award helps early-career faculty members establish their research programs. 

The other U of T Engineering researchers whose projects are supported by the award are:  

• Mohammed Basheer, department of civil and mineral engineering – Integrated hydrological-statistical method and tool for landslide susceptibility mapping in a changing climate 
• Daniel Franklin, Institute of Biomedical Engineering – Development of equitable pulse oximeters 
• Sarah Haines, department of civil and mineral engineering – Open Plenums & Indoor Environments (OPEN): Evaluating the impact of return air systems on indoor environmental quality 
• Mark Jeffrey, Edward S. Rogers Sr. department of electrical and computer engineering – Productively surmounting the memory wall with task parallelism 
• Caitlin Maikawa, Institute of Biomedical Engineering – Affinity-directed dynamic polymer materials for biomarker sensing 
• Mohamad Moosavi, department of chemical engineering and applied chemistry – Learning the Language of Metal-Organic Frameworks Topology   
• Cindy Rottmann, Institute for Studies in Transdisciplinary Engineering Education and Practice (ISTEP)  – But I could be fired! How early career engineers hold the public paramount from organizationally subordinate locations