# Bioinformatic, Biochemical, and Immunological Mining of MHC Class I Restricted T Cell Epitopes for a Marburg Nucleoprotein Microparticle Vaccine

## TL;DR

This paper presents a new vaccine approach for Marburg virus using microparticles with T cell epitopes that can be stored at room temperature.

## Contribution

The novel contribution is the development of a thermally stable PLGA microparticle vaccine targeting MHC class I epitopes of Marburg virus.

## Key findings

- PLGA microparticle vaccines are stable at room temperature for over six months.
- The vaccine platform has shown effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2 and EBoV in animal models.
- The study outlines the design and immunogenicity testing of the Marburg-specific microparticle vaccine.

## Abstract

The Marburg virus (MARV), the virus responsible for Marburg hemorrhagic fever (MHF), is considered a top-priority pathogen for vaccine development. Recent outbreaks in Equatorial Africa have highlighted the urgency of MARV because of its high fatality rate and historical concerns about potential weaponization. Currently, there are no licensed vaccines for MARV. Existing vaccine candidates rely on attenuated recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus carrying MARV glycoprotein (VSVΔG) or the chimpanzee replication-defective adenovirus 3 vector ChAd3-MARV. Although these platforms provide significant protection in animal models, they face challenges because of their limited thermal stability and the need for cold storage during deployment in resource-poor areas. An alternative approach involves using adjuvanted poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microparticles loaded with synthetic peptides representing MHC class I—restricted T cell epitopes. This vaccine platform has demonstrated effectiveness in protecting against SARS-CoV-2 and EBoV disease in animal models and has the advantage of not requiring cold storage and remaining stable at room temperature for over six months. This report outlines the design, manufacturing, and in vivo immunogenicity testing of PLGA microparticle human vaccines designed to prevent Marburg hemorrhagic fever.