rabies vaccine

Metabolic Footprint of Drosophila S2 Cells: Findings During the Production of a Recombinant Rabies Virus Glycoprotein.

Decarli Monize Caiado MC, Dos Santos Diogo Peres DP, Correia Daniela Matilde DM, de Azevedo Amadeus Gomes AG et al.

Over the past 50 years, the Drosophila melanogaster S2 cells have been valued for their ability to synthesize therapeutic molecules at high yield. To further increase protein expression, it is imperative to improve cellular performance, which is intrinsically linked to cell metabolism. Nevertheless, information on S2 metabolism, including pathways, components, and cellular compartments, remains limited, hindering advances in S2 cellular performance. Herein, using a genetically modified S2 cell line expressing the recombinant rabies virus glycoprotein (RVGP), we investigated the stress caused by RVGP production on S2 cells. Batch cultures using wild- and rec-types were performed, and 27 compounds were quantified over 192 h. The extracellular metabolome affected the rec-S2 growth kinetics after RVGP expression was activated. Although RVGP was produced in high amounts, we identified a substrate limitation for rec-S2 cell growth (glutamine), changes in amino acid routes due to RVGP biosynthesis (leucine, serine, glycine, and valine), and metabolites that might be affecting rec-S2 cell growth (acetate, pyruvate, citrate, and malate). Organic acid analysis indicated that malate and acetate production are correlated with RVGP production. This work revealed metabolic correlations in S2 cells that may have direct implications for media optimization and yield maximization, thereby improving S2 performance for scale-up.

Therapeutic melanoma vaccines: Platforms, neoantigen strategies, and emerging combination immunotherapies.

Mhanna Daniel D, Salman Bilal B, El Hakim Rawad R, Aridi Lea L et al.

Melanoma has emerged as a major focus of cancer immunotherapy research because of its highly immunogenic nature and responsiveness to immune-based treatments. Therapeutic melanoma vaccines are designed to stimulate tumor-specific immune responses through the delivery of Tumor-Associated Antigens (TAAs), Tumor-Specific Antigens (TSAs), and personalized neoantigens. This narrative review provides an overview of current melanoma vaccine strategies, including peptide-based vaccines, dendritic cell vaccines, nucleic acid-based platforms such as mRNA, DNA, and viral vector vaccines. Recent advances in vaccine engineering and tumor genomics have accelerated the development of personalized neoantigen vaccines capable of targeting mutations unique to individual tumors. In parallel, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) are increasingly being incorporated into neoantigen identification pipelines to improve epitope prediction and optimize vaccine design. Combination strategies involving Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors (ICIs), particularly anti-PD-1 and anti-CTLA-4 therapies, have further enhanced interest in melanoma vaccines by helping overcome tumor-induced immune suppression and augment T-cell activation. In addition to reviewing vaccine mechanisms and emerging technologies, this manuscript examines the evolving clinical trial landscape through analysis of melanoma vaccine studies registered on ClinicalTrials.gov. Although many studies have reported encouraging safety and immunogenicity findings, challenges related to tumor heterogeneity, immune evasion, biomarker selection, and manufacturing complexity continue to limit widespread clinical implementation. Ongoing advances in computational immunology, biomaterial engineering, and precision oncology are expected to further refine melanoma vaccine development and improve therapeutic efficacy. Collectively, these innovations may help establish melanoma vaccines as an increasingly important component of future personalized cancer immunotherapy strategies.

Santosh B. Satbhai.

Santosh B. Satbhai, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali (India).

Moderna flu vaccine wins FDA approval.