Webinar: EABR Nanoparticles as a Platform Technology for Hybrid mRNA Vaccine Development

November 20th, 2024, 2 PM–3 PM EST

According to recent scientific advancements, mRNA technology has revolutionized the field of vaccine development, particularly in combating infectious diseases like COVID-19. mRNA vaccines work by instructing cells to produce a protein that triggers an immune response, effectively training the body to recognize and combat the virus. This innovative approach offers faster production times and adaptability to emerging variants, making it a critical tool in modern medicine's arsenal against pandemics.

Creative Biolabs has invited Dr. Magnus A.G. Hoffmann to walk us through the application of hybrid mRNA technology in vaccine development, strategies for optimizing hybrid mRNA vaccines, and the use of this technology in developing pan-coronavirus vaccines.

During this webinar, we will explore the following key topics:

• Introduction on the importance of vaccines to protect against pandemics and the pros and cons of current vaccine strategies, including mRNA vaccines
• Description and development of the hybrid mRNA technology that combines features of mRNA- and protein nanoparticle-based vaccines
• In vivo evaluation of the hybrid mRNA technology for SARS-CoV-2 in mice, including new data on hybrid mRNA-based booster immunizations in pre-vaccinated mice
• Optimization strategies for hybrid mRNA vaccines, including preliminary data on new designs that enhance expression
• Application of the hybrid mRNA vaccine technology as a pan-coronavirus vaccine platform

Speaker

Magnus A.G. Hoffmann, Ph.D.
Assistant Investigator
The Gladstone Institute of Virology
The Gladstone Institute of Data Science and Biotechnology

Dr. Hoffmann is an Assistant Investigator at the Gladstone Institute of Virology and the Gladstone Institute of Data Science and Biotechnology. Before moving to Gladstone, he was the inaugural Merkin Institute Fellow at the Merkin Institute for Translational Research at the California Institute of Technology. Based on his graduate work in Pamela Bjorkman's laboratory at Caltech, he received the Milton and Francis Clauser Prize for the best PhD thesis across all disciplines, and he was awarded an NIH Director's Early Independence Award to launch his own laboratory as an independent postdoctoral scholar at Caltech. Dr. Hoffmann's research focuses on the development of innovative vaccine technologies and gaining a deeper understanding of the immunological mechanisms that shape vaccine-induced immune responses. He developed the EABR technology, an innovative approach to genetically encode nanoparticles for vaccine applications. This vaccine platform combines features of mRNA- and protein nanoparticle-based vaccines resulting in superior neutralizing antibody responses against original and variant SARS-CoV-2 in mice. Ongoing and future research in his group focuses on the continued optimization, evaluation, and application of this technology.