Technologies
Capricorn Technologies is revolutionizing the field of recombinant vaccine development. Our team of experts is focused on creating safe, effective vaccines that can address some of the world's most pressing health challenges.
Hyperattenuated Virus Vector
Our UniFluVec® vector for live recombinant vaccines is a hyper-attenuated influenza virus (patent #US 10,392,604 B2). The primary distinction of the UniFluVec® vector compared to previous generations lies in the additional attenuation of the virus through alteration of the NEP gene within the NS genomic segment. With a 50% deletion of the NS1 gene, the virus achieves a safety profile surpassing that of existing influenza vaccines, such as Flumist. This incomplete deletion of the NS1 gene also facilitates the production of the vector to exceptionally high titres in 10-day-old embryonated chicken eggs, enabling vaccine production in standard influenza vaccine manufacturing facilities.
Optimisation of the Insert
Novel algorithms based on EpiQuest-T and T-Scanner programs from our partner company (www.epiquest.co.uk) enable rapid in silico analysis of multiple pathogen protein sequences. These tools not only identify MHCI-binding CTL epitopes but also evaluate their relative immunodominance. This technology allows us to prepare an optimal insert enriched with strong, promiscuous CTL epitopes from the pathogen sequences, while filtering out "decoy" low avidity epitopes. As a result, we can create a vaccine that induces a response to all serotypes of the pathogen.
Unique Adjuvants
Our unique Immunomodulating Peptides (IMPs™©) act as specific and non-specific activators of Th cells, CTLs, Th0 precursors, modulators of dendritic cell polarization, and activators of macrophages. These peptides enhance vaccine formulations by potentiating the primary response, reducing the required vaccine dose and cost, and effectively creating the desired populations of tissue-residing memory cells (e.g., IFN+TNF+IL2+).
Novel Cell Line for Virus Resque & Production
Capricorn Technologies GmbH has cloned Vero cells to enhance their productivity for vaccine manufacturing. This effort resulted in the development of the AEX-1 cell clone, which is adapted to the OptiPRO™ serum free medium (Gibco™). AEX-1 enables the rescue of recombinant influenza viruses after plasmid transfection with an efficiency 1000 times higher than that of the classical Vero cell line under the same cultivation conditions. Furthermore, the new cell line facilitates the production of recombinant Capricorn vaccine strains and other influenza viruses, yielding 10-100 times more than the conventional cell line.
Unique Virus Purification and Lyophilisation Protocol
Capricorn Technology GmbH has developed and maintains expertise in purifying influenza viruses from the allantoic fluid of chicken embryos and the culture fluid of Vero cells. This optimized process uses tangential flow filtration and diafiltration techniques, eliminating the need for chromatographic purification. When purifying and concentrating the virus from allantoic fluid, the process achieves less than one microgram of ovalbumin per milliliter in the final vaccine formulation while ensuring 100% recovery of the viral material. This technology enables the efficient production of sufficient vaccine doses following virus production in chicken embryos or cell cultures.
