Subventions et des contributions :

Subvention ou bourse octroyée s'appliquant à plus d'un exercice financier (2017-2018 à 2018-2019).

Viruses engineered to express antigens to promote a protective immune response against a particular pathogenx000D
(vaccine), or to deliver a therapeutic gene (gene therapy) or to treat cancer (oncolytic virotherapy) are essentialx000D
tools used in the prevention and treatment of diseases in humans and animals. However, a considerablex000D
impediment to the use of viruses as vaccines or therapeutic agents is the availability of efficient, scalablex000D
purification systems. The goal of this project is to build upon the process development expertise acquiredx000D
during our initial NSERC Engage funded collaboration with Natrix Separations, in which we successfullyx000D
developed a process for purifying high titer, clinical grade Newcastle Disease virus, and apply this knowledgex000D
to the design, optimization and dissemination of detailed process purification protocols for production of highx000D
titer, clinical grade viral vaccines and gene transfer vectors using NatriFlo HD-Q membrane technology. Natrixx000D
Separations is a leading supplier of high performance, single use and multi-cycle chromatography products tox000D
the life science markets. Their membrane chromatography columns are used in a variety of applicationsx000D
including the separation and purification of peptides, proteins, nucleic acids, and monoclonal antibodies. Tox000D
grow their business, Natrix is seeking to broaden their patented separation technology platform to includex000D
purification of clinical grade viral vaccines/vectors and oncolytic viruses for use in humans and animals. Whilex000D
Natrix has the chromatographic devices and process development expertise, they do not have the infrastructurex000D
(CL2 lab and animal facilities, access to viruses) or the virology expertise necessary to conduct thesex000D
experiments. Therefore, it is absolutely critical that Natrix partner with an academic virology lab to developx000D
virus-specific purification processes and evaluate the activity and purity of the final product in an animalx000D
model. Indeed, that was the premise of our initial NSERC Engage grant. Due to the tremendous success of thisx000D
collaboration, we are now applying for funding to develop and test anion exchange and affinityx000D
chromatography-based purification processes for a variety of clinically relevant viral vaccines and viral vectors.