# Development of a novel replicating viral RNA vaccine platform

> **NIH NIH F32** · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · 2020 · $44,294

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Viral replicons, or self-replicating RNA elements incapable of initiating a spreading infection, are
traditionally packaged into virus particles, termed viral replicon particles (VRPs), for in vivo
delivery. Alternatively, they can be encoded on a plasmid DNA and transfected for host cell
nucleus-mediated launch of replicating RNA. However, concerns of anti-vector immunity with
respect to the former, or genome integration in the latter approach has limited the clinical use of
such technologies. Furthermore, the development of VRPs has been restricted to larger viruses
that are capable of harboring additional genetic cargo. With improvements in the delivery of
naked RNA, there are now opportunities to develop new viral replicons without the constraints
provided by traditional delivery paradigms. By utilizing replicons derived from diverse positive-
strand RNA virus families, we can exploit the various mechanisms used by the host to detect
replicating viral RNA as well as the differential mechanisms of immune evasion utilized by the
parental virus, to rationally design vaccines. We propose studies that will elucidate the minimal
genetic elements derived from a small positive-stranded RNA animal virus that are required to
replicate and express a heterologous gene from a subgenomic transcript. We will then
demonstrate the translational applications towards vaccine development for Zika and
tuberculosis, viral and bacterial diseases with significant public health consequences.
Furthermore, we will perform comparative studies between this platform with existing platform
technologies derived from other positive-strand RNA virus families with the hypothesis that each
will elicit distinct innate and adaptive immune responses due to evolutionary differences of the
parental viruses.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10161283
- **Project number:** 7F32AI136371-03
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
- **Principal Investigator:** Jesse Hong-Sae Erasmus
- **Activity code:** F32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $44,294
- **Award type:** 7
- **Project period:** 2018-02-01 → 2020-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10161283

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10161283, Development of a novel replicating viral RNA vaccine platform (7F32AI136371-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10161283. Licensed CC0.

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