Enhancement of the Baculovirus Expression Vector System

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The baculovirus expression vector system (BEVS) is one of the most powerful and versatile eukaryotic expression systems. The BEVS is being used to produce antigens for vaccine development, to manufacture human therapeutics, to develop faster acting biological insecticides and as a protein expression system for a multitude of research project. However, a limitation of any lytic viral expression system, including BEVS, is that lysis of the infected cells interrupts protein expression and requires repetitive infections which results in decreased productivity levels and high production cost. ParaTechs and the Webb laboratory at the University of Kentucky have identified a gene family from an insect virus that delayed death and lysis of baculovirus infected cells and significantly enhanced recombinant protein production. This enhanced protein production presents a significant commercial opportunity that is the focus of this proposal. ParaTechs is seeking STTR support to define the potential utility and commercial value of our enhanced BEVS technology by determining the level of enhanced protein production and evaluating alternative methods of delivering the protein to virus-infected cells. In this proposal we seek support to quantify enhancement of expression of common intracellular reporter proteins and to quantify the effect of the enhanced BEVS technology on the expression of membrane bound and secreted proteins. We envision that ParaTechs' enhanced BEVS will be more efficacious in synthesis of membrane-bound and secreted proteins because the prolonged integrity of the cells infected with the enhanced BEVS may support more efficient protein secretion. A critical element for many modern medical treatments entails the ability to produce biologically active proteins with a high degree of safety. Baculovirus expression vectors have proven to have multiple advantages for protein production in a variety of applications such as production of proteins for vaccine development and human therapeutics for a number of diseases which will improve the quality of life for millions of people. The technology to be developed with this award has potential to significantly improve efficacy of protein production in all such medical applications.