Structure-Guided Design of Pertussis Holotoxin Enables a Next-Generation mRNA Vaccine Candidate for Whooping Cough

• Pertussis toxoid is the core vaccine antigen for whooping cough, yet intact holotoxin production outside its native bacterial host (e.g., in mammalian cells) has not been previously demonstrated due to its highly complex assembly
• Structure-guided engineering enabled mammalian expression and assembly of a detoxified pertussis holotoxin from an mRNA construct
• Cryo-EM confirmed native-like architecture and guided iterative optimization to improve expression, stability, and product quality

Speakers:

Arvind Sharma

Associate Director, Head of Structural Biology

Moderna