LTB-Syn: a recombinant immunogen for the development of plant-made vaccines against synucleinopathies

Synucleinopathies are neurodegenerative diseases characterized by the abnormal accumulation of α-synuclein (α-Syn, a 140 amino acid protein that normally plays various neurophysiologic roles) aggregates. Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the synucleinopathy with the highest epidemiologic impact and although its etiology remains unknown, α-Syn aggregation during disease progression pointed out α-Syn as target in the development of immunotherapies. Herein a chimeric protein, comprising the B subunit of the enterotoxin from enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli and α-Syn epitopes, was expressed in the plant cell having the potential to induce humoral responses following oral immunization. This approach will serve as the basis for the development of oral plant-based vaccines against PD with several potential advantages such as low cost, easy scale-up during production, and easy administration.