To generate functional anti-protease-activated receptor-4 (PAR4), a G protein-coupled receptor, antibodies through PAR4-mRNA-LNP immunization
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are key therapeutic targets for various diseases, such as the thrombin receptor protease-activated receptor 4 (PAR4) involved in thrombotic cardiovascular disorders. However, the structural complexity of native GPCRs hinders recombinant protein production, making peptide-based immunization insufficient for generating high-quality antibodies. Here, we developed a PAR4-mRNA-LNP vaccine to express native PAR4 in vivo, thereby inducing potent and specific anti-PAR4 antibodies. The PAR4-mRNA-LNP formulation showed 93.44% encapsulation efficiency, an average size of 127.5 nm, and a polydispersity index (PDI) of 0.1033. Native 55-kDa PAR4 protein with complete glycosylation was confirmed on the cell surface using western blotting and flow cytometry. Mice immunized with PAR4-mRNA-LNP produced strong anti-PAR4 antibody responses, as detected by cell-based ELISA. Finally, we established hybridoma cell lines and identified five clones that significantly inhibited PAR4-mediated platelet aggregation. These findings suggest that mRNA-LNP technology can be broadly applied to generate functional anti-GPCR antibodies for therapy.
Authors
- Yu‐Tung Chen
- Yuan-Chin Hsieh (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4005-5340)
- Shih‐Ting Hong
- Chih‐Lung Lin
- Tzu-Yi Liao
- Kai‐Wen Ho (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4247-9035)
- Hsiao-Li Fan
- Yen-Ling Liu
- Chia-Ching Lee
- Chin‐Chung Wu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4203-4084)
- En-Shuo Liu
- Tian-Lu Cheng (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0004-8840)
- Bo‐Cheng Huang
- Tingyu Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5000-7890)
- Chiao-Yun Chen
Institutions
- Kaohsiung Medical University (TW)
- Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital (TW)
- I-Shou University (TW)
Publication Details
- Journal
- npj Vaccines
- Published
- 2025-11-20
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41541-025-01283-x
- Primary Topic
- Blood Coagulation and Thrombosis Mechanisms
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00