Engineered exosomes boost the HCV NS3-specific CD8+ T lymphocyte immunity in humans

At the present, no anti-Hepatitis C virus (HCV) HCV vaccine is available, and many patients failed the treatment with new class of HCV inhibitors. In HCV infection, both experimental and clinic evidences indicate that a strong CTL-immune response could have significant therapeutic effects. We developed an innovative anti-HCV CD8+ T immunogen based on the uploading in engineered exosomes of full-length HCV-NS3 protein. HCV NS3 exosomes appeared immunogenic when injected in mice, as proven by the detection of a memory CD8+ T lymphocyte pool two weeks after the last of three immunizations. On the other hand, dendritic cells isolated from PBMCs of HCV infected patients activate autologous HCV NS3-specific CD8+ T lymphocytes upon challenge with HCV NS3 exosomes. These results provide the proof-of-principle that engineered exosomes can boost the CD8+ T cell immunity in HCV-infected patients, thus representing a suitable option for patients resisting the therapies with recently discovered HCV inhibitors.