A novel combined vaccine based on monochimeric VLP co-displaying multiple conserved epitopes against enterovirus 71 and varicella-zoster virus

Peer Review #3 of "Application of built-in adjuvants for epitope-based vaccines (v0.1)"

“…This study also fully demonstrated the significant potential of HBcAg as a carrier protein for epitope vaccines used in multivalent epitope vaccine research (Wu et al, 2017). The tandem core (TC) contains two HBcAg molecules that are connected by the appropriate linker and has two independent MIRs which can individually accommodate multiple exogenous antigens (Fig.…”

“…In addition, the nanoscale structure of HBcAg can be more effectively identified and processed by APCs (Lee et al, 2009;Ong et al, 2017). Therefore, HBcAg has been used as an vaccine carrier for several exogenous pathogens (e.g., hepatitis B, C, and E virus, influenza virus, foot-and-mouth disease virus, Human enterovirus 71, coxsackievirus A16, and Chlamydia trachomatis), and the immunogenicity of recombinant HBc-based virus like particle (VLP) vaccines against pathogens has also been verified in animal models (Dai et al, 2016;Su et al, 2013;Zheng et al, 2016;Chu et al, 2016;Zhu et al, 2016;Wu et al, 2017;Jiang et al, 2017). VLPs are the self-assembled structural proteins of most viruses and can stimulate the immune response in the absence of an adjuvant by exposing pathogen epitopes and simulating the structure of natural viruses (Plummer & Manchester, 2011;Yang et al, 2016).…”

Artificially designed hepatitis B virus core particles composed of multiple epitopes of type A and O foot‐and‐mouth disease virus as a bivalent vaccine candidate

“…Therefore, since HBc molecules with multiple exogenous epitopes can be efficiently expressed and assembled into VLPs in an E. coli system, VLPs‐based vaccines are more suitable for the industrialization of future vaccines . Multiple previous studies have demonstrated that HBc VLPs represent a promising presentation platform for a variety of pathogen epitopes, including the bivalent VLP HFMD vaccine candidates against EV71 and CA16 . In addition to the epitope carrier platform, the recombinant multi‐epitope vaccine mainly consists of three parts: (a) B cell epitopes; (b) T cell epitopes; and (c) flexible linkers (eg, GGSSGG).…”

“…31 Multiple previous studies have demonstrated that HBc VLPs represent a promising presentation platform for a variety of pathogen epitopes, including the bivalent VLP HFMD vaccine candidates against EV71 and CA16. 32,33 In addition to the epitope carrier platform, the recombinant multi-epitope vaccine mainly On the basis of the two B cell epitopes on FMDV VP1, a variety of epitope vaccines have been developed to induce high neutralizing antibodies titers in mice. 18 However, because of the lack of suitable T helper cell epitopes or the lower molecular weight of epitope peptides, these epitope vaccines induce a limited antibody response, which results in decreased immune protection after infection.…”

Application of built-in adjuvants for epitope-based vaccines

“…In addition, the nanoscale structure of HBcAg can be more effectively identified and processed by APCs (Lee et al, 2009; Ong, Tan & Ho, 2017). Therefore, HBcAg has been used as an vaccine carrier for several exogenous pathogens (e.g., hepatitis B, C, and E virus, influenza virus, foot-and-mouth disease virus, Human enterovirus 71, coxsackievirus A16, and C. trachomatis ), and the immunogenicity of recombinant HBc-based VLP vaccines against pathogens has also been verified in animal models (Dai et al, 2016; Su et al, 2013; Zheng et al, 2016; Chu et al, 2016; Zhu et al, 2016; Wu et al, 2017; Jiang et al, 2017). VLPs are the self-assembled structural proteins of most viruses and can stimulate the immune response in the absence of an adjuvant by exposing pathogen epitopes and simulating the structure of natural viruses (Plummer & Manchester, 2011; Yang et al, 2016).…”