Production of virus-like particles for vaccines

Abstract

Virus-like particles (VLPs) are nanostructures that resemble the structures of viruses. They are composed of one or more structural proteins that can be arranged in several layers and can also contain a lipid outer envelope. VLPs trigger a high humoral and cellular immune response due to their repetitive structures. A key factor regarding VLP safety is the lack of viral genomic material, which enhances safety during both manufacture and administration. Contemporary VLP production may take advantage of several systems, including bacterial, yeast, insect and mammalian cells. The choice of production platform depends on several factors, including cost and the need for post-translational modifications (PTMs), which can be essential in generating an optimal immune response. Some VLP-based vaccines designed to prevent several infectious diseases are already approved and on the market, with many others at the clinical trial or research stage. Interest in this technology has recently increased due to its advantages over classical vaccines. This paper reviews the state-of-the-art of VLP production systems and the newest generation of VLP-based vaccines now available.

In Vivo Assembly of Nanoparticles Achieved through Synergy of Structure‐Based Protein Engineering and Synthetic DNA Generates Enhanced Adaptive Immunity

“…Nanoparticles may come in several shapes and forms. Inorganic materials,10,11 nontoxic phospholipids,12 VLPs, or self‐assembling protein nanoparticles (SAPN)13–16 can scaffold and present antigens in repetitive multimeric manners to robustly stimulate immunity in animal models 16–18…”

Extended gene expression for Gag VLP production achieved at bioreactor scale

“…HEK293 has been widely employed for the production of several pharmaceuticals in both laboratory and industrial scale systems . Virus‐like particles (VLPs) are nanostructures that resemble the configuration of a native virus . VLPs are composed of one or several viral proteins but lack the genetic material and hence cannot revert into the virulent form, which makes them safe for both vaccine production operators and vaccine recipients .…”

“…[5][6][7] Virus-like particles (VLPs) are nanostructures that resemble the configuration of a native virus. 8 VLPs are composed of one or several viral proteins but lack the genetic material and hence cannot revert into the virulent form, which makes them safe for both vaccine production operators and vaccine recipients. [9][10][11] Furthermore, the repetitive subunits of VLPs provoke high cellular and humoral responses by the immune system.…”

Virus‐Like Particles as Theranostic Platforms

“…There are many expression systems including bacterial ( Escherichia coli ), yeast, plant, insect, and mammalian cells, and whole plants. [ 46–49 ] VLPs can be derived from different sources and require different expression vectors. Some can be expressed in E. coli , whereas others must be expressed in yeast or insects.…”