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McNeale D, Dashti N, Cheah LC, Sainsbury F. Protein cargo encapsulation by
virus‐like
particles: Strategies and applications. WIRES NANOMEDICINE AND NANOBIOTECHNOLOGY 2022; 15:e1869. [PMID: 36345849 DOI: 10.1002/wnan.1869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Viruses and the recombinant protein cages assembled from their structural proteins, known as virus-like particles (VLPs), have gained wide interest as tools in biotechnology and nanotechnology. Detailed structural information and their amenability to genetic and chemical modification make them attractive systems for further engineering. This review describes the range of non-enveloped viruses that have been co-opted for heterologous protein cargo encapsulation and the strategies that have been developed to drive encapsulation. Spherical capsids of a range of sizes have been used as platforms for protein cargo encapsulation. Various approaches, based on native and non-native interactions between the cargo proteins and inner surface of VLP capsids, have been devised to drive encapsulation. Here, we outline the evolution of these approaches, discussing their benefits and limitations. Like the viruses from which they are derived, VLPs are of interest in both biomedical and materials applications. The encapsulation of protein cargo inside VLPs leads to numerous uses in both fundamental and applied biocatalysis and biomedicine, some of which are discussed herein. The applied science of protein-encapsulating VLPs is emerging as a research field with great potential. Developments in loading control, higher order assembly, and capsid optimization are poised to realize this potential in the near future. This article is categorized under: Nanotechnology Approaches to Biology > Nanoscale Systems in Biology Biology-Inspired Nanomaterials > Protein and Virus-Based Structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donna McNeale
- Centre for Cell Factories and Biopolymers, Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery Griffith University Nathan Queensland Australia
| | - Noor Dashti
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology The University of Queensland St Lucia Queensland Australia
| | - Li Chen Cheah
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology The University of Queensland St Lucia Queensland Australia
| | - Frank Sainsbury
- Centre for Cell Factories and Biopolymers, Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery Griffith University Nathan Queensland Australia
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology The University of Queensland St Lucia Queensland Australia
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2
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Debnath S, Seth D, Pramanik S, Adhikari S, Mondal P, Sherpa D, Sen D, Mukherjee D, Mukerjee N. A comprehensive review and meta-analysis of recent advances in biotechnology for plant virus research and significant accomplishments in human health and the pharmaceutical industry. Biotechnol Genet Eng Rev 2022:1-33. [PMID: 36063068 DOI: 10.1080/02648725.2022.2116309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Secondary metabolites made by plants and used through their metabolic routes are today's most reliable and cost-effective way to make pharmaceuticals and improve health. The concept of genetic engineering is used for molecular pharming. As more people use plants as sources of nanotechnology systems, they are adding to this. These systems are made up of viruses-like particles (VLPs) and virus nanoparticles (VNPs). Due to their superior ability to be used as plant virus expression vectors, plant viruses are becoming more popular in pharmaceuticals. This has opened the door for them to be used in research, such as the production of medicinal peptides, antibodies, and other heterologous protein complexes. This is because biotechnological approaches have been linked with new bioinformatics tools. Because of the rise of high-throughput sequencing (HTS) and next-generation sequencing (NGS) techniques, it has become easier to use metagenomic studies to look for plant virus genomes that could be used in pharmaceutical research. A look at how bioinformatics can be used in pharmaceutical research is also covered in this article. It also talks about plant viruses and how new biotechnological tools and procedures have made progress in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandip Debnath
- Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Palli Siksha Bhavana (Institute of Agriculture), Visva-Bharati University, Sriniketan, West Bengal, India
| | - Dibyendu Seth
- Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Palli Siksha Bhavana (Institute of Agriculture), Visva-Bharati University, Sriniketan, West Bengal, India
| | - Sourish Pramanik
- Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Palli Siksha Bhavana (Institute of Agriculture), Visva-Bharati University, Sriniketan, West Bengal, India
| | - Sanchari Adhikari
- Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Palli Siksha Bhavana (Institute of Agriculture), Visva-Bharati University, Sriniketan, West Bengal, India
| | - Parimita Mondal
- Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Palli Siksha Bhavana (Institute of Agriculture), Visva-Bharati University, Sriniketan, West Bengal, India
| | - Dechen Sherpa
- Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Palli Siksha Bhavana (Institute of Agriculture), Visva-Bharati University, Sriniketan, West Bengal, India
| | - Deepjyoti Sen
- Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Palli Siksha Bhavana (Institute of Agriculture), Visva-Bharati University, Sriniketan, West Bengal, India
| | | | - Nobendu Mukerjee
- Department of Microbiology, Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Centenary College, Kolkata, India
- Department of Health Sciences, Novel Global Community Educational Foundation, Hebarsham, Australia
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3
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Panasiuk M, Zimmer K, Czarnota A, Narajczyk M, Peszyńska-Sularz G, Chraniuk M, Hovhannisyan L, Żołędowska S, Nidzworski D, Żaczek AJ, Gromadzka B. Chimeric virus-like particles presenting tumour-associated MUC1 epitope result in high titers of specific IgG antibodies in the presence of squalene oil-in-water adjuvant: towards safe cancer immunotherapy. J Nanobiotechnology 2022; 20:160. [PMID: 35351156 PMCID: PMC8961490 DOI: 10.1186/s12951-022-01357-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Immunotherapy is emerging as a powerful treatment approach for several types of cancers. Modulating the immune system to specifically target cancer cells while sparing healthy cells, is a very promising approach for safer therapies and increased survival of cancer patients. Tumour-associated antigens are favorable targets for cancer immunotherapy, as they are exclusively expressed by the cancer cells, minimizing the risk of an autoimmune reaction. The ability to initiate the activation of the immune system can be achieved by virus-like particles (VLPs) which are safe and potent delivery tools. VLP‐based vaccines have evolved dramatically over the last few decades and showed great potential in preventing infectious diseases. Immunogenic potency of engineered VLPs as a platform for the development of effective therapeutic cancer vaccines has been studied extensively. This study involves recombinant VLPs presenting multiple copies of tumour-specific mucin 1 (MUC1) epitope as a potentially powerful tool for future immunotherapy. Results In this report VLPs based on the structural protein of Norovirus (NoV VP1) were genetically modified to present multiple copies of tumour-specific MUC1 epitope on their surface. Chimeric MUC1 particles were produced in the eukaryotic Leishmania tarentolae expression system and used in combination with squalene oil-in-water emulsion MF59 adjuvant to immunize BALB/c mice. Sera from vaccinated mice demonstrated high titers of IgG and IgM antibodies which were specifically recognizing MUC1 antigen. Conclusions The obtained results show that immunization with recombinant chimeric NoV VP1- MUC1 VLPs result in high titers of MUC1 specific IgG antibodies and show great therapeutic potential as a platform to present tumour-associated antigens. Graphical Abstract ![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirosława Panasiuk
- Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Gdańsk and Medical University of Gdańsk, A. Abrahama 58, 80-307, Gdańsk, Poland.,NanoExpo Sp. z o.o., Kładki 24, 80-822, Gdańsk, Poland.,Department of in vitro Studies, Institute of Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine, Kampinoska 25, 80-180, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Karolina Zimmer
- Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Gdańsk and Medical University of Gdańsk, A. Abrahama 58, 80-307, Gdańsk, Poland.,Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Bielsko-Biala, Willowa 2, 43-309, Bielsko-Biala, Poland
| | - Anna Czarnota
- Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Gdańsk and Medical University of Gdańsk, A. Abrahama 58, 80-307, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Magdalena Narajczyk
- Laboratory of Electron Microscopy, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Grażyna Peszyńska-Sularz
- Tri-City Central Animal Laboratory Research and Service Center, Medical University of Gdańsk, Dębinki 1, 80-211, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Milena Chraniuk
- Department of in vitro Studies, Institute of Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine, Kampinoska 25, 80-180, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Lilit Hovhannisyan
- Department of in vitro Studies, Institute of Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine, Kampinoska 25, 80-180, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Sabina Żołędowska
- Institute of Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine, Kampinoska 25, 80-180, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Dawid Nidzworski
- Institute of Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine, Kampinoska 25, 80-180, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Anna J Żaczek
- Laboratory of Translational Oncology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Dębinki 1, 80-210, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Beata Gromadzka
- Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Gdańsk and Medical University of Gdańsk, A. Abrahama 58, 80-307, Gdańsk, Poland. .,NanoExpo Sp. z o.o., Kładki 24, 80-822, Gdańsk, Poland. .,Department of in vitro Studies, Institute of Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine, Kampinoska 25, 80-180, Gdańsk, Poland.
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4
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Zepeda-Cervantes J, Ramírez-Jarquín JO, Vaca L. Interaction Between Virus-Like Particles (VLPs) and Pattern Recognition Receptors (PRRs) From Dendritic Cells (DCs): Toward Better Engineering of VLPs. Front Immunol 2020; 11:1100. [PMID: 32582186 PMCID: PMC7297083 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.01100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Virus-like particles (VLPs) have been shown to be strong activators of dendritic cells (DCs). DCs are the most potent antigen presenting cells (APCs) and their activation prompts the priming of immunity mediators based on B and T cells. The first step for the activation of DCs is the binding of VLPs to pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) on the surface of DCs, followed by VLP internalization. Like wild-type viruses, VLPs use specific PRRs from the DC; however, these recognition interactions between VLPs and PRRs from DCs have not been thoroughly reviewed. In this review, we focused on the interaction between proteins that form VLPs and PRRs from DCs. Several proteins that form VLP contain glycosylations that allow the direct interaction with PRRs sensing carbohydrates, prompting DC maturation and leading to the development of strong adaptive immune responses. We also discussed how the knowledge of the molecular interaction between VLPs and PRRs from DCs can lead to the smart design of VLPs, whether based on the fusion of foreign epitopes or their chemical conjugation, as well as other modifications that have been shown to induce a stronger adaptive immune response and protection against infectious pathogens of importance in human and veterinary medicine. Finally, we address the use of VLPs as tools against cancer and allergic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesús Zepeda-Cervantes
- Departamento de Biología Celular y del Desarrollo, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Josué Orlando Ramírez-Jarquín
- Departamento de Neuropatología Molecular, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Luis Vaca
- Departamento de Biología Celular y del Desarrollo, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico.,Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, United States
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5
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Charlton Hume HK, Vidigal J, Carrondo MJT, Middelberg APJ, Roldão A, Lua LHL. Synthetic biology for bioengineering virus-like particle vaccines. Biotechnol Bioeng 2018; 116:919-935. [PMID: 30597533 PMCID: PMC7161758 DOI: 10.1002/bit.26890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2018] [Revised: 11/08/2018] [Accepted: 11/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Vaccination is the most effective method of disease prevention and control. Many viruses and bacteria that once caused catastrophic pandemics (e.g., smallpox, poliomyelitis, measles, and diphtheria) are either eradicated or effectively controlled through routine vaccination programs. Nonetheless, vaccine manufacturing remains incredibly challenging. Viruses exhibiting high antigenic diversity and high mutation rates cannot be fairly contested using traditional vaccine production methods and complexities surrounding the manufacturing processes, which impose significant limitations. Virus‐like particles (VLPs) are recombinantly produced viral structures that exhibit immunoprotective traits of native viruses but are noninfectious. Several VLPs that compositionally match a given natural virus have been developed and licensed as vaccines. Expansively, a plethora of studies now confirms that VLPs can be designed to safely present heterologous antigens from a variety of pathogens unrelated to the chosen carrier VLPs. Owing to this design versatility, VLPs offer technological opportunities to modernize vaccine supply and disease response through rational bioengineering. These opportunities are greatly enhanced with the application of synthetic biology, the redesign and construction of novel biological entities. This review outlines how synthetic biology is currently applied to engineer VLP functions and manufacturing process. Current and developing technologies for the identification of novel target‐specific antigens and their usefulness for rational engineering of VLP functions (e.g., presentation of structurally diverse antigens, enhanced antigen immunogenicity, and improved vaccine stability) are described. When applied to manufacturing processes, synthetic biology approaches can also overcome specific challenges in VLP vaccine production. Finally, we address several challenges and benefits associated with the translation of VLP vaccine development into the industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayley K Charlton Hume
- The University of Queensland, Australian Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - João Vidigal
- Health & Pharma Division, Animal Cell Technology Unit, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica (iBET), Oeiras, Portugal.,Health & Pharma Division, Animal Cell Technology Unit, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Manuel J T Carrondo
- Health & Pharma Division, Animal Cell Technology Unit, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica (iBET), Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Anton P J Middelberg
- Faculty of Engineering, Computer and Mathematical Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - António Roldão
- Health & Pharma Division, Animal Cell Technology Unit, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica (iBET), Oeiras, Portugal.,Health & Pharma Division, Animal Cell Technology Unit, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Linda H L Lua
- The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
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Liu J, Feng X, Chen Z, Yang X, Shen Z, Guo M, Deng F, Liu Y, Zhang H, Chen C. The adjuvant effect of C 60(OH) 22 nanoparticles promoting both humoral and cellular immune responses to HCV recombinant proteins. MATERIALS SCIENCE & ENGINEERING. C, MATERIALS FOR BIOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS 2018; 97:753-759. [PMID: 30678964 DOI: 10.1016/j.msec.2018.12.088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2018] [Revised: 12/13/2018] [Accepted: 12/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Hepatitis c virus (HCV) infection is one of major causes for chronic liver diseases worldwide and could lead to death. Development of effective HCV vaccines is a powerful auxiliary method of existing treatments. Adjuvants are necessary for modern vaccines to promote immune responses. Among the various nanomaterials that have been developed, multihydroxylated fullerene (C60(OH)22) has been proved as an efficient adjuvant for human immunodeficiency virus DNA vaccine. Here, we utilized three types of HCV recombinant proteins as antigens to investigate the activity of C60(OH)22 as a protein vaccine adjuvant. The proteins were carried by C60(OH)22 in a way of surface adsorption and self-assemble encapsulation. C60(OH)22 at a relatively low dose was sufficient to promote both humoral and cellular immune responses to HCV protein antigens and reduce the usage of antigen. These results demonstrated the positive adjuvant properties of C60(OH)22 when applied to protein vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Liu
- The College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, China; CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety and CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Xiaoyan Feng
- Institute of Military Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Zhiyun Chen
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety and CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Xiqin Yang
- Institute of Military Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Ziyi Shen
- The College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, China
| | - Mengyu Guo
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety and CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, China
| | | | - Ying Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety and CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, China.
| | - Heqiu Zhang
- Institute of Military Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing 100850, China.
| | - Chunying Chen
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety and CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, China.
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7
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Ong HK, Tan WS, Ho KL. Virus like particles as a platform for cancer vaccine development. PeerJ 2017; 5:e4053. [PMID: 29158984 PMCID: PMC5694210 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.4053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2017] [Accepted: 10/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancers have killed millions of people in human history and are still posing a serious health problem worldwide. Therefore, there is an urgent need for developing preventive and therapeutic cancer vaccines. Among various cancer vaccine development platforms, virus-like particles (VLPs) offer several advantages. VLPs are multimeric nanostructures with morphology resembling that of native viruses and are mainly composed of surface structural proteins of viruses but are devoid of viral genetic materials rendering them neither infective nor replicative. In addition, they can be engineered to display multiple, highly ordered heterologous epitopes or peptides in order to optimize the antigenicity and immunogenicity of the displayed entities. Like native viruses, specific epitopes displayed on VLPs can be taken up, processed, and presented by antigen-presenting cells to elicit potent specific humoral and cell-mediated immune responses. Several studies also indicated that VLPs could overcome the immunosuppressive state of the tumor microenvironment and break self-tolerance to elicit strong cytotoxic lymphocyte activity, which is crucial for both virus clearance and destruction of cancerous cells. Collectively, these unique characteristics of VLPs make them optimal cancer vaccine candidates. This review discusses current progress in the development of VLP-based cancer vaccines and some potential drawbacks of VLPs in cancer vaccine development. Extracellular vesicles with close resembling to viral particles are also discussed and compared with VLPs as a platform in cancer vaccine developments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Kian Ong
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Wen Siang Tan
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.,Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Kok Lian Ho
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
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8
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Kim H, Kim HJ. Yeast as an expression system for producing virus-like particles: what factors do we need to consider? Lett Appl Microbiol 2016; 64:111-123. [DOI: 10.1111/lam.12695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2016] [Revised: 10/11/2016] [Accepted: 11/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- H.J. Kim
- Laboratory of Virology; College of Pharmacy; Chung-Ang University; Seoul South Korea
| | - H.-J. Kim
- Laboratory of Virology; College of Pharmacy; Chung-Ang University; Seoul South Korea
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9
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Ladd Effio C, Baumann P, Weigel C, Vormittag P, Middelberg A, Hubbuch J. High-throughput process development of an alternative platform for the production of virus-like particles in Escherichia coli. J Biotechnol 2015; 219:7-19. [PMID: 26707548 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2015.12.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2015] [Revised: 11/17/2015] [Accepted: 12/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The production of safe vaccines against untreatable or new diseases has pushed the research in the field of virus-like particles (VLPs). Currently, a large number of commercial VLP-based human vaccines and vaccine candidates are available or under development. A promising VLP production route is the controlled in vitro assembly of virus proteins into capsids. In the study reported here, a high-throughput screening (HTS) procedure was implemented for the upstream process development of a VLP platform in bacterial cell systems. Miniaturized cultivations were carried out in 48-well format in the BioLector system (m2p-Labs, Germany) using an Escherichia coli strain with a tac promoter producing the murine polyomavirus capsid protein (VP1). The screening procedure incorporated micro-scale cultivations, HTS cell disruption by sonication and HTS-compatible analytics by capillary gel electrophoresis. Cultivation temperatures, shaking speeds, induction and medium conditions were varied to optimize the product expression in E. coli. The most efficient system was selected based on an evaluation of soluble and insoluble product concentrations as well as on the percentage of product in the total soluble protein fraction. The optimized system was scaled up to cultivation 2.5L shaker flask scale and purified using an anion exchange chromatography membrane adsorber, followed by a size exclusion chromatography polishing procedure. For proof of concept, purified VP1 capsomeres were assembled under defined buffer conditions into empty capsids and characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The presented HTS procedure allowed for a fast development of an efficient production process of VLPs in E. coli. Under optimized cultivation conditions, the VP1 product totalled up to 43% of the total soluble protein fraction, yielding 1.63 mg VP1 per mL of applied cultivation medium. The developed production process strongly promotes the murine polyoma-VLP platform, moving towards an industrially feasible technology for new chimeric vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Ladd Effio
- Biomolecular Separation Engineering, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany.
| | - Pascal Baumann
- Biomolecular Separation Engineering, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany.
| | - Claudia Weigel
- Biomolecular Separation Engineering, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Philipp Vormittag
- Biomolecular Separation Engineering, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Anton Middelberg
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Jürgen Hubbuch
- Biomolecular Separation Engineering, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany.
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10
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Pleckaityte M, Bremer CM, Gedvilaite A, Kucinskaite-Kodze I, Glebe D, Zvirbliene A. Construction of polyomavirus-derived pseudotype virus-like particles displaying a functionally active neutralizing antibody against hepatitis B virus surface antigen. BMC Biotechnol 2015; 15:85. [PMID: 26370129 PMCID: PMC4570255 DOI: 10.1186/s12896-015-0203-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2015] [Accepted: 09/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Virus-like particles (VLPs) can be efficiently produced by heterologous expression of viral structural proteins in yeast. Due to their repetitive structure, VLPs are extensively used for protein engineering and generation of chimeric VLPs with inserted foreign epitopes. Hamster polyomavirus VP1 represents a promising epitope carrier. However, insertion of large sized protein sequences may interfere with its self-assembly competence. The co-expression of polyomavirus capsid protein VP1 with minor capsid protein VP2 or its fusion protein may result in pseudotype VLPs where an intact VP1 protein mediates VLP formation. In the current study, the capacity of VP1 protein to self-assemble to VLPs and interact with the modified VP2 protein has been exploited to generate pseudotype VLPs displaying large-sized antibody molecules. Results Polyomavirus-derived pseudotype VLPs harbouring a surface-exposed functionally active neutralizing antibody specific to hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface antigen (HBsAg) have been generated. The pseudotype VLPs consisting of an intact hamster polyomavirus (HaPyV) major capsid protein VP1 and minor capsid protein VP2 fused with the anti-HBsAg molecule were efficiently produced in yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and purified by density-gradient centrifugation. Formation of VLPs was confirmed by electron microscopy. Two types of pseudotype VLPs were generated harbouring either the single-chain fragment variable (scFv) or Fc-engineered scFv on the VLP surface. The antigen-binding activity of the purified pseudotype VLPs was evaluated by ELISA and virus-neutralization assay on HBV-susceptible primary hepatocytes from Tupaia belangeri. Both types of the pseudotype VLPs were functionally active and showed a potent HBV-neutralizing activity comparable to that of the parental monoclonal antibody. The VP2-fused scFv molecules were incorporated into the VLPs with higher efficiency as compared to the VP2-fused Fc-scFv. However, the pseudotype VLPs with displayed VP2-fused Fc-scFv molecule showed higher antigen-binding activity and HBV-neutralizing capacity that might be explained by a better accessibility of the Fc-engineered scFv of the VLP surface. Conclusions Polyomavirus-derived pseudotype VLPs harbouring multiple functionally active antibody molecules with virus-neutralizing capability may represent a novel platform for developing therapeutic tools with a potential application for post-exposure or therapeutic treatment of viral infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milda Pleckaityte
- Department of Immunology and Cell Biology, Institute of Biotechnology, Vilnius University, Graciuno 8, LT-02241, Vilnius, Lithuania.
| | - Corinna M Bremer
- Institute of Medical Virology, National Reference Centre for Hepatitis B and D Viruses, German Centre for Infection Research, Justus-Liebig University of Giessen, Schubertstrasse 81, 35392, Giessen, Germany.
| | - Alma Gedvilaite
- Department of Immunology and Cell Biology, Institute of Biotechnology, Vilnius University, Graciuno 8, LT-02241, Vilnius, Lithuania.
| | - Indre Kucinskaite-Kodze
- Department of Immunology and Cell Biology, Institute of Biotechnology, Vilnius University, Graciuno 8, LT-02241, Vilnius, Lithuania.
| | - Dieter Glebe
- Institute of Medical Virology, National Reference Centre for Hepatitis B and D Viruses, German Centre for Infection Research, Justus-Liebig University of Giessen, Schubertstrasse 81, 35392, Giessen, Germany.
| | - Aurelija Zvirbliene
- Department of Immunology and Cell Biology, Institute of Biotechnology, Vilnius University, Graciuno 8, LT-02241, Vilnius, Lithuania.
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11
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Anti-tumor effect of the alphavirus-based virus-like particle vector expressing prostate-specific antigen in a HLA-DR transgenic mouse model of prostate cancer. Vaccine 2015; 33:5386-5395. [PMID: 26319744 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2015.08.062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2015] [Revised: 06/23/2015] [Accepted: 08/18/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The goal of this study was to determine if an alphavirus-based vaccine encoding human Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) could generate an effective anti-tumor immune response in a stringent mouse model of prostate cancer. DR2bxPSA F1 male mice expressing human PSA and HLA-DRB1(*)1501 transgenes were vaccinated with virus-like particle vector encoding PSA (VLPV-PSA) followed by the challenge with Transgenic Adenocarcinoma of Mouse Prostate cells engineered to express PSA (TRAMP-PSA). PSA-specific cellular and humoral immune responses were measured before and after tumor challenge. PSA and CD8 reactivity in the tumors was detected by immunohistochemistry. Tumor growth was compared in vaccinated and control groups. We found that VLPV-PSA could infect mouse dendritic cells in vitro and induce a robust PSA-specific immune response in vivo. A substantial proportion of splenic CD8 T cells (19.6 ± 7.4%) produced IFNγ in response to the immunodominant peptide PSA(65-73). In the blood of vaccinated mice, 18.4 ± 4.1% of CD8 T cells were PSA-specific as determined by the staining with H-2D(b)/PSA(65-73) dextramers. VLPV-PSA vaccination also strongly stimulated production of IgG2a/b anti-PSA antibodies. Tumors in vaccinated mice showed low levels of PSA expression and significant CD8+ T cell infiltration. Tumor growth in VLPV-PSA vaccinated mice was significantly delayed at early time points (p=0.002, Gehan-Breslow test). Our data suggest that TC-83-based VLPV-PSA vaccine can efficiently overcome immune tolerance to PSA, mediate rapid clearance of PSA-expressing tumor cells and delay tumor growth. The VLPV-PSA vaccine will undergo further testing for the immunotherapy of prostate cancer.
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Abstract
Virus-like particles (VLPs) are an effective means of establishing both prophylactic and therapeutic immunity against their source virus or heterologous antigens. The particulate nature and repetitive structure of VLPs makes them ideal for stimulating potent immune responses. Epitopes delivered by VLPs can be presented on MHC-II for stimulation of a humoral immune response, or cross-presented onto MHC-I leading to cell-mediated immunity. VLPs as particulate subunit vaccine carriers are showing promise in preclinical and clinical trials for the treatment of many conditions including cancer, autoimmunity, allergies and addiction. Supporting the delivery of almost any form of antigenic material, VLPs are ideal candidate vectors for development of future vaccines.
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13
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Foged C, Rades T, Perrie Y, Hook S, Ward V, Young S. Virus-Like Particles, a Versatile Subunit Vaccine Platform. SUBUNIT VACCINE DELIVERY 2014. [PMCID: PMC7121566 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-1417-3_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Virus-like particles (VLPs) can be spontaneously formed after expression of self-polymerising viral capsid proteins. VLPs structurally resemble their native source virus, maintaining immunological relevance by retaining formation of immunogenic motifs with natural conformation. The absence of the virus genome renders VLPs safe for administration as a subunit vaccine. VLPs can target both arms of the immune response, with some VLPs initiating production of specific antibodies and others activating cytotoxic T cells. VLPs are also exceptionally versatile, conferring protection against the host virus or acting as a scaffold for antigenic molecules. In addition, VLP can support intraparticulate encapsulation for immunomodulation and gene delivery. VLP vaccines have been developed for prophylactic protection against infectious organisms, and therapeutic treatment of conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, hypertension, and cancer. With an expanding list of vaccine candidates, VLP vaccines are a promising field with a wide range of applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilla Foged
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Yvonne Perrie
- Pharmacy School, Aston University, School of Life and Health Sciences, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah Hook
- Division of Health Sciences, University of Otago, School of Pharmacy, Dunedin, New Zealand
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14
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Tan M, Jiang X. Subviral particle as vaccine and vaccine platform. Curr Opin Virol 2014; 6:24-33. [PMID: 24662314 PMCID: PMC4072748 DOI: 10.1016/j.coviro.2014.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2014] [Revised: 02/28/2014] [Accepted: 02/28/2014] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Recombinant subvirual particles retain similar antigenic features of their authentic viral capsids and thus have been applied as nonreplicating subunit vaccines against viral infection and illness. Additionally, the self-assembled, polyvalent subviral particles are excellent platforms to display foreign antigens for immune enhancement for vaccine development. These subviral particle-based vaccines are noninfectious and thus safer than the conventional live attenuated and inactivated vaccines. While several VLP vaccines are available in the markets, numerous others, including dual vaccines against more than one pathogen, are under clinical or preclinical development. This article provides an update of these efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Tan
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States.
| | - Xi Jiang
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States
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15
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Lua LHL, Connors NK, Sainsbury F, Chuan YP, Wibowo N, Middelberg APJ. Bioengineering virus-like particles as vaccines. Biotechnol Bioeng 2013; 111:425-40. [PMID: 24347238 DOI: 10.1002/bit.25159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 243] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2013] [Revised: 10/23/2013] [Accepted: 11/12/2013] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Virus-like particle (VLP) technology seeks to harness the optimally tuned immunostimulatory properties of natural viruses while omitting the infectious trait. VLPs that assemble from a single protein have been shown to be safe and highly efficacious in humans, and highly profitable. VLPs emerging from basic research possess varying levels of complexity and comprise single or multiple proteins, with or without a lipid membrane. Complex VLP assembly is traditionally orchestrated within cells using black-box approaches, which are appropriate when knowledge and control over assembly are limited. Recovery challenges including those of adherent and intracellular contaminants must then be addressed. Recent commercial VLPs variously incorporate steps that include VLP in vitro assembly to address these problems robustly, but at the expense of process complexity. Increasing research activity and translation opportunity necessitate bioengineering advances and new bioprocessing modalities for efficient and cost-effective production of VLPs. Emerging approaches are necessarily multi-scale and multi-disciplinary, encompassing diverse fields from computational design of molecules to new macro-scale purification materials. In this review, we highlight historical and emerging VLP vaccine approaches. We overview approaches that seek to specifically engineer a desirable immune response through modular VLP design, and those that seek to improve bioprocess efficiency through inhibition of intracellular assembly to allow optimal use of existing purification technologies prior to cell-free VLP assembly. Greater understanding of VLP assembly and increased interdisciplinary activity will see enormous progress in VLP technology over the coming decade, driven by clear translational opportunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda H L Lua
- Protein Expression Facility, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia.
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16
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Rodríguez-Limas WA, Sekar K, Tyo KEJ. Virus-like particles: the future of microbial factories and cell-free systems as platforms for vaccine development. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2013; 24:1089-93. [PMID: 23481378 PMCID: PMC7127385 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2013.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2012] [Revised: 01/17/2013] [Accepted: 02/09/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Vaccines based on virus-like particles have proved their success in human health. More than 25 years after the approval of the first vaccine based on this technology, the substantial efforts to expand the range of applications and target diseases are beginning to bear fruit. The incursion of high-throughput screening technologies, combined with new developments in protein engineering and chemical coupling, have accelerated the development of systems capable of producing macrostructures useful for vaccinology, gene delivery, immunotherapy and bionanotechnology. This review summarizes the most recent developments in microbial cell factories and cell-free systems for virus-like particle production and discusses the future impact of this technology in human and animal health.
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Kawano M, Morikawa K, Suda T, Ohno N, Matsushita S, Akatsuka T, Handa H, Matsui M. Chimeric SV40 virus-like particles induce specific cytotoxicity and protective immunity against influenza A virus without the need of adjuvants. Virology 2013; 448:159-67. [PMID: 24314646 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2013.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2013] [Revised: 07/30/2013] [Accepted: 10/07/2013] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Virus-like particles (VLPs) are a promising vaccine platform due to the safety and efficiency. However, it is still unclear whether polyomavirus-based VLPs are useful for this purpose. Here, we attempted to evaluate the potential of polyomavirus VLPs for the antiviral vaccine using simian virus 40 (SV40). We constructed chimeric SV40-VLPs carrying an HLA-A*02:01-restricted, cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) epitope derived from influenza A virus. HLA-A*02:01-transgenic mice were then immunized with the chimeric SV40-VLPs. The chimeric SV40-VLPs effectively induced influenza-specific CTLs and heterosubtypic protection against influenza A viruses without the need of adjuvants. Because DNase I treatment of the chimeric SV40-VLPs did not disrupt CTL induction, the intrinsic adjuvant property may not result from DNA contaminants in the VLP preparation. In addition, immunization with the chimeric SV40-VLPs generated long-lasting memory CTLs. We here propose that the chimeric SV40-VLPs harboring an epitope may be a promising CTL-based vaccine platform with self-adjuvant properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masaaki Kawano
- Department of Allergy and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Saitama Medical University, Moroyama-cho, Iruma-gun, Saitama 350-0495, Japan
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18
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Ungaro F, Conte C, Quaglia F, Tornesello ML, Buonaguro FM, Buonaguro L. VLPs and particle strategies for cancer vaccines. Expert Rev Vaccines 2013; 12:1173-1193. [PMID: 24124878 DOI: 10.1586/14760584.2013.836909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
Effective delivery of tumor antigens to APCs is one of the key steps for eliciting a strong and durable immune response to tumors. Several cancer vaccines have been evaluated in clinical trials, based on soluble peptides, but results have not been fully satisfactory. To improve immunogenicity particles provide a valid strategy to display and/or incorporate epitopes which can be efficiently targeted to APCs for effective induction of adaptive immunity. In the present review, we report some leading technologies for developing particulate vaccines employed in cancer immunotherapy, highlighting the key parameters for a rational design to elicit both humoral and cellular responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Ungaro
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Napoli Federico II, Via Domenico Montesano 49, 80131, Napoli, Italy
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Teunissen EA, de Raad M, Mastrobattista E. Production and biomedical applications of virus-like particles derived from polyomaviruses. J Control Release 2013; 172:305-321. [PMID: 23999392 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2013.08.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2013] [Revised: 08/18/2013] [Accepted: 08/20/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Virus-like particles (VLPs), aggregates of capsid proteins devoid of viral genetic material, show great promise in the fields of vaccine development and gene therapy. These particles spontaneously self-assemble after heterologous expression of viral structural proteins. This review will focus on the use of virus-like particles derived from polyomavirus capsid proteins. Since their first recombinant production 27 years ago these particles have been investigated for a myriad of biomedical applications. These virus-like particles are safe, easy to produce, can be loaded with a broad range of diverse cargoes and can be tailored for specific delivery or epitope presentation. We will highlight the structural characteristics of polyomavirus-derived VLPs and give an overview of their applications in diagnostics, vaccine development and gene delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik A Teunissen
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Utrecht, Universiteitsweg 99, 3584 CG Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Markus de Raad
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Utrecht, Universiteitsweg 99, 3584 CG Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Enrico Mastrobattista
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Utrecht, Universiteitsweg 99, 3584 CG Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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Pushko P, Pumpens P, Grens E. Development of Virus-Like Particle Technology from Small Highly Symmetric to Large Complex Virus-Like Particle Structures. Intervirology 2013; 56:141-65. [DOI: 10.1159/000346773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
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21
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Crisci E, Bárcena J, Montoya M. Virus-like particle-based vaccines for animal viral infections. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012; 32:102-116. [PMID: 32287712 PMCID: PMC7115488 DOI: 10.1016/j.inmuno.2012.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2012] [Accepted: 08/20/2012] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Vaccination is considered one of the most effective ways to control pathogens and prevent diseases in humans as well as in the veterinary field. Traditional vaccines against animal viral diseases are based on inactivated or attenuated viruses, but new subunit vaccines are gaining attention from researchers in animal vaccinology. Among these, virus-like particles (VLPs) represent one of the most appealing approaches opening up interesting frontiers in animal vaccines. VLPs are robust protein scaffolds exhibiting well-defined geometry and uniformity that mimic the overall structure of the native virions but lack the viral genome. They are often antigenically indistinguishable from the virus from which they were derived and present important advantages in terms of safety. VLPs can stimulate strong humoral and cellular immune responses and have been shown to exhibit self-adjuvanting abilities. In addition to their suitability as a vaccine for the homologous virus from which they are derived, VLPs can also be used as vectors for the multimeric presentation of foreign antigens. VLPs have therefore shown dramatic effectiveness as candidate vaccines; nevertheless, only one veterinary VLP-base vaccine is licensed. Here, we review and examine in detail the current status of VLPs as a vaccine strategy in the veterinary field, and discuss the potential advantages and challenges of this technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Crisci
- Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), UAB-IRTA, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
| | - Juan Bárcena
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA-INIA), Madrid, Spain
| | - María Montoya
- Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), UAB-IRTA, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain.,Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA), Barcelona, Spain
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22
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Hepatitis C VLPs delivered to dendritic cells by a TLR2 targeting lipopeptide results in enhanced antibody and cell-mediated responses. PLoS One 2012; 7:e47492. [PMID: 23091628 PMCID: PMC3472981 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0047492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2012] [Accepted: 09/12/2012] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Although many studies provide strong evidence supporting the development of HCV virus-like particle (VLP)-based vaccines, the fact that heterologous viral vectors and/or multiple dosing regimes are required to induce protective immunity indicates that it is necessary to improve their immunogenicity. In this study, we have evaluated the use of an anionic self-adjuvanting lipopeptide containing the TLR2 agonist Pam2Cys (E8Pam2Cys) to enhance the immunogenicity of VLPs containing the HCV structural proteins (core, E1 and E2) of genotype 1a. While co-formulation of this lipopeptide with VLPs only resulted in marginal improvements in dendritic cell (DC) uptake, its ability to concomitantly induce DC maturation at very small doses is a feature not observed using VLPs alone or in the presence of an aluminium hydroxide-based adjuvant (Alum). Dramatically improved VLP and E2-specific antibody responses were observed in VLP+E8Pam2Cys vaccinated mice where up to 3 doses of non-adjuvanted or traditionally alum-adjuvanted VLPs was required to match the antibody titres obtained with a single dose of VLPs formulated with this lipopeptide. This result also correlated with significantly higher numbers of specific antibody secreting cells that was detected in the spleens of VLP+E8Pam2Cys vaccinated mice and greater ability of sera from these mice to neutralise the binding and uptake of VLPs by Huh7 cells. Moreover, vaccination of HLA-A2 transgenic mice with this formulation also induced better VLP-specific IFN-γ-mediated responses compared to non-adjuvanted VLPs but comparable levels to that achieved when coadministered with complete freund’s adjuvant. These results suggest overall that the immunogenicity of HCV VLPs can be significantly improved by the addition of this novel adjuvant by targeting their delivery to DCs and could therefore constitute a viable vaccine strategy for the treatment of HCV.
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23
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Crisci E, Bárcena J, Montoya M. Virus-like particles: the new frontier of vaccines for animal viral infections. Vet Immunol Immunopathol 2012; 148:211-25. [PMID: 22705417 PMCID: PMC7112581 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetimm.2012.04.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2011] [Revised: 04/25/2012] [Accepted: 04/26/2012] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Vaccination continues to be the main approach to protect animals from infectious diseases. Until recently, all licensed vaccines were developed using conventional technologies. Subunit vaccines are, however, gaining attention from researchers in the field of veterinary vaccinology, and among these, virus-like particles (VLPs) represent one of the most appealing approaches. VLPs are robust protein cages in the nanometer range that mimic the overall structure of the native virions but lack the viral genome. They are often antigenically indistinguishable from the virus from which they were derived and present important advantages in terms of safety. VLPs can stimulate strong humoral and cellular immune responses and have been shown to exhibit self-adjuvanting abilities. In addition to their suitability as a vaccine for the homologous virus from which they are derived, VLPs can also be used as vectors for the multimeric presentation of foreign antigens. VLPs have therefore shown dramatic effectiveness as candidate vaccines. Here, we review the current status of VLPs as a vaccine technology in the veterinary field, and discuss the potential advantages and challenges of this technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Crisci
- Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), UAB-IRTA, Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
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24
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Dalianis T. Immunotherapy for polyomaviruses: opportunities and challenges. Immunotherapy 2012; 4:617-28. [DOI: 10.2217/imt.12.51] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Polyomaviruses are small DNA viruses present in mammals and birds, and in 1953 the first one to be described was murine polyomavirus. It was not until 1971 that the first two human polyomaviruses (HPyVs), BK virus and JC virus, were discovered and found to be common in humans, but only associated with disease in severely immunosuppressed patients. Since 2007, seven new HPyVs have been identified: KI polyomavirus, WU polyomavirus, Merkel cell polyomavirus, HPyV6, HPyV7, trichodyplasia spinulosa polyomavirus and HPyV9. Notably, Merkel cell polyomavirus was detected in Merkel cell cancer, a tumor mainly found in elderly and immunocompromised individuals, while trichodyplasia spinulosa polyomavirus was found in trichodyplasia spinulosa, a skin disorder observed only in immunosuppressed individuals. Consequently, many polyomaviruses cause problems in immunosuppressed individuals. This review deals with these issues, and the potential of the capsid protein VP1 to form virus-like particles for use as vaccines against polyomavirus infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tina Dalianis
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institute, Cancer Center Karolinska, Karolinska University Hospital, SE-171 76 Stockholm, Sweden
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