VLP Vaccine: A Novel Approach to Combat Mosquito-Borne Viruses

Virus-like particles (VLPs), non-infectious proteins mimicking viruses, are crucial in vaccine development. Texas Tech University researchers created a multivalent VLP vaccine targeting Chikungunya (CHIKV), Japanese Encephalitis (JEV), Yellow Fever (YFV), and Zika (ZIKV) viruses in a study published in Scientific Reports.

The mosquito-borne viruses pose significant health threats, and existing vaccines have safety and availability issues. VLPs offer advantages such as antigenic epitopes, safety due to non-replication, and ease of production. Researchers designed structural protein expression vectors, optimized codons, and successfully expressed target proteins. Co-expression of Zika NS2B3 facilitated VLP production, and reporter virus particles (RVPs) were generated for neutralizing antibody detection.

Bicistronic vectors were used to produce VLPs containing capsid proteins, generating JEV, YFV, and CHIKV VLPs. Mouse models showed high neutralizing antibody levels, confirming the vaccine's immunogenicity. Suspension culture and serum-free medium adaptations enabled efficient, large-scale VLP production, meeting commercial quality and safety standards.

In summary, the multivalent VLP vaccine demonstrates potential against four mosquito-borne viruses, validating VLP platform safety and effectiveness. RVP detection methods were developed and validated, and VLP production was scaled up. This vaccine may provide an effective strategy for disease control and prevention, serving as a reference for other multivalent vaccine developments

Boasting over a decade of expertise in CDMO, Yaohai stands at the forefront of VLP production, precisely understanding and fulfilling customers' customized needs for Virus-Like Particles (VLPs). The company has successfully trialed VLP vaccines in various projects by leveraging microbial expression systems. Yaohai guarantees the effectiveness of its VLP-based therapies tailored for diseases caused by different viruses.

Yaohai Bio-Pharma is also actively seeking institutional or individual global partners and offers the most competitive compensation in the industry. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us: [email protected]