title: Virus-like particles: a new family of delivery systems.
abstract: The development of antiviral vaccines has almost exclusively been based on live attenuated vaccines up until now. However, the efficacy of HBsAg particles as an antiHBV vaccine has clearly demonstrated that protective antiviral immunity can be achieved by other strategies. Virus-like particles formed by structural proteins were proven to be highly immunogenic and capable of inducing protective immunity against various viral infections in preclinical studies. Clinical trials using virus-like particles confirmed their safety and immunogenicity. Moreover, chimeric virus-like particles carrying foreign peptidic sequences were shown to elicit potent B- and T-cell responses. Virus-like particles formed by a fusion protein between the HBsAg and the circumsporozoïte surface protein are safe and immunogenic in volunteers and induce a partial protection against natural Plasmodium falciparum infection.
authors.affiliation: Unité de Biologie des Régulations Immunitaires, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Florence
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Boisgérault
authors.forename: Gabriel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Morón
authors.forename: Claude
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Leclerc
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019496:Cancer Vaccines / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018928:Immunity, Mucosal / Q000276:immunology; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000276:immunology; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000276:immunology; D014765:Viral Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014780:Viruses / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D019496:Cancer Vaccines; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic; D014765:Viral Vaccines