Influenza vaccines based on virus-like particles.
The simultaneous expression of structural proteins of virus can produce virus-like particles (VLPs) by a self-assembly process in a viral life cycle even in the absence of genomic material. Taking an advantage of structural and morphological similarities of VLPs to native virions, VLPs have been suggested as a promising platform for new viral vaccines. In the light of a pandemic threat, influenza VLPs have been recently developed as a new generation of non-egg based cell culture-derived vaccine candidates against influenza infection. Animals vaccinated with VLPs containing hemagglutinin (HA) or HA and neuraminidase (NA) were protected from morbidity and mortality resulting from lethal influenza infections. Influenza VLPs serve as an excellent model system of an enveloped virus for understanding the properties of VLPs in inducing protective immunity. In this review, we briefly describe the characteristics of influenza VLPs assembled with a lipid bilayer containing glycoproteins, and summarize the current progress on influenza VLPs as an alternative vaccine candidate against seasonal as well as pandemic influenza viruses. In addition, the protective immune correlates induced by vaccination with influenza VLPs are discussed.
Department of Microbiology and Immunology and Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA. skang2@emory.edu
Sang-Moo
SM
Kang
Jae-Min
JM
Song
Fu-Shi
FS
Quan
Richard W
RW
Compans
D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000517:prevention & control*; D022721:Vaccines, Virosome / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology
D007252:Influenza Vaccines; D022721:Vaccines, Virosome