title: Recent advancements in combination subunit vaccine development.
abstract: Viral structural proteins share a common nature of homotypic interactions that drive viral capsid formation. This natural process has been mimicked in vitro through recombinant technology to generate various virus-like particles (VLPs) and small subviral particles that exhibit similar structural and antigenic properties of their authentic viruses. Therefore, such self-assembled, polyvalent, and highly immunogenic VLPs and small subviral particles are excellent subunit vaccines against individual viruses, such as the VLP vaccines against the hepatitis B virus, human papilloma virus, and hepatitis E virus, which have already been in the markets. In addition, various antigens and epitopes can be fused with VLPs, small subviral particles, or protein polymers, forming chimeric mono-, bi-, or trivalent vaccines. Owing to their easy-production, un-infectiousness, and polyvalence, the recombinant, chimeric vaccines offer a new approach for development of safe, low-cost, and high efficient subunit vaccines against a single or more pathogens or diseases. While the first VLP-based combination vaccine against malaria has been approved for human use, many others are under development with promising future, which are summarized in this commentary.
authors.affiliation: a Division of Infectious Diseases, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center , Cincinnati , OH , USA.|b Department of Pediatrics , University of Cincinnati College of Medicine , Cincinnati , OH , USA.
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: a Division of Infectious Diseases, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center , Cincinnati , OH , USA.|b Department of Pediatrics , University of Cincinnati College of Medicine , Cincinnati , OH , USA.
authors.forename: Xi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Jiang
mesh_terms: D055808:Drug Discovery / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D017778:Vaccines, Combined / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D022223:Vaccines, Subunit / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D058425:Vaccines, Virus-Like Particle / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014765:Viral Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D017778:Vaccines, Combined; D022223:Vaccines, Subunit; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic; D058425:Vaccines, Virus-Like Particle; D014765:Viral Vaccines
keywords: VLP vaccine; combination vaccine; recombinant protein vaccine; subunit vaccine; subviral vaccine; vaccine