VLPs-based vaccine manufacturing and characterization. Credit score: Scientific Studies (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-76163-w
Research carried out in mice have proven that the COVID-19 vaccine being developed by researchers on the College of São Paulo’s Medical Faculty (FM-USP) in Brazil is protected and efficacious. The vaccine triggered a passable immune response towards the pathogen within the mice and guarded them from an infection. An article describing the outcomes is printed within the journal Scientific Studies.
“Most vaccines are based on attenuated or inactivated viruses, but our next-generation strategy enables us to prioritize not just safety and efficacy but also plasticity in the formulation so that the vaccine can easily be updated to combat variants of concern,” mentioned Gustavo Cabral de Miranda, principal investigator for the mission, hosted by the Immunology Laboratory within the Institute of Tropical Medication (IMT-FM-USP).
The technique utilized by the researchers at FM-USP to develop the vaccine deploys virus-like particles (VLPs). “VLPs have similar characteristics to viruses but without viral genetic material, so although they’re recognized by the immune system, they cannot replicate or cause disease,” Cabral mentioned.
VLPs can function vaccines on their very own, or they are often conjugated with an antigen (a protein that stimulates the immune system to supply antibodies), as on this particular case.
“Under certain conditions in the lab, structural surface proteins are capable of converting themselves into VLPs. They can be produced in the lab using bacteria that act as miniature factories to stimulate this transformation. A second step entails inoculation of the antigen, which is the spike protein in the case of COVID-19. This facilitates the entire process, makes it flexible, and lowers the cost of developing the vaccine,” he mentioned.
One other benefit of the COVID-19 vaccine, in keeping with Cabral, is that it doesn’t require an adjuvant to boost the physique’s immune response to the antigen. “In both the in vitro and in vivo tests, we designed strategies to keep the cost of formulation low and use the smallest possible amount of inputs not developed in our own lab. The vaccine doesn’t require an adjuvant, for example,” he mentioned.
Moreover a part of the virus they’re designed to fight, or molecules that mimic the virus similar to VLPs, vaccines comprise varied different compounds that stimulate the immune response, particularly adjuvants. The most typical adjuvant is aluminum hydroxide, which has been utilized in vaccines worldwide for greater than 100 years.
“Opting for the development of a self-adjuvanted vaccine enables us to avoid dependency on the companies that produce adjuvants and lowers the cost of the formulation,” he mentioned.
The group of researchers at FM-USP goals to supply data to be used by a platform that may develop a number of different vaccines. “VLPs constitute a highly flexible technology. In this case, for example, we can simply remove the antigen [a piece of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein] and replace it with a protein from zika virus,” Cabral defined.
“There’s nothing hypothetical about this example. We’re developing such a vaccine at our lab. It’s no simple task, of course, but a platform for the development of several vaccines can be based on this technology.”
Extra data:
Larissa Vuitika et al, A self-adjuvanted VLPs-based Covid-19 vaccine confirmed versatile, protected, and extremely protecting, Scientific Studies (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-76163-w
Quotation:
Subsequent-generation COVID-19 vaccine presents promising ends in mice (2025, January 13)
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