Virus-like particle vaccines: immunology and formulation for clinical translation

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Virus-like particle (VLP) vaccines face significant challenges in their translation from laboratory models, to routine clinical administration. While some VLP vaccines thrive and are readily adopted into the vaccination schedule, others are restrained by regulatory obstacles, proprietary limitations, or finding their niche amongst the crowded vaccine market. Often the necessity to supplant an existing vaccination regimen possesses an immediate obstacle for the development of a VLP vaccine, despite any preclinical advantages identified over the competition. Novelty, adaptability and formulation compatibility may prove invaluable in helping place VLP vaccines at the forefront of vaccination technology.

Areas covered: The purpose of this review is to outline the diversity of VLP vaccines, VLP-specific immune responses, and to explore how modern formulation and delivery techniques can enhance the clinical relevance and overall success of VLP vaccines.

Expert commentary: The role of formation science, with an emphasis on the diversity of immune responses induced by VLP, is underrepresented amongst clinical trials for VLP vaccines. Harnessing such diversity, particularly through the use of combinations of select excipients and adjuvants, will be paramount in the development of VLP vaccines.

KEYWORDS:

• Clinical translation
• formulation
• immunology
• vaccine
• virus-like particle
• VLP

Declaration of interest

B Donaldson was supported by funding from the University of Otago, Freemasonry New Zealand and the Prostate Cancer, Foundation of New Zealand. The rest of the authors are supported by funding from the University of Otago. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

Reviewer disclosures

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.

Additional information

Funding

This research was funded by the University of Otago.