Virus-like particles as universal influenza vaccines

Abstract

Current influenza vaccines are primarily targeted to induce immunity to the influenza virus strain-specific hemagglutinin antigen and are not effective in controlling outbreaks of new pandemic viruses. An approach for developing universal vaccines is to present highly conserved antigenic epitopes in an immunogenic conformation such as virus-like particles (VLPs) together with an adjuvant to enhance the vaccine immunogenicity. In this review, the authors focus on conserved antigenic targets and molecular adjuvants that were presented in VLPs. Conserved antigenic targets that include the hemagglutinin stalk domain, the external domain of influenza M2 and neuraminidase are discussed in addition to molecular adjuvants that are engineered to be incorporated into VLPs in a membrane-anchored form.

Keywords::

• adjuvant
• HA stalk domain
• influenza
• M2
• NA
• universal vaccine
• VLPs

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Erin-Joi Collins for her valuable assistance in preparing this manuscript.

Financial and competing interests disclosure

This work was supported in part by NIH/NIAID grant AI0680003 (RW Compans), and NIH/NIAID grants AI081385 (SM Kang) and AI093772 (SM Kang). 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.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.