Progress in the development of virus-like particle vaccines against respiratory viruses

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Influenza virus, human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and human metapneumovirus (HMPV) are important human respiratory pathogens. Recombinant virus-like particle (VLP) vaccines are suggested to be potential promising platforms to protect against these respiratory viruses. This review updates important progress in the development of VLP vaccines against respiratory viruses.

Areas Covered: This review summarizes progress in developing VLP and nanoparticle-based vaccines against influenza virus, RSV, and HMPV. The PubMed was mainly used to search for important research articles published since 2010 although earlier key articles were also referenced. The research area covered includes VLP and nanoparticle platform vaccines against seasonal, pandemic, and avian influenza viruses as well as RSV and HMPV respiratory viruses. The production methods, immunogenic properties, and vaccine efficacy of respiratory VLP vaccines in preclinical animal models and clinical studies were reviewed in this article.

Expert opinion: Previous and current preclinical and clinical studies suggest that recombinant VLP and nanoparticle vaccines are expected to be developed as promising alternative platforms against respiratory viruses in future. Therefore, continued research efforts are warranted.

KEYWORDS:

• Influenza virus
• Virus-like particles
• Vaccines
• Protection
• Respiratory syncytial virus
• Human metapneumovirus virus

Article highlights

• Recombinant virus-like particles (VLPs) containing antigenic proteins from influenza virus, human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and human metapneumovirus (HMPV) can be generated in various expression systems (insect cells, mammalian cells, plant cells).

• Influenza VLP vaccines are able to induce protective immune responses against seasonal influenza and pandemic influenza viruses in preclinical and clinical studies.

• Influenza M2e VLPs, adjuvanted VLP vaccines could be candidates as universal influenza vaccines for broader immunity. However, cross-protective influenza VLP vaccines inducing higher efficacy remain to be developed. RSV and HMPV vaccines based on VLP platforms could be developed as promising candidates in providing protective immunity while avoiding the induction of enhanced respiratory disease. Heterologous prime with VLP vaccines and boost with protein nanoparticle vaccines would provide protective immunity against RSV and HMPV.

• Further studies are required to develop VLP vaccine technology to maximize the vaccine components and to minimize immune responses to non-vaccine vector components.

Declaration of interest

The authors have no 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. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Reviewer disclosures

A reviewer has declared that they own a patent on plant-made H5 HA and that they are funded by Medicago Inc. for research on emerging viruses. All other peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by grants from the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) (2018R1A2B6003535, 2018R1A6A1A03025124) and Cooperative Research Program for Agriculture Science & Technology Development (PJ01320501), Rural Development Administration, Republic of Korea, and by National Institutes of Health (NIH)/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) grants AI093772 (SMK), AI105170 (SMK), and AI134132 (SMK).