[HTML][HTML] Effective chikungunya virus-like particle vaccine produced in insect cells

SW Metz, J Gardner, C Geertsema, TT Le… - PLoS neglected …, 2013 - journals.plos.org
SW Metz, J Gardner, C Geertsema, TT Le, L Goh, JM Vlak, A Suhrbier, GP Pijlman
PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 2013journals.plos.org
The emerging arthritogenic, mosquito-borne chikungunya virus (CHIKV) causes severe
disease in humans and represents a serious public health threat in countries where Aedes
spp mosquitoes are present. This study describes for the first time the successful production
of CHIKV virus-like particles (VLPs) in insect cells using recombinant baculoviruses. This
well-established expression system is rapidly scalable to volumes required for epidemic
responses and proved well suited for processing of CHIKV glycoproteins and production of …
The emerging arthritogenic, mosquito-borne chikungunya virus (CHIKV) causes severe disease in humans and represents a serious public health threat in countries where Aedes spp mosquitoes are present. This study describes for the first time the successful production of CHIKV virus-like particles (VLPs) in insect cells using recombinant baculoviruses. This well-established expression system is rapidly scalable to volumes required for epidemic responses and proved well suited for processing of CHIKV glycoproteins and production of enveloped VLPs. Herein we show that a single immunization with 1 µg of non-adjuvanted CHIKV VLPs induced high titer neutralizing antibody responses and provided complete protection against viraemia and joint inflammation upon challenge with the Réunion Island CHIKV strain in an adult wild-type mouse model of CHIKV disease. CHIKV VLPs produced in insect cells using recombinant baculoviruses thus represents as a new, safe, non-replicating and effective vaccine candidate against CHIKV infections.
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