Rotavirus virus-like particles (VLPs) and MS2 bacteriophages were bioaccumulated in bivalve mollusks to evaluate viral persistence in shellfish during depuration and relaying under natural conditions. Using this nonpathogenic surrogate virus, we were able to demonstrate that about 1 log10 of VLPs was depurated after 1 week in warm seawater (22 degrees C). Phage MS2 was depurated more rapidly (a...

Virus-like particles (VLPs) are being evaluated as a candidate rotavirus vaccine. The immunogenicity and protective efficacy of different formulations of VLPs administered parenterally to rabbits were tested. Two doses of VLPs (2/6-, G3 2/6/7-, or P[2], G3 2/4/6/7-VLPs) or SA11 simian rotavirus in Freund's adjuvants, QS-21 (saponin adjuvant), or aluminum phosphate (AlP) were administered. Serol...

CD4(+) Th cells are believed to be essential for the induction of humoral and cellular immune responses. In this study we tested the effect and possible mechanisms of the major antigenic component in influenza, hemagglutinin (HA), in helping HIV Env to induce immune responses in CD4(+) T cell knockout (CD4 KO) mice. Simian HIV virus-like particles (SHIV VLPs) or phenotypically mixed chimeric in...

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is becoming a global concern due to the increasing number of outbreaks throughout the world and the absence of any CHIKV-specific vaccine or treatment. Virus-like particles (VLPs) are multistructured proteins that mimic the organization and conformation of native viruses but lack the viral genome. They are noninfectious and potentially safer vaccine candidates. Recent ...

BACKGROUND Current human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines that are based on virus-like particles (VLPs) of the major capsid protein L1 largely elicit HPV type-specific antibody responses. In contrast, immunization with the HPV minor capsid protein L2 elicits antibodies that are broadly cross-neutralizing, suggesting that a vaccine targeting L2 could provide more comprehensive protection against in...

A safe and effective pan-filovirus vaccine is highly desirable since the filoviruses Ebola virus (EBOV) and Marburg virus (MARV) cause highly lethal disease typified by unimpeded viral replication and severe hemorrhagic fever. Previously, we showed that expression of the homologous glycoprotein (GP) and matrix protein VP40 from a single filovirus, either EBOV or MARV, resulted in formation of w...

Extracellular vesicles are membraneous particles released by a variety of cells into the extracellular microenvironment. Retroviruses utilize the cellular vesiculation pathway for virus budding/assembly and the retrovirus Gag protein induces the spontaneous formation of microvesicles or virus-like particles (VLPs) when expressed in the mammalian cells. In this study, five different melanoma ant...

Lamellocytes are specialized larval blood cells of Drosophila that carry out encapsulation of metazoan pathogens such as parasitoid wasps. Large virus-like particles (VLPs) from two closely related virulent parasitoid wasp species, Leptopilina heterotoma and Leptopilina victoriae, suppress the host encapsulation response by promoting lysis of lamellocytes. The molecular basis of VLP-lamellocyte...

A safe and effective Hantaan virus (HTNV) vaccine is highly desirable because HTNV causes an acute and often fatal disease (hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, HFRS). Since the immunity of the inactivated vaccine is weak and the safety is poor, HTNV virus-like particles (VLPs) offer an attractive and safe alternative. These particles lack the viral genome but are perceived by the immune syst...

Human papillomavirus (HPV)-derived chimeric virus-like particles (VLPs) are the leading candidate vaccine for the treatment or prevention of cervical cancer in humans. Dendritic cells (DCs) are the most potent inducers of immune responses and here we show for the first time evidence for binding of chimeric HPV-16 VLPs to human peripheral blood-derived DCS: Incubation of immature human DCs with ...