[Hepatitis B virus core protein as an epitope vaccine carrier: a review]

Ying Yin1, Junjie Xu, Wei Chen

  • 1State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing 100071, China.

Hepatitis B virus core (HBc) proteins have been used as carrier for foreign epitopes since the 1980s. They could self-assemble into icosahedral particles. Foreign epitopes could be inserted into HBc protein in various protein regions, including the N- or C-terminal and the major immunodominant region (MIR). The factors relevant in the design of HBc particles for vaccine purpose are summarized in this review.

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