Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 17, 2026
06:17
Expression and Purification of Virus-like Particles for Vaccination
Published on: June 2, 2016
A chimeric vesiculo/alphavirus is an effective alphavirus vaccine
Anasuya Chattopadhyay1, Eryu Wang, Robert Seymour
1Department of Pathology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
Journal of Virology
|October 19, 2012
Summary
A novel experimental vaccine using a modified vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) shows promise for preventing chikungunya virus (CHIKV) infection. This chimeric vaccine elicits strong immune responses and protects mice, offering a potential solution for chikungunya fever outbreaks.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Vaccinology
- Immunology
Background:
- Alphaviruses, including chikungunya virus (CHIKV), cause significant human diseases.
- Currently, no licensed vaccines are available to protect against alphavirus infections.
- Recent CHIKV outbreaks highlight the urgent need for effective prophylactic vaccines.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a potent experimental vaccine for CHIKV.
- To evaluate the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of a novel chimeric vaccine candidate.
Main Methods:
- Development of a chimeric vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) lacking its own glycoprotein (G) but expressing the CHIKV envelope polyprotein (E3-E2-6K-E1).
- Characterization of the chimeric virus's growth properties and incorporation of CHIKV glycoproteins.
- Assessment of immune responses (neutralizing antibodies, cellular immunity) and protection against CHIKV challenge in a mouse model.
Main Results:
- Chimeric VSVΔG-CHIKV viruses efficiently incorporated functional CHIKV glycoproteins.
- The chimeric viruses were attenuated but could be propagated to high titers.
- A single dose induced robust neutralizing antibody and cellular immune responses to CHIKV in mice.
- Mice vaccinated with the chimeric virus were protected against CHIKV infection.
Conclusions:
- The developed VSVΔG-CHIKV chimeric vaccine is a potent candidate for CHIKV prevention.
- This vaccine platform demonstrated significant immunogenicity and protective efficacy in a preclinical model.
- VSVΔG-alphavirus chimeras represent a promising generalizable strategy for alphavirus vaccine development.
