Virus-like particles as antigenic nanomaterials for inducing protective immune responses in the lung

The lung is a major entry point for many of the most detrimental pathogens to human health. The onslaught of pathogens encountered by the lung is counteracted by protective immune responses that are generated locally, which can be stimulated through vaccine strategies to prevent pathogen infections. Here, we discuss the use of virus-like particles (VLPs), nonpathogen derivatives of viruses or protein cage structures, to construct new vaccines exploiting the lung as a site for immunostimulation. VLPs are unique in their ability to be engineered with near molecular level detail and knowledge of their composition and structure. A summary of research in developing VLP-based vaccines for the lung is presented that suggests promising results for future vaccine development.