Advances in influenza virus-like particles bioprocesses

Area of Science:

• Vaccinology
• Biotechnology
• Virology

Background:

• Influenza Virus-like Particles (VLPs) represent a significant advancement in vaccine technology.
• VLPs complement traditional egg-based influenza vaccine production and offer faster response times for pandemics.
• Several cellular platforms are being utilized for VLP production, with some reaching industrial scale and commercialization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive overview of influenza VLP production strategies.
• To review the developmental stages of VLP production, from preclinical to industrial scale.
• To examine recent trends and achievements in influenza VLP purification processes, considering quality and potency.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on influenza VLP production.
• Analysis of different cellular platforms used for VLP manufacturing.
• Evaluation of purification techniques and their impact on VLP quality and yield.

Main Results:

• Various strategies for influenza VLP production are available, spanning different scales of development.
• Upstream VLP production processes are nearing maturity and industrial viability.
• Downstream purification processes require significant improvement to enhance recovery yields and cost-effectiveness.

Conclusions:

• New influenza vaccines based on VLP technology are anticipated to be licensed within five years.
• While upstream processes are advancing, downstream purification remains a bottleneck for VLP vaccine manufacturing.
• Future research will focus on developing improved purification strategies to increase efficiency and reduce costs for VLP production.