Development of a Ferritin-Based Nanoparticle Vaccine against Classical Swine Fever

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Virology
• Nanotechnology in Vaccines
• Immunology

Background:

• Classical swine fever (CSF) is a major threat to the global swine industry, necessitating effective vaccines.
• Current vaccine strategies require improvement for enhanced safety and immunogenicity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a novel nanoparticle-based vaccine candidate for CSF.
• To assess the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of ferritin nanoparticles displaying CSFV E2 protein and a B cell epitope (Fe-E2B).

Main Methods:

• Construction of self-assembled ferritin nanoparticles (Fe-E2B) using a baculovirus expression system.
• Immunization of rabbits with Fe-E2B and evaluation of antibody responses, cytokine production (IFN-γ, IL-4), and protection against CSFV challenge.
• Comparison of immune responses with commercially available CSF vaccines.

Main Results:

• Fe-E2B nanoparticles induced robust and sustained antibody responses in rabbits, comparable to commercial vaccines.
• Vaccination significantly increased levels of key immune factors IFN-γ (1.41-fold) and IL-4 (1.39-fold).
• Immunized rabbits were protected from viremia and fever following CSFV challenge.

Conclusions:

• Ferritin nanoparticles serve as effective antigen-presenting carriers for inducing strong immune responses against CSFV.
• The Fe-E2B nanoparticle vaccine represents a promising candidate strategy for CSF prevention and control.