Scalable approach for coronavirus-like particles making based on the spike protein using Sf9 cells

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a race to find prevention methods, such as vaccines. Virus-like particles (VLP), mimicking native viruses without genetic material, represent a promising vaccine platform due to their safety and strong immunogenicity. The baculovirus expression system, using insect cells like Sf9, offers an efficient method for VLP production. This study investigated the coinfection of Sf9 cells with recombinant baculoviruses carrying genes for SARS-CoV-2 spike, membrane, nucleocapsid, and envelope proteins in stirred tank bioreactors. Spike protein expression, VLP formation, and cellular metabolic profiles were analyzed. Bioreactor assays revealed suitable conditions for VLP production, demonstrating the robustness of this platform to handle emerging viral variants. These findings support the large-scale production of VLP carrying spike protein as the main immunogen as a versatile platform for vaccine development against SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses and future viral threats, enabling a rapid response to emerging outbreaks with few changes.