Incorporation of apolipoprotein E into HBV-HCV subviral envelope particles to improve the hepatitis vaccine strategy.

ABSTRACT: Hepatitis C is a major threat to public health for which an effective treatment is available, but a prophylactic vaccine is still needed to control this disease. We designed a vaccine based on chimeric HBV-HCV envelope proteins forming subviral particles (SVPs) that induce neutralizing antibodies against HCV in vitro. Here, we aimed to increase the neutralizing potential of those antibodies, by using HBV-HCV SVPs bearing apolipoprotein E (apoE). These particles were produced by cultured stable mammalian cell clones, purified and characterized. We found that apoE was able to interact with both chimeric HBV-HCV (E1-S and E2-S) proteins, and with the wild-type HBV S protein. ApoE was also detected on the surface of purified SVPs and improved the folding of HCV envelope proteins, but its prese

SUBMITTER: Gomez-Escobar E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8575973 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature