Immunogenicity and protective potency of Norovirus GII.17 virus-like particle-based vaccine

Abstract

Noroviruses (NoVs) are a major cause of acute viral gastroenteritis in adults and children worldwide. Lacking of cell culture system and animals models that must be considered the virus like particles (VLPs) used as an effective vaccine development. In the present study, we investigated the expression of the major capsid protein (VP1) of Genogroup II, genotype 17 (GII.17) NoV using recombinant baculovirus system in insect cells and saliva binding blockade assay to detect their protective potency. Our results showed that GII.17 VLPs could be successfully generated in sf9 insect cells and electron microscopic revealed that GII.17 VLPs was visualized as spherical particles of -35nm in diameter. Immunized mouse with purified VLPs produced GII.17 specific sera and could efficiently block GII.17 VLPs binding to saliva histo-blood group antigens (HBGAs). Together, these results suggested that GII.17 VLPs represent a promising vaccine candidate against NoV GII.17 infection and strongly support further preclinical and clinical studies.