[Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) as a vaccine vector for immunization against viral infections]

Abstract

Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), a member of the Rhabdoviridae family, is a promising candidate for potential use in construction of antiviral vaccines. In the natural environment VSV is a pathogen of wild ungulates and livestock. Some of the features that make VSV an excellent platform for the development of a range of viral therapeutics includes its immunogenicity and ability to grow to high titers in cell lines approved for vaccine use. Infection in humans is rare and usually asymptomatic, with mild flu-like symptoms. Moreover, due to affinity of VSV envelope glycoprotein to the LDL (low-density lipoprotein) receptor, VSV is effective at targeting a variety of tissues in vivo. A series of research results confirm the possibility of developing VSV-based vaccines against human papilloma viruses (HPV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV) and filoviruses (MARV, ZEBOV and SEBOV), as well as the potential use of a successfully developed vaccine against hepatitis C virus (HCV). VSV is neurotropic and infection can cause a viral encephalitis in experimental animals. Therefore, intensive studies are being undertaken to achieve satisfactory expression of the viral antigens while maintaining the safety of the constructed vectors.