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Viruses
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Nanovaccines against Viral Infection
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Nanovaccines against Viral Infection

A special issue of Viruses (ISSN 1999-4915). This special issue belongs to the section "Viral Immunology, Vaccines, and Antivirals".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2025) | Viewed by 3381

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Linzhu Ren

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, China
Interests: porcine circovirus (PCV); pseudorabies virus (PRV); porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV); porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV); SeACoV (swine enteric alphacoronavirus)/SADS-CoV (swine acute diarrhea syndrome coronavirus); other emerging or re-emerging viruses; vaccine; antibody
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Jing Qian

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China
Interests: molecular epidemiology and investigating the pathogenic mechanisms of animal viruses; novel vaccines; nanobodies; Newcastle disease; avian influenza; canine parvovirus; feline panleukopenia; Brucella
Dr. Fuxian Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Animal Science, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, China
Interests: molecular virology; virus prevention and control; vaccine

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Viral diseases, especially life-threatening pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2, smallpox, influenza and ASFV, have substantial implications on public and animal health, and subsequently global economies. Vaccination is a crucial approach to combat existing and emerging viruses. However, optimizing the potency, improving the quality and enhancing the durability of immune responses remain challenges. Nanoparticles could be an effective method for developing novel vaccinations. Nanovaccines trigger a robust immune response, allowing for diseases to be controlled or killed and spread to a minimum. They are designed such that the antigen can be on the exterior or inside the nanoparticles, allowing for efficient distribution. As a result, an encapsulated antigen is more difficult to break down, and the release is more tightly regulated at the target region. Controlled antigen release prevents an exaggerated reaction and eliminates the need for booster doses. In this Special Issue, we aim to present nanoantibodies and nanovaccines against viral infection. An emphasis will be placed on the reports focused on designing and evaluating nanoparticles, nano-based adjuvants, nanoantibodies, etc. Original research articles and reviews are welcome.

Prof. Dr. Linzhu Ren
Dr. Jing Qian
Dr. Fuxian Zhang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Viruses is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • nanoparticle
  • nanoantibody
  • nanovaccine
  • peptide-based nanovaccine
  • adjuvant and nanoadjuvant
  • antigen
  • nanotechnology in virus research

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

24 pages, 9293 KiB  
Article
Nanotechnology-Driven Strategy Against SARS-CoV-2: Pluronic F127-Based Nanomicelles with or Without Atazanavir Reduce Viral Replication in Calu-3 Cells
by Eduardo Ricci-Junior, Alice Santos Rosa, Tatielle do Nascimento, Ralph Santos-Oliveira, Marcos Alexandre Nunes da Silva, Debora Ferreira Barreto-Vieira, Luísa Tozatto Batista, Giovanna Barbosa da Conceição, Tayane Alvites Nunes Quintão, Vivian Neuza Santos Ferreira and Milene Dias Miranda
Viruses 2025, 17(4), 518; https://doi.org/10.3390/v17040518 - 1 Apr 2025
Viewed by 365
Abstract
Despite extensive efforts, no highly effective antiviral molecule exists for treating moderate and severe COVID-19. Nanotechnology has emerged as a promising approach for developing novel drug delivery systems to enhance antiviral efficacy. Among these, polymeric nanomicelles improve the solubility, bioavailability, and cellular uptake [...] Read more.
Despite extensive efforts, no highly effective antiviral molecule exists for treating moderate and severe COVID-19. Nanotechnology has emerged as a promising approach for developing novel drug delivery systems to enhance antiviral efficacy. Among these, polymeric nanomicelles improve the solubility, bioavailability, and cellular uptake of therapeutic agents. In this study, Pluronic F127-based nanomicelles were developed and evaluated for their antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2. The nanomicelles, formulated using the direct dissolution method, exhibited an average size of 37.4 ± 8.01 nm and a polydispersity index (PDI) of 0.427 ± 0.01. Their antiviral efficacy was assessed in SARS-CoV-2-infected Vero E6 and Calu-3 cell models, where treatment with a 1:2 dilution inhibited viral replication by more than 90%. Cytotoxicity assays confirmed the nanomicelles were non-toxic to both cell lines after 72 h. In SARS-CoV-2-infected Calu-3 cells (human type II pneumocyte model), treatment with Pluronic F127-based nanomicelles containing atazanavir (ATV) significantly reduced viral replication, even under high MOI (2) and after 48 h, while also preventing IL-6 upregulation. To investigate their mechanism, viral pretreatment with nanomicelles showed no inhibitory effect. However, pre-exposure of Calu-3 cells led to significant viral replication reduction (>85% and >75% for 1:2 and 1:4 dilutions, respectively), as confirmed by transmission electron microscopy. These findings highlight Pluronic F127-based nanomicelles as a promising nanotechnology-driven strategy against SARS-CoV-2, reinforcing their potential for future antiviral therapies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanovaccines against Viral Infection)
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19 pages, 3797 KiB  
Article
Optimization of Conditions for Expression of Dengue Serotype 2 EDIII Protein in Escherichia coli and Immune Responses of Adjuvant-Free EDIII Ferritin Nanoparticles Against Dengue Virus in BALB/c Mice
by M.S.B.W.T.M. Nipuna Sudaraka Tennakoon, Kyoung-Ho Lee, Hye-Mi Lee, Jae-Yeon Park and Hyun-Jin Shin
Viruses 2025, 17(1), 129; https://doi.org/10.3390/v17010129 - 17 Jan 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1313
Abstract
Self-assembling ferritin nanoparticle technology is a widely used vaccine development platform for enhancing the efficacy of subunit vaccines by displaying multiple antigens on nanocages. The dengue virus (DENV) envelope domain III (EDIII) protein, the most promising antigen for DENV, has been applied in [...] Read more.
Self-assembling ferritin nanoparticle technology is a widely used vaccine development platform for enhancing the efficacy of subunit vaccines by displaying multiple antigens on nanocages. The dengue virus (DENV) envelope domain III (EDIII) protein, the most promising antigen for DENV, has been applied in vaccine development, and it is essential to evaluate the relative immunogenicity of the EDIII protein and EDIII-conjugated ferritin to show the efficiency of the ferritin delivery system compared with EDIII. In this study, we optimized the conditions for the expression of the EDIII protein in E. coli, protein purification, and refolding, and these optimization techniques were applied for the purification of EDIII ferritin nanoparticles. Thus, purified DENV2 EDIII and EDIII human ferritin heavy chain nanoparticles were immunized intramuscularly into BALB/c mice without an adjuvant, and the immunogenicity was analyzed using IgG ELISA and a serum-neutralizing assay. Purified, properly refolded, aggregate-free EDIII and EDIII ferritin proteins were obtained, and ferritin nanoparticles were identified using an electron microscope. By analyzing the immunogenicity of mouse serum, EDIII ferritin generated significantly higher IgG responses and neutralizing activity than EDIII-immunized mice. The IgG ELISA results confirmed that EDIII ferritin can induce a significantly higher IgG titer (O.D.:1.8) than EDIII (O.D.:0.05). Furthermore, EDIII ferritin produced a neutralizing titer of 1:68, whereas EDIII protein produced an average titer of 1:16, which is the serum dilution that inhibited 90% of the viruses. The longevity of the immune responses was analyzed using the serum obtained 2 months after the final immunization, and the results confirmed that EDIII ferritin induced constant immunity throughout the period. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanovaccines against Viral Infection)
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14 pages, 2348 KiB  
Article
Chimeric Virus-like Particles of Physalis Mottle Virus as Carriers of M2e Peptides of Influenza a Virus
by Elena A. Blokhina, Eugenia S. Mardanova, Anna A. Zykova, Marina A. Shuklina, Liudmila A. Stepanova, Liudmila M. Tsybalova and Nikolai V. Ravin
Viruses 2024, 16(11), 1802; https://doi.org/10.3390/v16111802 - 20 Nov 2024
Viewed by 1250
Abstract
Plant viruses and virus-like particles (VLPs) are safe for mammals and can be used as a carrier/platform for the presentation of foreign antigens in vaccine development. The aim of this study was to use the coat protein (CP) of Physalis mottle virus (PhMV) [...] Read more.
Plant viruses and virus-like particles (VLPs) are safe for mammals and can be used as a carrier/platform for the presentation of foreign antigens in vaccine development. The aim of this study was to use the coat protein (CP) of Physalis mottle virus (PhMV) as a carrier to display the extracellular domain of the transmembrane protein M2 of influenza A virus (M2e). M2e is a highly conserved antigen, but to induce an effective immune response it must be linked to an adjuvant or carrier VLP. Four tandem copies of M2e were either fused to the N-terminus of the full-length PhMV CP or replaced the 43 N-terminal amino acids of the PhMV CP. Only the first fusion protein was successfully expressed in Escherichia coli, where it self-assembled into spherical VLPs of about 30 nm in size. The particles were efficiently recognized by anti-M2e antibodies, indicating that the M2e peptides were exposed on the surface. Subcutaneous immunization of mice with VLPs carrying four copies of M2e induced high levels of M2e-specific IgG antibodies in serum and protected animals from a lethal influenza A virus challenge. Therefore, PhMV particles carrying M2e peptides may become useful research tools for the development of recombinant influenza vaccines. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanovaccines against Viral Infection)
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