The Science of Virus-Like Particles

Stimulating Natural Immunity to Create Potent Protection and Treatment

virus

The Human Body Has a Powerful and Innate Defense Against Disease –
the Immune System

When properly stimulated, the human immune system is incredibly powerful and has profound potential. Because of their structural similarity to viruses presented in nature, including their particulate nature and repetitive structure, virus-like particles (VLPs) are ideal for stimulating potent immune responses. VLPs can be customized to present any protein antigen, including multiple antibody and T cell targets, making them ideal technologies for the development of both prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines.

Moreover, most of the emerging and re-emerging viruses that pose significant health threats are enveloped viruses, making them prime targets for VBI’s proprietary enveloped virus-like particle (eVLP) platform technology.

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Learn More About eVLPs

VBI’s Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. David E. Anderson, Ph.D., discusses VBI’s unique approach to vaccine development

VLPs to eVLPs

Virus-like particle vaccines are a type of subunit vaccine in which only the portions of viruses critical for eliciting an immune response are presented to the body. Only a few antigens self-assemble into VLPs, which limit the number of potential targets for these types of VLPs. Notably, the Hepatitis B antigens are among those that are able to spontaneously form orderly VLP structures.

VBI’s eVLP platform technology expands the list of potentially-viable target indications for VLPs by providing a stable core (Gag Protein) and lipid bilayer, which is the natural way these antigens are presented to the immune system. eVLPs look structurally and morphologically similar to the virus, but there is no infectious material and no chance of infecting the individual.


eVLP Benefits

Icon Highly Immunogenic

Elicit immune responses comparable to, or better than, natural infection by closely mimicking the structure of the target virus

Icon Flexible and Customizable

Ability to rationally design a vaccine or therapeutic by including different antigens and controlling their relative expression

Icon No Infectious Material

Clinical study data suggest eVLPs have a clean safety profile, and with no infectious material they cannot revert to an infectious state

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VBI’s eVLP-derived CMV Vaccine Candidate, captured at The Scripps Institute

Electron microscopy images of VBI’s eVLP-derived CMV Vaccine Candidate, captured at The Scripps Institute.

VBI’s eVLP-derived CMV Vaccine Candidate, captured at The Scripps Institute

Electron microscopy images of VBI’s eVLP-derived CMV Vaccine Candidate, captured at The Scripps Institute.

VBI’s eVLP-derived CMV Vaccine Candidate, captured at The Scripps Institute

Electron microscopy images of VBI’s eVLP-derived CMV Vaccine Candidate, captured at The Scripps Institute.

The Science Drives Our Pipeline

Our pipeline programs consist of both self-assembling VLP candidates and eVLP candidates:

Access Additional Resources to Learn More About Our Technology

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