2020
Vaccine

E. coli production process yields stable dengue 1 virus-sized particles (VSPs)

Authors:

Hirsch, J., Faber, B. W., Crowe Jr, J. E., Verstrepen, B., & Cornelissen, G.

Keywords:

Virus-sized particle, Virus-like particle, Dengue, E. coli, Stability, Dynamic light scattering

Abstract:

Dengue fever is one of the most wide-spread vector-borne diseases in the world. Although dengue-associated mortality is low, morbidity and economic impact are high. Current licensed vaccines are limited and mediate only partial protection, thus a cost-effective vaccine with improved efficacy is strongly needed. In this work, recombinant dengue serotype 1 E protein was produced in E. coli, inclusion bodies were isolated and the E protein solubilized in urea and purified using an immobilized metal chelate affinity column. The protein was refolded by dialysis in order to obtain virus-like particles (VLPs).