Application of Baculovirus-Insect Cell Expression System for Human Therapy

Abstract

A major advantage of recombinant DNA technology is its flexibility allowing for "on demand" production of specific proteins with theurapeutic value in heterologous expression systems. Gene expression vectors based on baculovirus, insect virus attacking mostly lepidopteran species, are frequently used for relatively inexpensive and fast production of such proteins. This expression system is recognized as one of the most powerful technologies for commercial synthesis of glycoproteins originating from vertebrate themselves or from vertebrate viruses. Glycosylation pathways utilized by insects are not identical, though they are similar to vertebrate glycosylation pathways. In the review special attention is given to the development of new virus-like particles (VLPs) potential vaccines which represent a novel class of subunit vaccines that are able to stimulate efficiently cellular and humoral immune responses against viral agents. Apart from production of vertebrate proteins or VLPs "on demand " in insect cells, a new exciting field of using baculovirus as gene delivery system to vertebrate cells was recently open which has a great potential for future uses of baculovirus as effective gene therapy vector.

Protein production using the baculovirus‐insect cell expression system

“…The baculovirus expression vector system (BEVS), first described in the early 1980s, has proven successful for the production of many recombinant proteins . In principle, any foreign gene may be expressed in the BEVS for producing proteins in insect cells (IC).…”

“…Some of the VLP vaccines have been commercialized (e.g. the human papilloma virus vaccine Cervarix™) and others are in developent . Baculovirus expression system is promising also for delivering genes into mammalian cells for gene therapy and other diverse applications …”

All-in-One Bacmids: an Efficient Reverse Genetics Strategy for Influenza A Virus Vaccines

“…These efforts have been aimed at retargeting the host immune response and stimulating the production of broadly reactive antibodies against the HA and/or other viral proteins. Plasmid DNA (37)(38)(39)(40), recombinant adenoviruses (41-44), alphavirus replicon particles (45)(46)(47)(48), VLPs (49)(50)(51)(52)(53)(54)(55), and other methods have been used for influenza virus gene/protein delivery, alone or in combination. Among these methods, DNA vaccination offers many potential advantages-most notably, ease and low-cost production.…”

Virus Like Particles as Immunogens and Universal Nanocarriers

“…By contrast, insect cell expression system offers significant advantages for VLPs production. Not only is this system less expensive, but it is also easier to scale up and can be used for the simultaneous expression of many proteins, facilitating the assembly of VLPs (Liu et al, 2013, Rychlowska et al, 2011. Furthermore, insect cells have the ability to post-translationally process and modify the recombinant proteins, similarly to their mammalian counterparts.…”