Bacterial viruses as human vaccines?

Abstract

Bacteriophages (or phages) are viruses of bacteria, consisting of nucleic acid packaged within a protein coat. In eukaryotic hosts, phages are unable to replicate and in the absence of a suitable prokaryotic host, behave as inert particulate antigens. In recent years, work has shown that whole phage particles can be used to deliver vaccines in the form of immunogenic peptides attached to modified phage coat proteins or as delivery vehicles for DNA vaccines, by incorporating a eukaryotic promoter-driven vaccine gene within their genome. While both approaches are promising by themselves, in future there is also the exciting possibility of creating a hybrid phage combining both components to create phage that are cheap, easy and rapid to produce and that deliver both protein and DNA vaccines via the oral route in the same construct.

Bacteriophages: the possible solution to treat infections caused by pathogenic bacteria

“…However, those studied so far are only active against Gram-positive bacteria, since lysins cannot penetrate the outer membrane of Gramnegative bacteria (Loessner 2005). Phage particles can also be engineered to carry vaccine antigens on their surfaces or they can be used as a vehicle to deliver DNA vaccines (Clark and March 2004). Such structural vaccines can be used to mimic Hepatitis E viral infections (Larralde and Petrik 2017).…”

Phage Library Screening for the Rapid Identification and In Vivo Testing of Candidate Genes for a DNA Vaccine against Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides Small Colony Biotype

“…After challenge, mice vaccinated with clone -A8 also exhibited a reduced level of mycoplasmemia compared to controls, suggesting that the MSC_0397 lipoprotein has a protective effect in the mouse model when delivered as a bacteriophage DNA vaccine. Bacteriophage-mediated immunoscreening using an appropriate vector system offers a rapid and simple technique for the identification and immediate testing of putative candidate vaccines from a variety of pathogens.Whole bacteriophage (phage) particles have recently been described as highly efficient DNA vaccine delivery vehicles (6,7,17,20), inducing significant antibody responses in both laboratory mice (7) and larger animals such as rabbits (20) and sheep (33). Bacteriophages are viruses of bacteria and are metabolically inert, requiring the host bacterium for growth and propagation.…”

“…Whole bacteriophage (phage) particles have recently been described as highly efficient DNA vaccine delivery vehicles (6,7,17,20), inducing significant antibody responses in both laboratory mice (7) and larger animals such as rabbits (20) and sheep (33). Bacteriophages are viruses of bacteria and are metabolically inert, requiring the host bacterium for growth and propagation.…”

Identification of hepatitis A virus mimotopes by phage display, antigenicity and immunogenicity

“…If the selected peptides are able to adopt conformations similar to regions of viral proteins, it is predicted that they should induce an antibody response against the virus in vivo (Clark and March, 2004;Perea et al, 2004). Immunisation of mice with the selected phage-mimotopes induced production of anti-HAV antibodies in all the animals by 42 days post immunization, compared with a much lower background response induced by the wild-type phage.…”