Recombinant Murine Polyoma Virus-like-particles Induce Protective Antitumour Immunity

Efficient Intracellular Delivery of a Protein and a Low Molecular Weight Substance via Recombinant Polyomavirus-like Particles

“…From an immunological point of view, we present here a device which is very suitable for the in vivo delivery of fulllength proteins like tumor antigens, because heterologous polyoma capsoids displaying a CD8 T cell epitope were already able to protect inbred mice from lethal challenge with melanoma cells that express this relevant protein antigen (36). For this reason, these capsoid-based immunotherapeutics may offer new opportunities for the treatment of cancer patients.…”

Particulate antigenic structures: highly immunogenic carriers for T cell epitopes derived from tumour antigens

“…Due to the high immunogenicity of heterologous PLPs consisting of the major polyomavirus coat protein VP1 and a foreign CD8 T cell epitope at its C-terminus it is possible to protect mice against B16-OVA melanoma [2]. Here we show that in mice protective anti-tumour immunity can be already induced by means of subcutaneous vaccination with particulate antigens, heterologous VP1-pentamers (8-9 nm in size).…”

Murine polyomavirus-like particles induce maturation of bone marrow-derived dendritic cells and proliferation of T cells

“…In this regard virus-like particles (VLPs) receive growing attention due to their capacity to elicit cell-mediated immunity with emphasis on CD8 T cell responses in the absence of immunostimulatory substances [3,11,17,19,22]. Therefore, we are currently developing a non-replicating antigen delivery system based on heterologous polyomaviruslike particles (PLPs) formed (i) by self-assembly of the viral VP1 coat protein displaying foreign T cell epitopes at its C-terminal end [5,6] or (ii) by the encapsulation of full-length proteins into the VP1-capsoid shell [1]. We have already analysed the capacity of chimeric PLPs to prime in vivo CD8 T cell responses [5,6].…”

“…Therefore, we are currently developing a non-replicating antigen delivery system based on heterologous polyomaviruslike particles (PLPs) formed (i) by self-assembly of the viral VP1 coat protein displaying foreign T cell epitopes at its C-terminal end [5,6] or (ii) by the encapsulation of full-length proteins into the VP1-capsoid shell [1]. We have already analysed the capacity of chimeric PLPs to prime in vivo CD8 T cell responses [5,6]. For this purpose, a protein fragment harbouring the immunodominant CD8 cytotoxic T lymphocyte epitope, residues 257-264 of ovalbumin (OVA), was genetically engineered to the C-terminal end of the VP1 protein resulting in the VP1-OVA 252-270 entity [5,6].…”

“…We have already analysed the capacity of chimeric PLPs to prime in vivo CD8 T cell responses [5,6]. For this purpose, a protein fragment harbouring the immunodominant CD8 cytotoxic T lymphocyte epitope, residues 257-264 of ovalbumin (OVA), was genetically engineered to the C-terminal end of the VP1 protein resulting in the VP1-OVA 252-270 entity [5,6]. After expression in Escherichia coli, the recombinant VP1-OVA 252-270 polyomavirus-like pentamers (PPs) spontaneously self-assembled in vitro into approximately 45 nm sized capsoids under high salt conditions.…”