Optimized production of virus-like particles in a high-CHO-cell-density transient gene expression system for foot-and-mouth disease vaccine development

Background/Objectives: Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) poses a continuous threat to livestock health and agricultural economies. Current vaccines require high biosafety standards and are costly to produce. While novel vaccine technologies have been explored, most fail to meet industrial scalabil...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Mignaqui, Ana Clara, Ferella, Alejandra, Sánchez, Cintia, Stuible, Matthew, Scian, Romina, Filippi, Jorge, Cardillo, Sabrina Beatriz, Durocher, Yves, Wigdorovitz, Andres
Format: info:ar-repo/semantics/artículo
Language:Inglés
Published: MDPI 2025
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/22626
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/13/6/581
https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines13060581
_version_ 1855038612417019904
author Mignaqui, Ana Clara
Ferella, Alejandra
Sánchez, Cintia
Stuible, Matthew
Scian, Romina
Filippi, Jorge
Cardillo, Sabrina Beatriz
Durocher, Yves
Wigdorovitz, Andres
author_browse Cardillo, Sabrina Beatriz
Durocher, Yves
Ferella, Alejandra
Filippi, Jorge
Mignaqui, Ana Clara
Scian, Romina
Stuible, Matthew
Sánchez, Cintia
Wigdorovitz, Andres
author_facet Mignaqui, Ana Clara
Ferella, Alejandra
Sánchez, Cintia
Stuible, Matthew
Scian, Romina
Filippi, Jorge
Cardillo, Sabrina Beatriz
Durocher, Yves
Wigdorovitz, Andres
author_sort Mignaqui, Ana Clara
collection INTA Digital
description Background/Objectives: Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) poses a continuous threat to livestock health and agricultural economies. Current vaccines require high biosafety standards and are costly to produce. While novel vaccine technologies have been explored, most fail to meet industrial scalability, cost-efficiency, or multiserotype flexibility required for effective FMD control. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of using a high-cell density transient gene expression (TGE) system in CHO cells for the production of FMDV virus-like particles (VLPs) as a recombinant vaccine platform. Methods: VLP expression was optimized by adjusting cDNA and polyethyleneimine (PEI) concentrations. Expression yields were compared at 24 and 48 h post-transfection to determine optimal harvest timing. We further tested the system’s capacity to express different serotypes and chimeric constructs, incorporating VP1 sequences from various FMDV strains. Immunogenicity was evaluated in swine using VLPs from the A2001 Argentina strain as a model. Results: Optimal VLP expression was achieved at 24 h post-transfection. Chimeric constructs incorporating heterologous VP1 regions were successfully expressed. Immunized pigs developed protective antibody titers as measured by a virus neutralization test (VNT, log10 titer 1.43) and liquid-phase blocking ELISA (LPBE, titer 2.20) at 28 days post-vaccination (dpv). Titers remained above protective thresholds up to 60 dpv with a single dose. A booster at 28 dpv further elevated titers to levels comparable to those induced by the inactivated vaccine. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate the feasibility of using CHO cell-based TGE for producing immunogenic FMDV VLPs. This platform shows promise for scalable, cost-effective, and biosafe development of recombinant FMD vaccines.
format info:ar-repo/semantics/artículo
id INTA22626
institution Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA -Argentina)
language Inglés
publishDate 2025
publishDateRange 2025
publishDateSort 2025
publisher MDPI
publisherStr MDPI
record_format dspace
spelling INTA226262025-06-11T11:26:28Z Optimized production of virus-like particles in a high-CHO-cell-density transient gene expression system for foot-and-mouth disease vaccine development Mignaqui, Ana Clara Ferella, Alejandra Sánchez, Cintia Stuible, Matthew Scian, Romina Filippi, Jorge Cardillo, Sabrina Beatriz Durocher, Yves Wigdorovitz, Andres Virus-like Particles Foot-and-mouth Disease Aphthovirus Gene Expression Vaccines Partícula Similar a Virus Fiebre Aftosa Virus Fiebre Aftosa Expresión Génica Vacuna Background/Objectives: Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) poses a continuous threat to livestock health and agricultural economies. Current vaccines require high biosafety standards and are costly to produce. While novel vaccine technologies have been explored, most fail to meet industrial scalability, cost-efficiency, or multiserotype flexibility required for effective FMD control. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of using a high-cell density transient gene expression (TGE) system in CHO cells for the production of FMDV virus-like particles (VLPs) as a recombinant vaccine platform. Methods: VLP expression was optimized by adjusting cDNA and polyethyleneimine (PEI) concentrations. Expression yields were compared at 24 and 48 h post-transfection to determine optimal harvest timing. We further tested the system’s capacity to express different serotypes and chimeric constructs, incorporating VP1 sequences from various FMDV strains. Immunogenicity was evaluated in swine using VLPs from the A2001 Argentina strain as a model. Results: Optimal VLP expression was achieved at 24 h post-transfection. Chimeric constructs incorporating heterologous VP1 regions were successfully expressed. Immunized pigs developed protective antibody titers as measured by a virus neutralization test (VNT, log10 titer 1.43) and liquid-phase blocking ELISA (LPBE, titer 2.20) at 28 days post-vaccination (dpv). Titers remained above protective thresholds up to 60 dpv with a single dose. A booster at 28 dpv further elevated titers to levels comparable to those induced by the inactivated vaccine. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate the feasibility of using CHO cell-based TGE for producing immunogenic FMDV VLPs. This platform shows promise for scalable, cost-effective, and biosafe development of recombinant FMD vaccines. Instituto de Virología Fil: Mignaqui, Ana Clara. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Virología e Innovaciones Tecnológicas. INCUINTA; Argentina Fil: Mignaqui, Ana Clara. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias Bariloche; Argentina Fil: Mignaqui, Ana Clara. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones Forestales y Agropecuarias Bariloche; Argentina Fil: Ferella, Alejandra. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Virología e Innovaciones Tecnológicas. INCUINTA; Argentina Fil: Ferella, Alejandra. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: Sánchez, Cintia. Biogénesis Bagó; Argentina Fil: Stuible, Matthew. National Research Council Canada. Human Health Therapeutics Research Center; Canadá Fil: Scian, Romina. Biogénesis Bagó; Argentina Fil: Filippi, Jorge. Biogénesis Bagó; Argentina Fil: Cardillo, Sabrina Beatriz. Biogénesis Bagó; Argentina Fil: Durocher, Yves. National Research Council Canada. Human Health Therapeutics Research Center; Canadá Fil: Wigdorovitz, Andres. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Virología e Innovaciones Tecnológicas. INCUINTA; Argentina Fil: Wigdorovitz, Andres. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina 2025-06-11T10:45:04Z 2025-06-11T10:45:04Z 2025-06 info:ar-repo/semantics/artículo info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/22626 https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/13/6/581 2076-393X https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines13060581 eng info:eu-repograntAgreement/INTA/2019-PD-E5-I105-001, Patógenos animales: su interacción con el hospedador y el medio ambiente. Impacto en productividad, ecosistemas, sanidad animal y salud pública en el marco ?Una Salud? info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) application/pdf MDPI Vaccines 13 (6) : 581 (June 2025)
spellingShingle Virus-like Particles
Foot-and-mouth Disease
Aphthovirus
Gene Expression
Vaccines
Partícula Similar a Virus
Fiebre Aftosa
Virus Fiebre Aftosa
Expresión Génica
Vacuna
Mignaqui, Ana Clara
Ferella, Alejandra
Sánchez, Cintia
Stuible, Matthew
Scian, Romina
Filippi, Jorge
Cardillo, Sabrina Beatriz
Durocher, Yves
Wigdorovitz, Andres
Optimized production of virus-like particles in a high-CHO-cell-density transient gene expression system for foot-and-mouth disease vaccine development
title Optimized production of virus-like particles in a high-CHO-cell-density transient gene expression system for foot-and-mouth disease vaccine development
title_full Optimized production of virus-like particles in a high-CHO-cell-density transient gene expression system for foot-and-mouth disease vaccine development
title_fullStr Optimized production of virus-like particles in a high-CHO-cell-density transient gene expression system for foot-and-mouth disease vaccine development
title_full_unstemmed Optimized production of virus-like particles in a high-CHO-cell-density transient gene expression system for foot-and-mouth disease vaccine development
title_short Optimized production of virus-like particles in a high-CHO-cell-density transient gene expression system for foot-and-mouth disease vaccine development
title_sort optimized production of virus like particles in a high cho cell density transient gene expression system for foot and mouth disease vaccine development
topic Virus-like Particles
Foot-and-mouth Disease
Aphthovirus
Gene Expression
Vaccines
Partícula Similar a Virus
Fiebre Aftosa
Virus Fiebre Aftosa
Expresión Génica
Vacuna
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/22626
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/13/6/581
https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines13060581
work_keys_str_mv AT mignaquianaclara optimizedproductionofviruslikeparticlesinahighchocelldensitytransientgeneexpressionsystemforfootandmouthdiseasevaccinedevelopment
AT ferellaalejandra optimizedproductionofviruslikeparticlesinahighchocelldensitytransientgeneexpressionsystemforfootandmouthdiseasevaccinedevelopment
AT sanchezcintia optimizedproductionofviruslikeparticlesinahighchocelldensitytransientgeneexpressionsystemforfootandmouthdiseasevaccinedevelopment
AT stuiblematthew optimizedproductionofviruslikeparticlesinahighchocelldensitytransientgeneexpressionsystemforfootandmouthdiseasevaccinedevelopment
AT scianromina optimizedproductionofviruslikeparticlesinahighchocelldensitytransientgeneexpressionsystemforfootandmouthdiseasevaccinedevelopment
AT filippijorge optimizedproductionofviruslikeparticlesinahighchocelldensitytransientgeneexpressionsystemforfootandmouthdiseasevaccinedevelopment
AT cardillosabrinabeatriz optimizedproductionofviruslikeparticlesinahighchocelldensitytransientgeneexpressionsystemforfootandmouthdiseasevaccinedevelopment
AT durocheryves optimizedproductionofviruslikeparticlesinahighchocelldensitytransientgeneexpressionsystemforfootandmouthdiseasevaccinedevelopment
AT wigdorovitzandres optimizedproductionofviruslikeparticlesinahighchocelldensitytransientgeneexpressionsystemforfootandmouthdiseasevaccinedevelopment