COBRE/Tropical Medicine Seminar

June 29, 11:00am - 12:00pm
Mānoa Campus, John A. Burns School of Medicine, Kaka’ako Campus, 651 Ilalo Street, MEB Auditorium (Room 315)

"Mammalian Cell-derived VLP Vaccine Platform"

Abstract: In the past viral vaccines were developed by attenuation or inactivation of the virus. Empirically derived viral vaccines such as measles and mumps are protective but immuno-compromised may be at risk. Formalin inactivated vaccines such Salk polio vaccine and rabies vaccine are safe. However, not all formalin-inactivated viral vaccines are protective, case in point is formalin inactivate RSV Vaccine. Later various ways of engineering the virus was attempted. Over time, thinking of vaccines has evolved to develop particulate-based vaccines such as VLPs and Nano-particles. A mammalian cell derived virus-like particles (VLP) technology will be described which can be used to generate VLPs in a short time to develop vaccine on a fast track. We have produced Nipah virus-like particles (NiV VLPs), Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) VLPs, RSV fVLPs, Zika VLPs; Zika VLPs were produced in less than 2 months. We have evaluated both NiV VLPs and RSV VLPs as vaccines; both showed protection in the relevant modals. RSV fVLPs show potent neutralizing antibody response and protection in the lung. This technology may be used to handle unexpected and uncontrolled out-breaks.

Speaker: Pramila Walpita, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Tropical Medicine, Medical Microbiology and Pharmacology
John A. Burns School of Medicine
University of Hawaii at Manoa


Event Sponsor
Pacific Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases Research/JABSOM Tropical Med., Mānoa Campus

More Information
Cori Watanabe, (808) 692-1654, corit@hawaii.edu

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