Making safer polio vaccines with plants

A new study, involving scientists from National Institute for Biological Standards and Control (NIBSC), has reported the production of stable poliovirus virus-like particles (VLPs) in plants.

The research, published in the journal Nature Communications, confirms that these plant-made particles are structurally similar to poliovirus and can protect mice from infection as effectively as existing vaccines. As large amounts of live poliovirus are needed to make current vaccines, VLP-based vaccines could provide a safer alternative for vaccine production after polio eradication, said the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) commenting on the development.

VLPs are empty protein shells that ‘mimic’ the virus but lack the genetic material needed for replication. Scientists have suggested poliovirus VLPs as potential vaccine candidates because they can provoke an immune response but aren’t infectious. However, their instability has long been a barrier for their use as vaccines.