Influenza Virus-like Particle (VLP) Vaccines Expressing the SARS-CoV-2 S Glycoprotein, S1, or S2 Domains

Abstract

The ongoing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic had brought disastrous consequences throughout the entire world. While several manufactured vaccines have been approved for emergency use, continuous efforts to generate novel vaccines are needed. In this study, we developed SARS-CoV-2 virus-like particles (VLPs) containing the full length of spike (S) glycoprotein (S full), S1, or S2 together with the influenza matrix protein 1 (M1) as a core protein. Successfully constructed VLPs expressing the S full, S1, and S2 via Sf9 cell transfections were confirmed and characterized by Western blot and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). VLP immunization in mice induced higher levels of spike protein-specific IgG and its subclasses compared to naïve control, with IgG2a being the most predominant subclass. S full and S1 immune sera elicited virus-neutralizing activities, but these were not strong enough to fully inhibit receptor–ligand binding of the SARS-CoV-2. Neutralizing activities were not observed from the S2 VLP immune sera. Overall, our findings revealed that S full or S1 containing VLPs can be developed into effective vaccines.