Bacteriophage T4 as a nanoparticle platform to display and deliver pathogen antigens: Construction of an effective anthrax vaccine

Abstract

Protein-based subunit vaccines represent a safer alternative to the whole pathogen in vaccine development. However, limitations of physiological instability and low immunogenicity of such vaccines demand an efficient delivery system to stimulate robust immune responses. The bacteriophage T4 capsid-based antigen delivery system can robustly elicit both humoral and cellular immune responses without any adjuvant. Therefore, it offers a strong promise as a novel antigen delivery system. Currently Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax, is a serious biothreat agent and no FDA-approved anthrax vaccine is available for mass vaccination. Here, we describe a potential anthrax vaccine using a T4 capsid platform to display and deliver the 83 kDa protective antigen, PA, a key component of the anthrax toxin. This T4 vaccine platform might serve as a universal antigen delivery system that can be adapted to develop vaccines against any infectious disease.