Pseudoviruses, a safer toolbox for vaccine development against enveloped viruses

Abstract

ABSTRACTIntroduction Pseudoviruses are recombinant, replication-incompetent, viral particles designed to mimic the surface characteristics of native enveloped viruses. They are a safer, and cost-effective research alternative to live viruses. With the potential emergence of the next major infectious disease, more vaccine scientists must become familiar with the pseudovirus platform as a vaccine development tool to mitigate future outbreaks.Areas Covered This review aims at vaccine developers to provide a basic understanding of pseudoviruses, list their production methods, and discuss their utility to assess vaccine efficacy against enveloped viral pathogens. We further illustrate their usefulness as wet-lab simulators for emerging mutant variants, and new viruses to help prepare for current and future viral outbreaks, minimizing the need for gain-of-function experiments with highly infectious or lethal enveloped viruses.Expert opinion With this platform, researchers can better understand the role of virus–receptor interactions and entry in infections, prepare for dangerous mutations, and develop effective vaccines.

Keywords

• Pseudovirus
• enveloped viruses
• vaccine development
• neutralizing antibodies
• biosafe