Optimization of bioreactor rabies Lyssavirus VLP production: a comparative study between different insect cell culture methods using recombinant baculoviruses

• Grant number: 24/19150-7
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: October 01, 2025
• End date: September 30, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biochemistry - Molecular Biology
• Principal Investigator: Thaissa Consoni Bernardino
• Grantee: Thaissa Consoni Bernardino
• Host Institution: Instituto Butantan. Secretaria da Saúde (São Paulo - Estado). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Durvanei Augusto Maria ; Eutimio Gustavo Fernández Núñez ; Soraia Attie Calil Jorge ; Wagner Quintilio

Abstract

Rabies is a zoonosis responsible for approximately 59,000 annual human fatalities worldwide and causes significant economic losses for both animal and human health. Rabies is one of the few viral diseases that vaccination can prevent before and after infection. As a zoonosis, vaccinating domestic or livestock animals is considered the best preventive measure against human rabies in at-risk areas. Although vaccines against rabies already exist, an interesting vaccine alternative could result from using the recombinant baculovirus/insect cells (B/IC) platform for producing virus-like particles (VLPs), which has been gaining commercial prominence. This biotechnological product mimics the virus, inducing an immune response, but contains no viral genetic material, making the particle non-infectious. Thus, this project aims to characterize and produce rabies VLPs in Sf9 cells adapted in chemically defined medium and Hi5 cells in Express Five® medium. The produced VLPs will be immunologically evaluated through in vitro tests and subsequently in vivo to validate the proposed bioprocesses. As a result of this project, it is expected to obtain a vaccine candidate against rabies. (AU)