# Virus Biomimetic-Delivery Systems for the Production of Vaccines

**Authors:** Marcela-Elisabeta Barbinta-Patrascu, Irina Negut, Bogdan Bita

PMC · DOI: 10.3390/biomimetics11020150 · Biomimetics · 2026-02-18

## TL;DR

This paper reviews virus-like particles and virosomes as safe and effective platforms for next-generation vaccines and therapies.

## Contribution

The paper provides a comprehensive review of virus biomimetic delivery systems, emphasizing their immunogenicity and production platforms.

## Key findings

- Virus-like particles (VLPs) and virosomes mimic viruses without replication risks, offering strong immunogenicity.
- Multiple expression platforms for VLP production are analyzed, including bacterial, yeast, and mammalian systems.
- VLPs and virosomes show clinical potential against pathogens like SARS-CoV-2, influenza, and malaria.

## Abstract

The persistent emergence of infectious diseases has underscored the critical demand for next-generation vaccine technologies that are safe, effective, and scalable. This review explores virus biomimetic delivery systems, focusing on virus-like particles (VLPs) and virosomes as promising platforms for vaccine and therapeutic development. VLPs are self-assembled nanostructures composed of viral structural proteins that mimic native virions without carrying genetic material, while virosomes are reconstituted viral envelopes that retain functional glycoproteins but lack a nucleocapsid. Both systems provide strong immunogenicity and safety by mimicking viral architecture while eliminating the risk of replication. The paper examines various expression platforms for VLP production, including bacterial, yeast, insect, mammalian, and plant-based systems, highlighting their respective advantages, challenges, and optimization strategies. Mechanistic insights into antigen presentation, immune activation, and cellular uptake pathways are discussed to explain their superior performance in eliciting humoral and cellular immune responses. Furthermore, current applications of VLPs and virosomes in vaccines against major pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2, influenza, Newcastle disease virus, malaria, hepatitis, and respiratory syncytial virus are reviewed, demonstrating their versatility and clinical potential. By integrating molecular engineering, nanotechnology, and biofabrication strategies, virus biomimetic systems represent a transformative frontier in vaccinology, immunotherapy, and targeted drug delivery.

## Linked entities

- **Diseases:** SARS-CoV-2 (MONDO:0100096), influenza (MONDO:0005812), malaria (MONDO:0005136), hepatitis (MONDO:0002251)

## Full-text entities

- **Genes:** TLR4 (toll like receptor 4) [NCBI Gene 7099] {aka ARMD10, CD284, TLR-4, TOLL}, VHLL (VHL like) [NCBI Gene 391104] {aka VHLP, VLP}, TNF (tumor necrosis factor) [NCBI Gene 7124] {aka DIF, IMD127, TNF-alpha, TNFA, TNFSF2, TNLG1F}, HLA-C (major histocompatibility complex, class I, C) [NCBI Gene 3107] {aka D6S204, HLA-JY3, HLAC, HLC-C, MHC, PSORS1}, Ifng (interferon gamma) [NCBI Gene 25712] {aka IFNG2, If2f}, ERBB2 (erb-b2 receptor tyrosine kinase 2) [NCBI Gene 2064] {aka CD340, HER-2, HER-2/neu, HER2, MLN 19, MLN-19}, S (surface glycoprotein) [NCBI Gene 43740568] {aka spike glycoprotein}, Ifng (interferon gamma) [NCBI Gene 15978] {aka IFN-g, If2f, Ifg}, TLR9 (toll like receptor 9) [NCBI Gene 54106] {aka CD289}, ACE2 (angiotensin converting enzyme 2) [NCBI Gene 59272] {aka ACEH}, NEU1 (neuraminidase 1) [NCBI Gene 4758] {aka NANH, NEU, SIAL1}, Cd4 (CD4 antigen) [NCBI Gene 12504] {aka L3T4, Ly-4}, IL6 (interleukin 6) [NCBI Gene 3569] {aka BSF-2, BSF2, CDF, HGF, HSF, IFN-beta-2}, TNFRSF8 (TNF receptor superfamily member 8) [NCBI Gene 943] {aka CD30, D1S166E, Ki-1}, E (envelope protein) [NCBI Gene 43740570], NANP (N-acetylneuraminic acid phosphatase) [NCBI Gene 140838] {aka C20orf147, HDHD4, dJ694B14.3}, gag (Pr55(Gag)) [NCBI Gene 155030], CD8A (CD8 subunit alpha) [NCBI Gene 925] {aka CD8, CD8alpha, IMD116, Leu2, p32}, ITIH4 (inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor heavy chain 4) [NCBI Gene 3700] {aka GP120, H4P, IHRP, ITI-HC4, ITIHL1, PK-120}, N (nucleocapsid phosphoprotein) [NCBI Gene 43740575], CSF2 (colony stimulating factor 2) [NCBI Gene 1437] {aka CSF, GMCSF}, CD4 (CD4 molecule) [NCBI Gene 920] {aka CD4mut, IMD79, Leu-3, OKT4D, T4}, M (membrane glycoprotein) [NCBI Gene 43740571], IFNG (interferon gamma) [NCBI Gene 3458] {aka IFG, IFI, IMD69}, NRSN1 (neurensin 1) [NCBI Gene 140767] {aka VMP, p24}, Cd4 (Cd4 molecule) [NCBI Gene 24932] {aka W3/25, p55}, DNAJC5 (DnaJ heat shock protein family (Hsp40) member C5) [NCBI Gene 80331] {aka CLN4, CLN4B, CSP, DNAJC5A, mir-941-2, mir-941-3}, RNF130 (ring finger protein 130) [NCBI Gene 55819] {aka G1RP, G1RZFP, GOLIATH, GP}
- **Diseases:** eosinophilic inflammation (MESH:D007249), injury to (MESH:D014947), nicotine addiction (MESH:D014029), respiratory disease (MESH:D012140), influenza (MESH:D007251), RSV (MESH:D018357), cancer (MESH:D009369), hepatitis B (MESH:D006509), hemorrhage (MESH:D006470), dengue (MESH:D003715), NDV (MESH:D009521), HPV infection (MESH:D030361), cervical lesions (MESH:D002575), colon carcinoma (MESH:D003110), precancerous lesions (MESH:D011230), viral infections (MESH:D014777), infected (MESH:D007239), hypertrophy (MESH:D006984), COVID-19 (MESH:D000086382), toxicity (MESH:D064420), weight loss (MESH:D015431), parasitemia (MESH:D018512), breast cancer (MESH:D001943), polio (MESH:D011051), Hepatitis (MESH:D056486), hypersensitivity (MESH:D004342), Zika (MESH:D000071243), HIV infection (MESH:D015658), Malaria (MESH:D008288), herpes viruses (MESH:C536395), infectious diseases (MESH:D003141)
- **Chemicals:** gold (MESH:D006046), mannose (MESH:D008358), chitosan (MESH:D048271), Ni (MESH:D009532), glycans (MESH:D011134), His (MESH:D006639), PEG (MESH:D011092), Triton X-100 (MESH:D017830), polymers (MESH:D011108), carbon (MESH:D002244), Phospholipid (MESH:D010743), QS-21 (MESH:C078785), CHAPS (MESH:C028213), oligonucleotide (MESH:D009841), PVP (MESH:D011205), OG (MESH:C018619), 1,2-dihexanoylphosphatidylcholine (-), H&amp;E (MESH:D006371), S (MESH:D013455), doxorubicin (MESH:D004317), hematoxylin (MESH:D006416), Alexa Fluor  647 (MESH:C569686), disulfide (MESH:D004220), MESK (MESH:C046742), Hoechst 33342 (MESH:C017807), uranyl acetate (MESH:C005460), Alexa Fluor  488 (MESH:C000711379), MF59 (MESH:C089950), glycosylphosphatidylinositol (MESH:D017261), Lipid (MESH:D008055), sucrose (MESH:D013395), eosin (MESH:D004801), DAB (MESH:C000469), Cymal-5 (MESH:C400643), formalin (MESH:D005557), MPLA (MESH:C048436), CpG-ODN (MESH:C408982)
- **Species:** Plasmodium berghei (species) [taxon 5821], Adeno-associated virus (species) [taxon 272636], Bacillus subtilis (species) [taxon 1423], Ebola virus (no rank) [taxon 1570291], Japanese encephalitis virus (no rank) [taxon 11072], Escherichia coli (E. coli, species) [taxon 562], hepatitis C [taxon 11103], Pichia (genus) [taxon 4919], Ebola virus [taxon 186536], Norwalk virus (no rank) [taxon 11983], Mus musculus (house mouse, species) [taxon 10090], Human papillomavirus (species) [taxon 10566], Acinetobacter (genus) [taxon 469], Canis lupus familiaris (dog, subspecies) [taxon 9615], Spodoptera frugiperda (fall armyworm, species) [taxon 7108], Saccharomyces cerevisiae virus L-A (no rank) [taxon 11008], H3N2 subtype (serotype) [taxon 119210], Saccharomyces cerevisiae (baker's yeast, species) [taxon 4932], Komagataella pastoris (species) [taxon 4922], Gammacoronavirus (genus) [taxon 694013], Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (no rank) [taxon 2697049], Hepatitis B virus (no rank) [taxon 10407], Human immunodeficiency virus 1 (no rank) [taxon 11676], H1N1 subtype (serotype) [taxon 114727], Nicotiana tabacum (American tobacco, species) [taxon 4097], Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus (no rank) [taxon 694009], Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (species) [taxon 3055], Bdellovibrio sp. ETA (species) [taxon 242951], human metapneumovirus (no rank) [taxon 162145], Macaca (macaque, genus) [taxon 9539], Orthomyxoviridae (family) [taxon 11308], Hepatovirus A (no rank) [taxon 12092], Norovirus (genus) [taxon 142786], Respiratory syncytial virus (no rank) [taxon 12814], Simian-Human immunodeficiency virus (species) [taxon 57667], H7N9 subtype (serotype) [taxon 333278], Rattus norvegicus (brown rat, species) [taxon 10116], Cricetinae (hamsters, subfamily) [taxon 10026], Plasmodium falciparum (malaria parasite P. falciparum, species) [taxon 5833], Chlorophyta (green algae, phylum) [taxon 3041], Influenza B virus (no rank) [taxon 11520], Polyomavirus sp. (species) [taxon 36362], Homo sapiens (human, species) [taxon 9606], Enterovirus C (no rank) [taxon 138950], Mustela putorius furo (black ferret, subspecies) [taxon 9669], Newcastle disease virus [taxon 11176], Human papillomavirus 16 (serotype) [taxon 333760], Sarbecovirus (subgenus) [taxon 2509511], Nicotiana benthamiana (species) [taxon 4100], PX clade (clade) [taxon 569578], Betacoronavirus (genus) [taxon 694002], Bacteriophage sp. (species) [taxon 38018], Gallus gallus (bantam, species) [taxon 9031], H5N1 subtype (serotype) [taxon 102793], Bombyx mori (domestic silkworm, species) [taxon 7091], Sendai virus [taxon 11191], Vesicular stomatitis virus (species) [taxon 11276], Bluetongue virus (no rank) [taxon 40051], Trichoplusia ni (cabbage looper, species) [taxon 7111]
- **Cell lines:** 293F — Homo sapiens (Human), Transformed cell line (CVCL_6642), HEK293T — Homo sapiens (Human), Transformed cell line (CVCL_0063), A549 — Homo sapiens (Human), Lung adenocarcinoma, Cancer cell line (CVCL_0023), Sf9 — Spodoptera frugiperda (Fall armyworm), Spontaneously immortalized cell line (CVCL_0549), CHO — Cricetulus griseus (Chinese hamster), Spontaneously immortalized cell line (CVCL_0213), High Five — Trichoplusia ni (Cabbage looper), Spontaneously immortalized cell line (CVCL_C190), Calu-3 — Homo sapiens (Human), Lung adenocarcinoma, Cancer cell line (CVCL_0609), HEK-293 — Homo sapiens (Human), Transformed cell line (CVCL_0045), Vero E6 — Chlorocebus sabaeus (Green monkey), Spontaneously immortalized cell line (CVCL_0574), Vero — Chlorocebus sabaeus (Green monkey), Spontaneously immortalized cell line (CVCL_0059)

## Full text

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## Figures

10 figures with captions in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12938171/full.md

## References

201 references — full list in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12938171/full.md

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12938171