Mixing particles from various HCV genotypes increases the HBV-HCV vaccine ability to elicit broadly cross-neutralizing antibodies.

Abstract

The development of a safe, effective and affordable prophylactic vaccine against hepatitis C virus (HCV) remains a medical priority. Hepatitis B-C subviral envelope particles, which could be produced by industrial procedures adapted from those established for the hepatitis B virus vaccine, appear promising for use for this purpose. The prototype HBV-HCV bivalent vaccine-bearing genotype 1a HCV envelopes can induce neutralizing antibodies against this genotype, but is less effective against other genotypes. We show here, in a small animal model, that the use of a set of vaccine particles harbouring envelopes from different HCV genotypes in various association strategies can induce broad neutralizing protection or an optimized protection against a particular genotype prevalent in a given region, such as genotype 4 in Egypt. This vaccine could help to control the hepatitis C epidemic worldwide.