Ferritin nanocages as efficient nanocarriers and promising platforms for COVID-19 and other vaccines development

• Published in: Biochimica et biophysica acta. General subjects Vol. 1867; no. 3; p. 130288
• Main Authors: Reutovich, Aliaksandra A., Srivastava, Ayush K., Arosio, Paolo, Bou-Abdallah, Fadi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.03.2023
• Subjects: Antigen; Bioengineering; COVID-19; COVID-19 - prevention & control; COVID-19 Vaccines; Drug delivery; Ferritin; Ferritins; Humans; Influenza Vaccines; Nanoparticles; SARS-CoV-2; Vaccine; Vaccine Development; Antigen; Nanoparticles; COVID-19; Bioengineering; Ferritin; Vaccine; Drug delivery
• ISSN: 0304-4165; 1872-8006; 1872-8006
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2022.130288

The development of safe and effective vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses with high antigenic drift is of crucial importance to public health. Ferritin is a well characterized and ubiquitous iron storage protein that has emerged not only as a useful nanoreactor and nanocarrier, but more recently as an efficient platform for vaccine development. This review discusses ferritin structure-function properties, self-assembly, and novel bioengineering strategies such as interior cavity and exterior surface modifications for cargo encapsulation and delivery. It also discusses the use of ferritin as a scaffold for biomedical applications, especially for vaccine development against influenza, Epstein-Barr, HIV, hepatitis-C, Lyme disease, and respiratory viruses such as SARS-CoV-2. The use of ferritin for the synthesis of mosaic vaccines to deliver a cocktail of antigens that elicit broad immune protection against different viral variants is also explored. The remarkable stability, biocompatibility, surface functionalization, and self-assembly properties of ferritin nanoparticles make them very attractive platforms for a wide range of biomedical applications, including the development of vaccines. Strong immune responses have been observed in pre-clinical studies against a wide range of pathogens and have led to the exploration of ferritin nanoparticles-based vaccines in multiple phase I clinical trials. The broad protective antibody response of ferritin nanoparticles-based vaccines demonstrates the usefulness of ferritin as a highly promising and effective approaches for vaccine development. [Display omitted] •Ferritin nanostructures are attractive platforms for various biomedical applications.•Ferritin nanocages are efficient nanocarriers and drug delivery vehicles.•Ferritin unique properties allow novel bioengineering strategies.•Ferritin high stability and biocompatibility are crucial for vaccine development.•Strong immunogenicity promises effective ferritin nanoparticles-based vaccines.