Malaysian Researchers Develop Cheap Method For Vaccine Production

A team of academic researchers in Malaysia has made a significant breakthrough in vaccine production by discovering a new method to purify recombinant virus-like particles (VLPs) produced in bacterial cells. This innovative approach could potentially simplify and reduce the cost of manufacturing essential vaccines and medicines in the near future.

The research team comprises Dr. Lee Khai Wooi and Dr. Ng Jeck Fei, lecturers from Taylor’s University’s School of Biosciences and School of Pharmacy, respectively, alongside Taylor’s PhD graduate Dr. Tan Foo Hou, and Universiti Putra Malaysia academic Associate Professor Dr. Noorjahan Banu Mohammed Alitheen.

VLPs are virus-derived particles that mimic the behaviour of viruses without containing harmful genetic material or the ability to replicate. These properties make VLPs ideal for training immune systems to combat viruses and prevent infections. Additionally, VLPs can be modified for use as delivery vehicles for drugs and genes directly into cells.

Traditionally, purifying VLPs from cells such as Escherichia coli (E. coli) involves separating them from unwanted cellular proteins, a process that is often time-consuming and costly, typically relying on methods like chromatography. However, the Malaysian research team explored a simpler and more cost-effective technique.

“Instead of using expensive immobilised metal ion affinity chromatography columns, we employed a simple technique using free metal ions to capture histagged VLPs and precipitate them,” explained Dr. Lee. Histags, small handles attached to the VLPs, latch onto the free metal ions, causing the VLPs to clump together, which can then be easily separated from the unwanted proteins based on their size.

The team discovered that adding free transition metal ions, such as nickel, iron, zinc, copper, cobalt, or calcium, causes the histags to stick together, forming VLP clumps that can be easily isolated. This method, dubbed “MetalTag VLP Master,” eliminates the need for expensive chromatography columns and additional washing steps, thereby reducing both the cost and duration of the VLP purification process. The method relies on centrifuges, which are already commonly used in laboratories and industries.

One challenge the researchers encountered was visualising the structural interaction between the metal ions and the histags due to the complexity of the protein clumps. The team is now working on examining this interaction using a technique called isothermal calorimetry.

After successful testing on the turnip yellow mosaic virus, a virus commonly transmitted in broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower plants, the team expressed optimism about the potential of the MetalTag VLP Master method. They aim to test it on other VLP systems and eventually scale it up for industrial production.

“We are currently filing a patent for the MetalTag VLP Master method,” Dr. Lee stated. “Our hope is that if this method is further adapted for the biopharmaceutical production line, we could soon benefit from a much more optimised manufacturing process by saving both time and money. And down the line, this could mean more affordable vaccines and medicines for consumers.”

This breakthrough could pave the way for more efficient and cost-effective production of vaccines and medicines, ultimately making them more accessible to people worldwide.