A virus-like-particle-producing DNA vaccine triggers specific humoral immunity against hepatitis C virus in mice.

Worldwide, 50 million people are chronically infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV), with 1 million new infections annually. The limitations of direct-acting antiviral drugs, including high costs, limited access, reinfections, and emergence of drug resistance, have highlighted the urgent need for a prophylactic vaccine to achieve global elimination. However, the development of an HCV vaccine remains challenging due to the genetic diversity of the virus, evasion mechanisms, and our limited understanding of protective immunity. The use of DNA-based vaccines is a promising strategy for HCV vaccine development due to their safety, stability, low production cost, scalability, and the capacity to incorporate multiple antigens. In this study, we evaluated the immunogenicity of a DNA-based vaccine, pCE1E2, which encodes the HCV core, envelope 1 (E1), and envelope 2 (E2) proteins and produces virus-like particles (VLPs). Subcutaneous vaccination of BALB/c mice with pCE1E2 in combination with Freund’s adjuvant induced the production of specific antibodies against the HCV core and envelope proteins, indicating the stimulation of a strong humoral immune response. In addition, activation of B and T cells was observed in liver and spleen tissues, suggesting cellular immune responses. These results highlight the immunogenic potential of the pCE1E2 DNA vaccine for induction of effective immunity against HCV. Future studies will focus on studying specific cellular responses to the vaccine and exploring alternative adjuvants, routes of administration, and cross-genotype neutralization.