Coxsackie B1 virus-like particle vaccine modified to exclude a highly conserved immunoreactive region from the capsid induces potent neutralizing antibodies and protects against infection in mice

We demonstrated that with targeted structural modification of the CVB1-VLP capsid, immunodominant antibody responses against the conserved PALXAXETG motif can be avoided. We demonstrate that structural modification of CVB1-VLP is a viable strategy. Since the deleted epitope is known to be non-neutralizing, its deletion may help focus the immune response on more protective targets and thereby improve vaccine efficacy. The modified VLPs, particularly when adjuvanted, offer a promising approach for developing safe and effective enterovirus vaccines.