Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40168732›Full record

ArticleVaccine2025

A replicon-based COVID-19 vaccine candidate delivered by tobacco mosaic virus-like particles.

Sweta Karan, Patrick Opdensteinen, Yifeng Ma, Jessica Fernanda Affonso De Oliveira, Nicole F Steinmetz

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Vaccine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Deciphering theVaccines · 2026
    Article
  2. Review
  3. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Sweta KaranAiiso Yufeng Li Family Department of Chemical and Nano Engineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Shu and K.C. Chien and Peter Farrell Collaboratory, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Center for Nano-ImmunoEngineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States.
Patrick OpdensteinenAiiso Yufeng Li Family Department of Chemical and Nano Engineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Shu and K.C. Chien and Peter Farrell Collaboratory, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Center for Nano-ImmunoEngineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States.
Yifeng MaAiiso Yufeng Li Family Department of Chemical and Nano Engineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Shu and K.C. Chien and Peter Farrell Collaboratory, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Center for Nano-ImmunoEngineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States.
Jessica Fernanda Affonso De OliveiraAiiso Yufeng Li Family Department of Chemical and Nano Engineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Shu and K.C. Chien and Peter Farrell Collaboratory, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Center for Nano-ImmunoEngineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States.
Nicole F SteinmetzAiiso Yufeng Li Family Department of Chemical and Nano Engineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Shu and K.C. Chien and Peter Farrell Collaboratory, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Center for Nano-ImmunoEngineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States; Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States; Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States; Institute for Materials Discovery and Design, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States; Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States; Center for Engineering in Cancer, Institute of Engineering Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States. Electronic address: nsteinmetz@ucsd.edu.

Funding

mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines Delivered with Plant Virus/Polymer DevicesR21AI161306 · NIAID · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · PI POKORSKI, JONATHAN KYLE, STEINMETZ, NICOLE FRANZISKA · 2021 to 2022
$435k
NIAID NIH HHS R21 AI161306
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic highlights the opportunity for mRNA vaccines and their nanotechnology carriers to make an impact as a countermeasure to infectious disease. As alternative to the synthetic lipid nanoparticles or mammalian viruses, we developed a tobacco mosaic virus (TMV)-based mRNA vaccine delivery platform. Specifically, purified coat protein from TMV was used to package a self-amplifying Nodamura replicon expressing the receptor binding domain (RBD) from the Omicron strain of SARS-CoV-2. The replicon construct contains the origin of assembly sequence from the tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) for encapsulation and mRNA stabilization. The nanoparticle vaccine was obtained through in vitro assembly using purified TMV coat proteins and in vitro transcribed mRNA cassettes. Cell assays confirmed delivery of self-amplifying mRNA vaccine, amplification of the transgene and expression of the target protein, RBD, in mammalian cells. Immunization of mice yielded RBD-specific IgG antibodies that demonstrated neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 using an in vitro neutralization assay. The TMV platform nanotechnology does not require ultralow freezers for storage or distribution; and the in vitro assembly method provide 'plug-and-play' to adapt the vaccine formulation rapidly as new strains or diseases emerge. Finally, opportunity exists to produce and self-assemble the vaccine candidate in plants through molecular farming techniques, which may allow production in the region-for the region and could make a contribution to less resourced areas of the world.

Indexed as

COVID-19COVID-19 VaccinesRepliconSARS-CoV-2Tobacco Mosaic VirusVaccines, Virus-Like ParticleAnimalsAntibodies, NeutralizingAntibodies, ViralCapsid ProteinsFemaleHumansImmunoglobulin GMiceMice, Inbred BALB CNanoparticlesAntibodies, NeutralizingAntibodies, ViralCapsid ProteinsCOVID-19 VaccinesImmunoglobulin GSpike Glycoprotein, CoronavirusVaccines, SyntheticVaccines, Virus-Like ParticleCOVID-19mRNA vaccineTobacco mosaic virusVLPs

Identifiers

PMID40168732
PMCPMC13234663

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.