VSVbased

VSVbased refers to technologies, products, and research uses built on Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), a negative-sense RNA virus in the family Rhabdoviridae. VSV-based systems are engineered to express foreign genes or to act as oncolytic agents, leveraging rapid cytoplasmic replication and strong transgene expression.

VSV vectors are typically engineered by modifying the genome, which encodes N, P, M, G, and L proteins. In some designs, the G glycoprotein is replaced with a transgene (VSV-ΔG), making the particle assembly dependent on G supplied in trans. Alternatively, G can be provided to alter cell entry by pseudotyping. Genome arrangement influences expression levels and safety.

Applications include vaccines and cancer therapy. Notable vaccine use is the recombinant rVSV-ZEBOV Ebola vaccine; other VSV-based vaccines are under development for various pathogens. In oncology, oncolytic VSVs such as VSV-ΔM51 replicate preferentially in tumor cells with defective interferon signaling and can induce tumor lysis and anti-tumor immunity.

Safety and regulation require careful attenuation to limit neurovirulence and systemic toxicity. Common strategies include M protein mutations, G deletions, and tumor-selective replication. VSV-based products undergo rigorous preclinical and clinical evaluation, with one Ebola vaccine achieving regulatory approval in some regions and several candidates in trials.