Rhabdoviruses as Vectors for Vaccines and Therapeutics

Rhabdovirus is a Mononegavirales prototype with a single negative-strand RNA genome. The Rhabdoviridae family includes vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) and the rabies virus (RABV). Rhabdoviruses typically contain five proteins: a large protein (L), a glycoprotein (G), a nucleoprotein (N), a phosphoprotein (P), and a matrix protein (M). The glycoprotein contains neutralizing epitopes that are targets of vaccine-induced immunity. RABV and VSV are both promising vaccine vector possibilities. Both RABV and VSV have been extensively explored and have well-established reverse genetics recovery techniques that can be combined with genome manipulation. This allows for the production of foreign genes and their integration into Rhabdovirus virions. Both vectors have shown to be effective vaccine vectors, as seen by the widespread use of the rabies vaccine and the FDA's clearance of VSV-ZEBOV. Furthermore, the safety profiles of both vectors for administration and manufacture are excellent. Therefore, these viruses have many uses despite other restrictions and the requirement to handle live viruses during manufacture. 

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