Title : VSV as a rapid response platform for emerging zoonoses: The case of Nipah virus
Abstract:
Nipah virus (NiV), a highly pathogenic zoonotic virus belonging to the Paramyxoviridae family, continues to pose a recurrent public health threat in India, particularly in Kerala and neighbouring regions, with reported high mortality rates. The absence of approved vaccines or therapeutics highlights the urgent need for targeted countermeasures. The vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) platform is a rapid scalable and has strong immunogenicity, presents an ideal strategy for NiV vaccine development. In this study, we aimed to develop a VSV-based vaccine candidate targeting the Indian strain of NiV. Our construct utilizes a recombinant VSV vector in which the native VSV glycoprotein (G) is replaced with the glycoprotein (G) of the Indian NiV strain, ensuring targeted immune stimulation. The recombinant VSV-NiV virus was successfully rescued and propagated. Preliminary in vitro characterization confirmed robust expression of NiV antigens, stable genome integrity, and efficient replication kinetics in Vero cells. Neutralization of NiV psedovirus also confirms efficiency of VSV-NiV vaccine candidate. Further, in vivo studies were conducted to evaluate the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of the candidate in a small animal model. These experiments assessed both humoral and cellular immune responses, while also examining safety and potential cross-lineage protection. This work represents a critical advancement toward the development of an NiV vaccine using the rapid-response VSV platform. Our findings support its potential as a viable candidate for further preclinical and clinical evaluation, with implications for outbreak preparedness in India and other NiV-affected regions.
