Vaccine development against HBV infection through enhanced expression of Hepatitis B surface antigen in Kluveromyces lactis

Abstract

Hepatitis B virus remains a leading cause of liver disease worldwide. According to an estimate approximately 350 million people worldwide have chronic HBV infection and that 1 million persons die each year from HBV-related chronic liver disease. HBV infection, caused by a small partially double stranded DNA virus belonging to Hepadnaviridae family is currently being dealt with vaccination and antiviral therapy. The present study aims to enhance the production of engineered Hepatitis B surface antigen as a recombinant vaccine using Kluveromyces lactis expression system, selected on grounds of its high efficiency and easy growth conditions. The engineered HBs Ag protein was separated, purified and concentrated using the techniques of Ammonium Sulphate precipitation and dialysis before being analysed using ELISA. In this study, it was ascertained that ASP followed by dialysis produced the maximum concentration of HBsAg amounting to 0.8 μg/mL. The vaccine developed so far now requires to be subjected to further more advanced concentration and purification techniques before being taken to the stage of pilot scale production and animal testing.