Enhanced immunogenicity of the rabies virus glycoprotein fused to a dendritic cell-targeting peptide.
Dendritic cell-targeting peptides just got another win. Researchers in Iran took the rabies virus glycoprotein (RVG) and fused it to a dendritic cell-targeting peptide (DCP) trimer. The goal: boost immune response without reinventing the whole vaccine playbook. They nailed it.
Sci Rep
by Bakhsheshi A, Sotoodehnejadnematalahi F, Gholami A et al.
“Enhanced immunogenicity of the rabies virus glycoprotein fused to a dendritic cell-targeting peptide. Bakhsheshi A(1), Sotoodehnejadnematalahi F(1), Gholami A(2), Ajorloo M(3). Author information: (1)Department of Biology, SR.C, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran. (2)Pasteur Institute of Iran Production and Research Complex, Karaj, Iran. algo2212@gmail.com. (3)Biological Products and Blood Safety Research Center, High Institute for Research and Education in Transfusion Medicine, Tehran, Iran. kmehdiajorloo@gmail.com. The dendritic cell-targeting peptide (DCP) trimer sequence has previously shown to enhance specific IgG induction. This study aims to investigate the expression of rabies virus glycoprotein (RVG) in eukaryotic cells through cloning in the pCDNA3.1 + vector, alongside the fusion of a DCP. The DCP trimer sequence was fused to the C-terminal of the RVG to improve the immune response. The construct was designed to include a His-tag for protein purification and an enterokinase (EK) cleavage site for separation of the tag from the recombinant protein. The RVG gene was amplified from the rabies virus genome via RT-PCR, and cloning was performed using BamHI and EcoRI restriction enzymes. The recombinant plasmid (RVG- pCDNA3.1+) was transfected into BHK-21 cells using lipofection, and the expression of the recombinant protein was confirmed through SDS-PAGE and western blotting using anti-His antibodies. The His-tagged recombinant protein was purified using Ni-NTA resin. Immunogenicity of the recombinant protein was investigated through mouse inoculation and analysis of the serum samples using RFFIT and ELISA methods. The results indicated successful cloning and expression of the RVG-DCP fusion protein in eukaryotic cells, with potential applications in rabies vaccine development. The results suggests a novel method for enhancing the immunogenicity of viral glycoproteins through the use of dendritic cell-targeting peptides. © 2026. The Author(s). Conflict of interest statement: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: All animal experiments were performed in accordance with the guidelines for the care and use of laboratory animals and were approved by the ethics committees of Islamic Azad University- Science and Research Branch, with approval ID: IR.IAU.SRB.REC.1403.370. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.”
Here’s what they did. The team cloned the RVG gene into a standard eukaryotic expression vector, slapped the DCP trimer on the C-terminus, and added a His-tag for protein purification. After confirming successful expression in BHK-21 cells, they purified the fusion protein and tested its immunogenicity in mice.
Key takeaway: The DCP-RVG fusion ramped up specific IgG induction, a key marker for a strong immune response. That means this fusion approach could be a serious upgrade for rabies vaccines—or any viral vaccine where better immune targeting is the bottleneck.
What’s actually interesting here:
The DCP trimer acts like a delivery address, steering antigens straight to dendritic cells—basically the immune system’s hype men
Using protein fusion (not complex adjuvants) to goose immunogenicity keeps the process lean and reproducible
The system is modular. Swapping in other viral glycoproteins or antigens could be next
For anyone tracking the future of vaccine platforms, this is one to watch. The fusion strategy skips the usual mess of adjuvant optimization and goes straight for precision immune targeting. That’s good news for peptide researchers, immunologists, and anyone who wants more efficient vaccine candidates.
If you want to dive deeper into the science behind advanced peptide approaches, check out the peptide research index. This fusion method is a solid example of how targeted peptides are reshaping immunology from the ground up.
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