{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,5]],"date-time":"2026-03-05T22:48:10Z","timestamp":1772750890185,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":40,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,24]],"date-time":"2025-12-24T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1766534400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"INCIDE-COECYTJAL \u201cRetos de la Industria del Sector Salud\u201d"},{"name":"Sanfer Salud Animal","award":["9261-2021"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["9261-2021"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Vaccines"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) remains one of the most important pathogens that infects swine, causing considerable economic losses worldwide. PCV2 vaccines are commercially available, and the development of experimental vaccines that could confer better protection against emerging genotypes is underway. The expression of virus-like particles (VLPs) carrying different PCV2 capsid (Cap) peptides in E. coli was recently reported. These chimeric particles were adjuvated with an oil-in-water emulsion with polymer and induced different titers of serum IgG in BALB\/c mice after a single subcutaneous injection. The aim of this study was to assess the immune response and protective efficacy elicited by VLPs carrying the PCV2b Cap carboxy-terminal peptide in the target species. Methods: Domestic pigs (Sus scrofa domesticus) were immunized intramuscularly with 25 \u03bcg of adjuvated chimeric VLPs on days 0 and 14 and challenged on day 28 with a PCV2b Mexican isolate. PCV2 peptide-specific IgG seroconversion, serum cytokines, viral load in nasal swabs and organs, and histopathological score were determined. Results: IgG levels peaked 28 days post-immunization. Interleukin-12 and -18 and interferon-gamma increased 21 days after immunization. In addition, genomic material of PCV2 was detected in nasal swabs from one specimen on day 7, two specimens on day 14, and two specimens on day 21 following viral challenge. Finally, histological lesions were not less severe in immunized specimens compared to non-vaccinated\/challenged specimens. Conclusions: These results suggest that immunization with chimeric VLPs could contribute to controlling viral shedding in pig herds where a PCV2b genotype is most prevalent.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/vaccines14010024","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,24]],"date-time":"2025-12-24T11:22:14Z","timestamp":1766575334000},"page":"24","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Virus-like Particles Carrying a Porcine Circovirus Type 2b Peptide Induce an Antibody Response and Reduce Viral Load in Immunized Pigs"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Ana del Socorro","family":"Hern\u00e1ndez-Avi\u00f1a","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Unidad de Biotecnolog\u00eda M\u00e9dica y Farmac\u00e9utica, Centro de Investigaci\u00f3n y Asistencia en Tecnolog\u00eda y Dise\u00f1o del Estado de Jalisco, Normalistas 800, Colinas de la Normal, Guadalajara 44270, Jalisco, Mexico"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Marco Antonio","family":"Cu\u00e9llar-Galv\u00e1n","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Unidad de Investigaci\u00f3n, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Aut\u00f3noma de Mexico, Universidad 3000, Copilco, Coyoac\u00e1n, Ciudad de M\u00e9xico 04510, Mexico"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Jorge Alberto","family":"Salazar-Gonz\u00e1lez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Unidad de Biotecnolog\u00eda M\u00e9dica y Farmac\u00e9utica, Centro de Investigaci\u00f3n y Asistencia en Tecnolog\u00eda y Dise\u00f1o del Estado de Jalisco, Normalistas 800, Colinas de la Normal, Guadalajara 44270, Jalisco, Mexico"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Oscar Alejandro","family":"Albarr\u00e1n-Vel\u00e1zquez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Unidad de Investigaci\u00f3n, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Aut\u00f3noma de Mexico, Universidad 3000, Copilco, Coyoac\u00e1n, Ciudad de M\u00e9xico 04510, Mexico"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Mar\u00eda de los \u00c1ngeles","family":"Beltr\u00e1n-Ju\u00e1rez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Departamento de Investigaci\u00f3n y Desarrollo, Sanfer Salud Animal, 7 Norte 416, Centro, Tehuac\u00e1n 75700, Puebla, Mexico"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8392-4919","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ren\u00e9","family":"Segura-Vel\u00e1zquez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Unidad de Investigaci\u00f3n, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Aut\u00f3noma de Mexico, Universidad 3000, Copilco, Coyoac\u00e1n, Ciudad de M\u00e9xico 04510, Mexico"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Sara Elisa","family":"Herrera-Rodr\u00edguez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Unidad Sureste, Centro de Investigaci\u00f3n y Asistencia en Tecnolog\u00eda y Dise\u00f1o del Estado de Jalisco, km 5.5 Carretera Sierra Papacal-Chuburn\u00e1, Chuburn\u00e1, M\u00e9rida 97302, Yucat\u00e1n, Mexico"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5772-3950","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Abel","family":"Guti\u00e9rrez-Ortega","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Unidad de Biotecnolog\u00eda M\u00e9dica y Farmac\u00e9utica, Centro de Investigaci\u00f3n y Asistencia en Tecnolog\u00eda y Dise\u00f1o del Estado de Jalisco, Normalistas 800, Colinas de la Normal, Guadalajara 44270, Jalisco, Mexico"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8201-9669","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jos\u00e9 Iv\u00e1n","family":"S\u00e1nchez-Betancourt","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Departamento de Medicina y Zootecnia de Cerdos, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Aut\u00f3noma de Mexico, Universidad 3000, Copilco, Coyoac\u00e1n, Ciudad de M\u00e9xico 04510, Mexico"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,24]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"217","DOI":"10.1017\/S1466252310000162","article-title":"Epidemiology and horizontal transmission of porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2)","volume":"11","author":"Patterson","year":"2010","journal-title":"Anim. 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