@article{mbs:/content/journal/jgv/10.1099/0022-1317-75-8-2075, author = "Rose, Robert C. and Reichman, Richard C. and Bonnez, William", title = "Human papillomavirus (HPV) type 11 recombinant virus-like particles induce the formation of neutralizing antibodies and detect HPV-specific antibodies in human sera", journal= "Journal of General Virology", year = "1994", volume = "75", number = "8", pages = "2075-2079", doi = "https://doi.org/10.1099/0022-1317-75-8-2075", url = "https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/jgv/10.1099/0022-1317-75-8-2075", publisher = "Microbiology Society", issn = "1465-2099", type = "Journal Article", abstract = "Recombinant human papillomavirus type 11 (HPV-11) virus-like particles (VLPs) were tested for their ability to induce the formation of neutralizing antibodies, and were also tested for serodiagnostic capabilities in an ELISA in comparison with HPV-11 whole virions. VLPs, purified by CsCl density gradient centrifugation from the cell-free supernatant of Ac 11 LI-infected Sf9 suspension cell cultures, were used to immunize rabbits and anti-VLP antibodies were tested in the athymic mouse model of HPV-11 infection. Pretreatment of infectious HPV-11 virions with the immune serum of VLP-treated animals caused a marked reduction of graft growth (P < 10−4) and viral gene expression (P < 10 −4), similar to the effects obtained using whole virion postimmune serum, and consistent with immune neutralization. To assess the serodiagnostic capabilities of VLPs, a VLP ELISA was developed and used to analyse sera that were tested previously in an HPV-11 whole virion ELISA. Specific antibodies were detected in 49% of patients’ sera (P = 2 × 10−4), and individual VLP sero- reactivities correlated with those previously obtained using whole virions as the antigen (r = 0·87; P < 10−6). These results indicate that recombinant VLPs can be used to elicit a neutralizing antibody response, and can substitute faithfully for native virions in the development of HPV-serodiagnostic immunoassays.", }