Experimental VLP vaccine displaying a furin antigen elicits production of autoantibodies and is well tolerated in mice.

Proprotein convertase (PCSK) enzymes serve a wide range of regulatory roles in mammals, for example in metabolism and immunity, and altered activity of PCSKs is associated with disorders, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. Inhibition of PCSK9 activity with therapeutic antibodies or small interfering RNAs is used in the clinic to lower blood cholesterol, and RNA interference -based silencing of () is being evaluated in clinical trials as a cancer treatment. Inhibiting these proteins through vaccine-induced autoantibodies could be a patient-friendly way to reduce the frequency of intervention and the overall price of treatment.