From caterpillars to vaccines: how vaccines are produced using insect cells and baculoviruses

Authors

  • Francisca Villanueva-Flores Centro de Investigación en Ciencia Aplicada y Tecnología Avanzada, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Boulevard de la Tecnología, 1036 Z-1, P 2/2, 62790 Atlacholoaya, Morelos, México.
  • Igor Garcia-Atutxa Universidad Católica de Murcia (UCAM), Av. de los Jerónimos, 135, 30107, Murcia, España. https://orcid.org/0009-0002-1551-2685

Keywords:

Insect cells, baculovirus, vaccines, recombinant protein

Abstract

Can you imagine a small caterpillar helping us produce vaccines? This is now a reality thanks to the insect cell-baculovirus system, which can produce proteins used in current vaccines. In products such as the recombinant influenza vaccine Flublok®, this system avoids the use of embryonated eggs and enables antigen production through recombinant biotechnology. Insect cell-based technologies have also been used in approved vaccines against influenza, HPV, and COVID-19, and they are being explored to produce other proteins of biomedical interest.

References

Paz-Cortés, E., Pastor, A. R., Salinas-Marín, R., Ramírez, O. T., & Palomares, L. A. (2025). Molecular characterization of the effects of heat shock on the infection cycle progression and productivity of the baculovirus expression vector system. PloS one, 20(4), e0320917. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0320917

Cox, M. M. J. (2012). Recombinant protein vaccines produced in insect cells. Vaccine, 30(10), 1759-1766. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2012.01.016

Felberbaum, R. S. (2015). The baculovirus expression vector system: A commercial manufacturing platform for viral vaccines and gene therapy vectors. Biotechnology Journal, 10(5), 702-714. https://doi.org/10.1002/biot.201400438

Palomares, L. A., Estrada-Mondaca, S., & Ramírez, O. T. (2004). Production of recombinant proteins: challenges and solutions. In R. I. Freshney & G. N. Stacey (Eds.), Culture of Animal Cells: A Manual of Basic Technique and Specialized Applications (6th ed., pp. 669-692). Wiley.

Treanor JJ, Schiff GM, Hayden FG, Brady RC, Hay CM, Meyer AL, Holden-Wiltse J, Liang H, Gilbert A, Cox MMJ. (2007). Safety and immunogenicity of a baculovirus-expressed hemagglutinin influenza vaccine: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA, 297(14):1577–1582. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.297.14.1577

Published

2026-05-15

How to Cite

Villanueva-Flores, F., & Garcia-Atutxa, I. (2026). From caterpillars to vaccines: how vaccines are produced using insect cells and baculoviruses. Revista De divulgación científica IBIO, 8(2), 246. Retrieved from https://revistaibio.com/ojs33/index.php/main/article/view/246

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