The disclosure relates to a fusion protein comprising at least a first and a second peptide, wherein —the second peptide comprises a targeting region and a first and a second interaction region, —the second peptide is located on the surface of the fusion protein; —the second peptide comprises at least two interaction pairs, wherein an interaction pair is formed by an amino acid of the first interaction region and an amino acid of the second interaction region, —the interaction between the amino acids of an interaction pair is covalent or non-covalent; and —at least one interaction pair is a covalent interaction pair in which the amino acids are covalently bound, and to virus like particles (VLP) comprising the fusion protein for use as drug delivery system. Also provided are polynucleotides encoding the fusion protein, suitable expression vectors, host cells, production methods for the fusion protein and the VLP comprising the fusion protein.

Disclosed herein are methods of eliciting an immune response against a polyomavirus (for example, BKV serotype I (BKV-I), BKV serotype II (BKV-II), BKV serotype III (BKV-III) and/or BKV serotype IV (BKV-IV)) and methods of treating or inhibiting polyomavirus-associated pathology (such as polyomavirus-associated nephropathy, BKV-associated hemorrhagic cystitis, or JC virus-associated progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy; PML). Further disclosed are immunogenic compositions of use in the disclosed methods. Also disclosed are methods of selecting an organ transplant donor and/or recipient including detecting whether the prospective donor and/or recipient has BKV serotype-specific (such as BKV serotype IV-specific) neutralizing antibodies.

The invention relates to virus like particles (VLP) associated with a lysosomal enzyme or an expression vector encoding a lysosomal enzyme which are used in a method for the treatment of a lysosomal storage disease. The invention also relates to a pharmaceutical composition for use in a method for the treatment of a lysosomal storage disease, to an expression vector encoding a lysosomal enzyme and to a method of associating a VLP with an expression vector encoding a lysosomal enzyme.

The disclosure relates to a fusion protein comprising a VP1 binding protein and an exogenous peptide, wherein the exogenous peptide comprises a cargo-securing peptide (CSP) and/or an endosome translocating peptide (ETP) and to virus like particles (VLP) comprising the fusion protein for use as drug delivery system. Also provided are polynucleotides encoding the fusion protein, suitable expression vectors, host cells, production methods for the fusion protein and the VLP comprising the fusion protein.

The present invention relates to the field of vaccination or immunization, in particular therapeutic vaccination, and diagnosis. Pharmaceutical compositions and kits capable of eliciting a protective immune response against polyoma virus JC (JCV) are disclosed, which may be used e.g., for therapy or for prevention of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) and/or progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy-immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (PML-IRIS). Individuals in danger of such PML or PML-IRIS may, e.g., be immuno-compromised or immunosuppressed patients or patients having an autoimmune disease eligible for immunosuppressive treatment. The invention also relates to compositions comprising at least one CD4+ epitope of a JCV protein and to therapeutic, prophylactic and diagnostic uses thereof.

Disclosed herein are methods of eliciting an immune response against a polyomavirus (for example, BKV serotype I (BKV-I), BKV serotype II (BKV-II), BKV serotype III (BKV-III) and/or BKV serotype IV (BKV-IV)) and methods of treating or inhibiting polyomavirus-associated pathology (such as polyomavirus-associated nephropathy, BKV-associated hemorrhagic cystitis, or JC virus-associated progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy; PML). Further disclosed are immunogenic compositions of use in the disclosed methods. Also disclosed are methods of selecting an organ transplant donor and/or recipient including detecting whether the prospective donor and/or recipient has BKV serotype-specific (such as BKV serotype IV-specific) neutralizing antibodies.

A method for ex vivo transduction of biomolecules from viruses, viral vectors or virus-like particles into target cells and microbubbles for use in this method. A quantity of viruses, viral vectors or virus-like particles and target cells are bound to flexible lipid shell microbubbles, bringing these into close proximity to each other that allows viral transduction, transferring biomolecules from the viruses, viral vectors or virus-like particles into the target cells while the viruses, viral vectors or virus-like particles and the target cells are bound to the microbubbles.

The invention relates to virus like particles (VLP) associated with an enzyme abnormally expressed in particular leukodystrophies or an expression vector encoding the enzyme or an mRNA encoding the enzyme or a combination thereof which are used in a method for the treatment of the particular leukodystrophies in a subject in the need thereof, preferably a human. The invention also relates to a pharmaceutical composition for use in a method for the treatment of the particular leukodystrophies, to an expression vector encoding the abnormally expressed enzyme and to a method of associating a VLP with the enzyme, an expression vector encoding the enzyme or an mRNA encoding the enzyme or a combination thereof.

The invention relates to a method for providing a virus-like particle (VLP) derived from John Cunningham virus (JCV), relates to a VLP associated with a cargo, in particular a protein, and a drug delivery system (DDS) obtainable by said method, in particular for crossing the blood brain barrier (BBB), and a VLP containing composition. The method comprises steps of disassembly of VLP into pentamers, inducing the pentamers to aggregate and reassembly into VLP.

The invention relates to VLP derived from human polyoma virus loaded with a drug (cargo) as a drug delivery system for transporting said drug into the CNS, in particular of living humans.