Modified viral particles with immunogenic properties and reduced lipid content

A modified HIV viral particle comprising a partially delipidated HIV viral particle comprising:

• a viral envelope with a lower cholesterol content than a cholesterol content in a viral envelope of an unmodified HIV viral particle, wherein a cholesterol to total protein ratio in the modified HIV viral particle is reduced no more than 60% as compared to a cholesterol to total protein ratio in the unmodified HIV viral particle, and,
• a different buoyant density than the unmodified HIV viral particle,
• wherein the lower cholesterol content is obtained by a process consisting essentially of treating an HIV viral particle with an organic solvent that is not a detergent or a surfactant.

A modified HIV viral particle comprising a partially delipidated HIV viral particle comprising:

• a viral envelope with a lower cholesterol content than a cholesterol content in a viral envelope of an unmodified HIV viral particle, wherein the cholesterol content in the modified HIV viral particle is reduced no more than 54% as compared to a cholesterol content in the unmodified HIV viral particle,
• wherein the lower cholesterol content is obtained by a process consisting essentially of treating an HIV viral particle with an organic solvent that is not a detergent or a surfactant.

An antigen delivery vehicle obtained by a method comprising the steps of:

• receiving a plurality of viral particles in a fluid, each viral particle having a viral envelope containing lipid, wherein the viral particles are immunodeficiency virus or coronavirus;
• exposing the viral particles to a delipidation process to create modified viral particles, the delipidation process consisting essentially of treating the viral particles with 0.5% to 2.5% ether, wherein the delipidation process decreases the lipid content of the viral envelope and exposes at least one antigen,
• wherein the modified viral particle comprises patient specific antigens.

A composition comprising at least a partially delipidated HIV viral particle comprising an envelope and having at least one exposed viral antigen that was not exposed in a non-delipidated HIV viral particle, wherein the partially delipidated viral particle is immunogenic, has a ratio of μg of cholesterol relative to μg of total protein of at least 0.06, and wherein the partially delipidated HIV viral particle is obtained by a process consisting essentially of treating an HIV viral particle with an organic solvent that is not a detergent or a surfactant.

A modified viral particle comprising a partially delipidated viral particle, wherein the partially delipidated viral particle is immunodeficiency virus or coronavirus, is immunogenic and comprises an envelope with proteins and a lower lipid content as compared to an envelope in an unmodified viral particle, wherein the partially delipidated viral particle is obtained by a delipidation process consisting essentially of treating viral particles with an organic solvent which is not a detergent or a surfactant, and wherein the delipidation process decreases the lipid content of the viral envelope and exposes at least one antigen.

A modified HIV viral particle comprising a partially delipidated HIV viral particle, wherein the partially delipidated HIV viral particle is immunogenic and comprises an envelope with proteins and a lower lipid content as compared to an envelope in an unmodified HIV viral particle, and wherein the lower lipid content is obtained by a process consisting essentially of treating an HIV viral particle with an organic solvent that is not a detergent or a surfactant, the partially delipidated HIV viral particle having a lower cholesterol to total protein ratio than the unmodified HIV viral particle.