Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation: Advances in viral inactivation and vaccine development

Abstract

Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) has gained global attention for preventing disease transmission. While UVGI technology’s utility in sterilization is well-established, there is growing interest in exploring its potential applications in vaccine development. Relevant studies are reviewed to provide a comprehensive perspective on the current state and future potential of UVGI in this domain. Specifically, this review investigates the effectiveness of UVGI in inactivating various pathogens and details the mechanisms through which different research groups have demonstrated their ability to prevent the transmission of these microbes. To the best of our knowledge, this review is the first to critically examine the feasibility of UVGI technology for vaccine development, with a focus on its potential to produce inactivated vaccines, its immunogenicity profile, and scalability. The study also identifies existing research gaps, especially in developing novel vaccines using UVGI. By doing so, we aim to provide a comprehensive understanding of how UVGI can contribute to future strategies for preventing infectious diseases.