Outer Membrane Vesicles as a Versatile Platform for Vaccine Development: Engineering Strategies, Applications and Challenges

Abstract

Outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) are nanosized vesicles naturally secreted by Gram-negative bacteria and represent a promising platform for vaccine development. OMVs possess inherent immunostimulatory properties due to the presence of pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), providing self-adjuvanting capabilities and the ability to elicit both innate and adaptive immune responses. This review outlines the advantages of OMVs over traditional vaccine strategies, including their safety, modularity, and the potential for genetic engineering to enable targeted antigen delivery. We describe approaches to enhance OMVs yield and immunogenicity, such as modifications to reduce lipopolysaccharide (LPS) toxicity and systems enabling antigen localization—either on the surface or within the lumen—using fusion constructs like ClyA, Lpp-OmpA, AIDA-I, Hbp, and Sec/Tat signal peptides. We further summarize preclinical applications of OMVs-based vaccines targeting bacterial pathogens, viral infections, and cancer. In addition, we address key challenges in large-scale production, purification, and long-term stability, and explore strategies for conjugating or encapsulating heterologous antigens. Overall, OMVs offer a versatile and scalable extracellular vesicle-based platform with strong potential for next-generation vaccines targeting diverse infectious diseases and beyond.