cowpea mosaic virus

Cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV) is a non-enveloped plant virus belonging to the genus Comovirus in the family Secoviridae. It consists of two positive-sense RNA molecules (RNA-1 and RNA-2), each encapsidated separately within an icosahedral capsid composed of large and small coat proteins. While CPMV naturally infects plants, causing a characteristic "mosaic" pattern on susceptible cowpea leaves, it does not replicate in animals. In recent years, CPMV has been developed as a nanoparticle platform for biomedical applications—most notably as an immunotherapeutic agent for cancer immunotherapy via in situ vaccination. When injected intratumorally, CPMV particles stimulate potent antitumor immune responses by activating multiple MyD88-dependent toll-like receptors (TLR2, TLR4 on the capsid; TLR7 via encapsulated single-stranded RNA), leading to cytokine production and recruitment/activation of antigen-presenting cells such as dendritic cells and neutrophils. These properties make CPMV a promising candidate for use as an adjuvant or direct immunostimulant in cancer therapy[1][3][6][9]. Additionally, its well-characterized structure allows surface modification for targeted delivery or imaging applications[1][8].

Other names

cowpea mosaic comovirusCPMV