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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Microbiol.

Sec. Virology

Optimally fixed F protein on the surface of RSV-infected cells for RSV binding and neutralizing assays

Provisionally accepted
Hongsheng QiangHongsheng Qiang1*Yujin ShiYujin Shi2Zemin JiangZemin Jiang2Yuhao FuYuhao Fu2Xiaobin ZhangXiaobin Zhang2Li ChenLi Chen2Yangling WuYangling Wu3Yongpeng SunYongpeng Sun2Zizheng ZhengZizheng Zheng2,4Ningshao XiaNingshao Xia2
  • 1Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
  • 2Xiamen University School of Public Health, Xiamen, China
  • 3The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
  • 4Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, China

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Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) presents a significant global public health challenge, contributing substantially to the disease burden worldwide. As numerous F protein-based vaccine candidates advance into clinical trials, robust evaluation methods are essential. Here, we developed a cell-based ELISA platform to rapidly evaluate serum antibody responses to these vaccines. By treating RSV-infected cells with 4% formaldehyde or 60% methanol, the cell-surface F proteins were stabilized in the prefusion (pre-F) or postfusion (post-F) conformations, respectively. This platform efficiently determines the binding and neutralizing activities of post-immunization serum antibodies, providing an effective method for evaluating the efficacy of RSV vaccine candidates.

Keywords: binding antibody titer, Cell-based ELISA, F protein, Neutralizing antibody titer, RSV

Received: 19 Dec 2025; Accepted: 09 Feb 2026.

Copyright: © 2026 Qiang, Shi, Jiang, Fu, Zhang, Chen, Wu, Sun, Zheng and Xia. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence: Hongsheng Qiang

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

Supplementary Material