戊型肝炎(hepatitis E，HE)是全球最主要的病毒性肝炎之一，由戊型肝炎病毒(hepatitis E virus, HEV ) 感染导致。因为HEV不能在体外细胞培养体系中有效生长，因此HEV灭活或减毒活疫苗的研制不可行。目前HEV疫苗研究主要集中在有免疫原性的重组病毒衣壳蛋白上。HEV的开放读码框架2编码的蛋白为病毒衣壳蛋白，可在体外自行组装成病毒样颗粒（virus-like particle, VLP），形成的VLP在动物和人体中均可诱导产生高滴度的保护性抗体，是理想的预防性疫苗组分。此文就HEV的流行病学、HEV VLP的形成机制和结构特征及其VLP疫苗的研究现状作一综述。

Hepatitis E (HE) is one of the most important viral hepatitis in the world，which is caused by hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection. Because HEV does not grow adequately in cell cultures in vitro, the development of a vaccine based on inactivated or attenuated wholevirus particles is not feasible. HEV vaccines currently under study are based on recombinant proteins derived from immunogenic parts of the HEV capsid gene. HEV virus-like particle(VLP) can be self-assembled from HEV capsid protein encoded by open reading frame 2 in vitro, and induces high titers of protective antibodies in animal models and human beings, thus being perfect prophylactic vaccine component. This review discusses epidemiology of HEV,  formation mechanism and structure characteristics of HEV VLP, as well as current status of HEV VLP vaccines.