Sequential immunization with chimeric hemagglutinin ΔNS1 attenuated influenza vaccines induces broad humoral and cellular immunity.

Influenza viruses pose a threat to public health as evidenced by severe morbidity and mortality in humans on a yearly basis. Given the constant changes in the viral glycoproteins owing to antigenic drift, seasonal influenza vaccines need to be updated periodically and effectiveness often drops due to mismatches between vaccine and circulating strains. In addition, seasonal influenza vaccines are not protective against antigenically shifted influenza viruses with pandemic potential.

Evaluation of live attenuated influenza a virus h6 vaccines in mice and ferrets.

Avian influenza A virus A/teal/HK/W312/97 (H6N1) possesses seven gene segments that are highly homologous to those of highly pathogenic human influenza H5N1 viruses, suggesting that a W312-like H6N1 virus might have been involved in the generation of the A/HK/97 H5N1 viruses. The continuous circulation and reassortment of influenza H6 subtype viruses in birds highlight the need to develop an H6 vaccine to prevent potential influenza pandemics caused by the H6 viruses. Based on the serum antibody cross-reactivity data obtained from 14 different H6 viruses from Eurasian and North American lineages, A/duck/HK/182/77, A/teal/HK/W312/97, and A/mallard/Alberta/89/85 were selected to produce live attenuated H6 candidate vaccines.

Molecular studies of temperature-sensitive replication of the cold-adapted B/Ann Arbor/1/66, the master donor virus for live attenuated influenza FluMist vaccines.

Cold-adapted (ca) B/Ann Arbor/1/66 is the master donor virus for influenza B (MDV-B) vaccine component of live attenuated influenza FluMist vaccine. The six internal protein gene segments of MDV-B confer the characteristic cold-adapted (ca), temperature-sensitive (ts) and attenuated (att) phenotypes to the reassortant vaccine strains that contain the HA and NA RNA segments from the circulating wild type strains. Previously, we have mapped the loci in the NP, PA and M genes that determine the ca, ts and att phenotypes of MDV-B.

Avian influenza h6 viruses productively infect and cause illness in mice and ferrets.

Influenza pandemic preparedness has focused on influenza virus H5 and H7 subtypes. However, it is not possible to predict with certainty which subtype of avian influenza virus will cause the next pandemic, and it is prudent to include other avian influenza virus subtypes in pandemic preparedness efforts. An H6 influenza virus was identified as a potential progenitor of the H5N1 viruses that emerged in Hong Kong in 1997.

Stabilizing the glycosylation pattern of influenza B hemagglutinin following adaptation to growth in eggs.

The currently circulating influenza B viruses from both antigenic lineages contain an N-linked glycosylation site in the hemagglutinin (HA) protein at positions of 196 or 197. However, egg adaptation caused the loss of the glycosylation site that could impact virus antigenicity and vaccine efficacy. The effect of the 196/197 glycosylation site on influenza B virus growth and antigenicity was systemically evaluated in this study by the molecular approach.

Genetic mapping of the cold-adapted phenotype of B/Ann Arbor/1/66, the master donor virus for live attenuated influenza vaccines (FluMist).

Cold adapted (ca) B/Ann Arbor/1/66 is the master donor virus for the influenza B (MDV-B) vaccine component of the live attenuated influenza vaccine (FluMist). The six internal genes contributed by MDV-B confer the characteristic cold-adapted (ca), temperature-sensitive (ts) and attenuated (att) phenotypes to the vaccine strains. Previously, it has been determined that the PA and NP segments of MDV-B control the ts phenotype while the att phenotype requires the M segment in addition to PA and NP.

Tumor-specific intravenous gene delivery using oncolytic adenoviruses.

In this report, we describe a vector system that specifically delivers transgene products to tumors following intravenous (i.v.) administration.