Protection against lethal vaccinia virus infection in mice using an siRNA targeting the A5R gene.

Background: Although the World Health Organization has declared the eradication of smallpox in 1980, the fear of its potential use in bioterrorism has become a reality. Since the effectiveness of current vaccines and antiviral drugs is limited, development of new therapeutic strategies is needed. In this study, we investigated small interfering RNA (siRNA) as a therapeutic approach for preventing and treating smallpox infection.