Sequence diversity of Jeryl Lynn strain of mumps virus: quantitative mutant analysis for vaccine quality control.

The Jeryl Lynn strain of mumps vaccine live (MVL) was developed in 1966 by Merck Co. and has been widely used in the U.S.

Quantitative mutant analysis of viral quasispecies by chip-based matrix-assisted laser desorption/ ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

RNA viruses exist as quasispecies, heterogeneous and dynamic mixtures of mutants having one or more consensus sequences. An adequate description of the genomic structure of such viral populations must include the consensus sequence(s) plus a quantitative assessment of sequence heterogeneities. For example, in quality control of live attenuated viral vaccines, the presence of even small quantities of mutants or revertants may indicate incomplete or unstable attenuation that may influence vaccine safety.

Experimental gene therapy: the transfer of Tat-inducible interferon genes protects human cells against HIV-1 challenge in vitro and in vivo in severe combined immunodeficient mice.

Objectives: To evaluate in vitro and in vivo a strategy for gene therapy for AIDS based on the transfer on interferon (IFN)-alpha, -beta and -gamma genes to human cells.

Design: Human U937 promonocytic cells were stably transfected with Tat-inducible IFN expression vectors conferring an antiviral state against infection with HIV.

Methods: Transfected cells were either infected by HIV-1 in vitro or transplanted into severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice for an HIV challenge in vivo.

Comparative study of poliovirus excretion after vaccination of infants with two oral polio vaccines prepared on Vero cells or on primary monkey kidney cells.

A comparative study was designed to assess the bioequivalence of 2 oral poliovaccines (OPV) produced on 2 different cell systems: primary monkey kidney (PMK) cells and the Vero cell line. The Vero cell line has been used to overcome the problem of obtaining a regular supply of high quality monkeys that are devoid of latent viruses. For this study, 9 children were vaccinated with PMK-OPV and 12 children with Vero-OPV.

Geographical subtypes demonstrated by RFLP following PCR in the LTR region of HTLV-I.

It has been demonstrated that specific mutations, localized in the long terminal repeat (LTR) region of HTLV-I, allowed to propose the existence of three HTLV-I subtypes. Because some of these mutations created or suppressed the restriction sites for ApaI, NdeI, DraI, SacI, MaeIII, and MaeII enzymes, these endonucleases were used for characterization of further 30 HTLV-I isolates. Seventeen proviral DNA from Japan, five from the Caribbean, one each from French Guyana, the United States, and China, two from Ivory Coast, and three from Zaire were tested.