Publications by authors named "Marianne Berger Rentsch"
Article Synopsis
- Influenza A viruses have two main antigens: hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA), with vaccines typically targeting HA, leading to insufficient NA antibody production.
- This study identified that antibodies generated against NA can effectively hinder virus spread and infection by reducing hemagglutination and blocking virus release from host cells.
- Immunizing chickens with NA-targeted vaccines significantly decreased inflammatory responses and virus shedding, highlighting the importance of including NA in influenza vaccine strategies.
Article Synopsis
- Pseudotype viruses are created by using non-harmful viruses, like vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), to study the envelope proteins of dangerous viruses, specifically avian influenza viruses in this research.*
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- The study found that VSV lacking its own glycoprotein can express influenza proteins effectively only when both hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) are produced from the same genetic Setup.*
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- This new method allows for efficient detection of neutralizing antibodies against influenza viruses without the risks associated with handling highly pathogenic strains.*
Article Synopsis
- Highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAIV) H5N1 affect domestic poultry and pose a risk to human health, as they continue to evolve and complicate diagnosis and control efforts.
- Researchers created a vaccine using modified vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) vectors that express the H5 hemagglutinin protein without the virus's G protein for better biosafety.
- The vaccine proved effective in chickens, providing full protection against H5N1, enhancing immune responses, and allowing differentiation between infected and vaccinated birds, potentially aiding in the control of avian influenza in poultry.
Article Synopsis
- * This study presents a new, faster assay using a modified vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) that measures the bioactivity of IFNs by detecting reporter proteins in infected cells.
- * The assay demonstrated sensitivity to human IFN-β and IFN-λ and was effective across multiple species, offering a safer and quicker alternative to traditional methods.
J Gen Virol
November 2010
Article Synopsis
- The vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) M protein inhibits the synthesis of type I interferon (IFN) by blocking nuclear transcription and RNA transport, which contributes to the virus's pathogenicity.
- Specific amino acid substitutions in the M protein affect IFN induction, with the M51R mutation leading to IFN production, while combinations of V221F and S226R mutations can also induce IFN by eliminating the M protein's host shut-off activity.
- The study finds that while M-mutant VSV maintains its cytotoxic properties, the G protein's fusion activity plays a key role in its cytotoxicity, highlighting the interaction between M protein and G protein in VSV's overall pathogenic effects.
