Influenza immunization: clinical studies with ether-split subunit vaccines.

Clinical studies of ether-split influenza antigen vaccines have been in progress for almost a decade. One series of such studies, completed before the Hong Kong virus appeared, compared identically constituted conventional and antigen vaccines for serological effectiveness in 1700 vaccinees from the staff of a metropolitan hospital. A series of 6 annual trials included both "old" subjects (vaccinated the previous year) and "new" subjects (no vaccination the previous year).

Antiviral activity of carbobenzosy di- and tripeptides on measles virus.

A series of simple carbobenzoxy peptides showed high and consistent antiviral chemotherapeutic activity in cell culture. In general, greatest activity was found against the measles-distemper or herpesvirus groups, or both, but various representatives of the series had quantitatively and qualitatively different antiviral activities. Several of the compounds, showing the highest antimeasles activity, were investigated extensively.

Inactivation of adenovirus and simian virus 40 tumorigenicity in hamsters by vaccine processing methods.

The effectiveness of the adenovirus vaccine inactivation process in destroying the tumorigenic potential for hamsters of adenoviruses, simian virus 40 (SV-40), and adenovirus-SV-40 hybrids was studied. Baby hamsters injected with untreated virus and with samples subjected to the complete inactivation process and to portions of the process were observed for tumor development for periods in excess of 300 days. Over 20,000 hamsters were injected.

Antiviral effect of guanidine.

It has been found that soluble guanidine salts show an antiviral effect on poliovirus and on some other enteroviruses. The activity was first detected in a cell culture screening system when the guanidine salt of hydroxyaminomethylene malononitrile inhibited the cytopathic effect of poliovirus in cell cultures. The studies were extended to various in vivo experiments in which the suggestive therapeutic activity of guanidine salts was again observed in monkeys infected with poliovirus.