The live attenuated yellow fever vaccine 17D was found as early as 1936 by M. Theiler of the Rockfeller Foundation. This strain of yellow fever is still the only one used today. The experience acquired with this vaccine has led to various changes in its composition: use of the seed lot system (in 1941) following the accidents observed in Brazil; elimination of human plasma as stabilising agent because of hepatitis B transmission (1942); preparation of a vaccine free of avian leukemia; perfection of a thermostable vaccine (1984). These various successive improvements resulted in one of the most effective vaccines. Over the past years, different ways of improving the vaccine have been envisaged: change of cellular substrate, purifications, development of a new vaccine through genetical engineering. We will review these different approaches in order to gauge their advantages and drawbacks both from a legislative and pharmaceutical point of view. It has been recently suggested that an infected cDNA clone from the 17D strain be used as a yellow fever vaccine or as a gene-vector for other flaviviruses. This most promising approach raises questions, notably ones of security and legislation which we will discuss.
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J Biol Chem
January 2025
Institute of Virology, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany. Electronic address:
Orthoflaviviruses are emerging arthropod-borne pathogens whose replication cycle is tightly linked to host lipid metabolism. Previous lipidomic studies demonstrated that infection with the closely related hepatitis C virus (HCV) changes the fatty acid (FA) profile of several lipid classes. Lipids in HCV-infected cells had more very long-chain and desaturated FAs and viral replication relied on functional FA elongation and desaturation.
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Post-Graduate Program in Infectious Diseases, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Vitória 29047-105, Espírito Santo State, Brazil.
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Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami/UHealth, Miami, FL 33136, USA.
Flaviviruses are a diverse group of viruses primarily transmitted through hematophagous insects like mosquitoes and ticks. Significant expansion in the geographic range, prevalence, and vectors of flavivirus over the last 50 years has led to a dramatic increase in infections that can manifest as hemorrhagic fever or encephalitis, leading to prolonged morbidity and mortality. Millions of infections every year pose a serious threat to worldwide public health, encouraging scientists to develop a better understanding of the pathophysiology and immune evasion mechanisms of these viruses for vaccine development and antiviral therapy.
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Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 5508-900, Brazil.
Dengue fever, caused by the dengue virus (DENV), poses a significant global health challenge, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions. Recent increases in indigenous DENV cases in Europe are concerning, reflecting rising incidence linked to climate change and the spread of mosquitoes. These vectors thrive under environmental conditions like temperature and humidity, which are increasingly influenced by climate change.
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Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, La Jolla, San Diego, CA 92093-0657, USA.
Dengue, West Nile, Zika, Yellow fever, and Japanese encephalitis viruses persist as significant global health threats. The development of new therapeutic strategies based on inhibiting essential viral enzymes or viral-host protein interactions is problematic due to the fast mutation rate and rapid emergence of drug resistance. This study focuses on the NS2B-NS3 protease as a promising target for antiviral drug development.
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