Live, attenuated influenza A H5N1 candidate vaccines provide broad cross-protection in mice and ferrets.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Recent outbreaks of highly pathogenic influenza A H5N1 viruses in humans and avian species that began in Asia and have spread to other continents underscore an urgent need to develop vaccines that would protect the human population in the event of a pandemic.

Methods and findings

Live, attenuated candidate vaccines possessing genes encoding a modified H5 hemagglutinin (HA) and a wild-type (wt) N1 neuraminidase from influenza A H5N1 viruses isolated in Hong Kong and Vietnam in 1997, 2003, and 2004, and remaining gene segments derived from the cold-adapted (ca) influenza A vaccine donor strain, influenza A/Ann Arbor/6/60 ca (H2N2), were generated by reverse genetics. The H5N1 ca vaccine viruses required trypsin for efficient growth in vitro, as predicted by the modi

SUBMITTER: Suguitan AL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1564176 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature