NAction! How Can Neuraminidase-Based Immunity Contribute to Better Influenza Virus Vaccines?

ABSTRACT: Neuraminidase is one of the two surface glycoproteins of influenza A and B viruses. It has enzymatic activity that cleaves terminal sialic acid from glycans, and that activity is essential at several points in the virus life cycle. While neuraminidase is a major target for influenza antivirals, it is largely ignored in vaccine development. Current inactivated influenza virus vaccines might contain neuraminidase, but the antigen quantity and quality are varied and not standardized. While there are data that show a protective role of anti-neuraminidase immunity, many questions remain unanswered. These questions, among others, concern the targeted epitopes or antigenic sites, the potential for antigenic drift, and, connected to that, the breadth of protection, differences in induction of immu

SUBMITTER: Krammer F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5885027 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature