A Lassa Fever Live-Attenuated Vaccine Based on Codon Deoptimization of the Viral Glycoprotein Gene.

ABSTRACT: Lassa virus (LASV) is endemic in Western Africa and is estimated to infect hundreds of thousands of individuals annually. A considerable number of these infections result in Lassa fever (LF), which is associated with significant morbidity and a case-fatality rate as high as 69% among hospitalized confirmed patients. U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved LF vaccines are not available. Current antiviral treatment is limited to off-label use of a nucleoside analogue, ribavirin, that is only partially effective and associated with significant side effects. We generated and characterized a recombinant LASV expressing a codon-deoptimized (CD) glycoprotein precursor gene (GPC), rLASV-GPC/CD. Comparison of growth kinetics and peak titers showed that rLASV-GPC/CD is slightly attenuated in cell

SUBMITTER: Cai Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7042690 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature