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| ==Possible vaccination==
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| NIAID intramural scientists pioneered the concept of creating chimeric vaccines for [[flaviviruses]] in 1992. These scientists, now led by Dr. Brian Murphy, have developed a chimeric West Nile vaccine that uses a weakened [[dengue]] virus as a backbone to carry [[genes]] for the WNV protective [[antigens]].
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| Led by Dr. Gary Nabel, researchers at the NIAID Vaccine Research Center (VRC), in collaboration with the San Diego, California-based biotechnology company Vical, Inc., have also developed investigational vaccines for preventing WNV infection. The vaccines are [[DNA]]-based.
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| In April 2005, following preclinical safety studies and viral challenge studies, the VRC initiated a Phase I clinical trial to evaluate safety, tolerability, and immune responses of a recombinant DNA vaccine in human volunteers. This trial represents the first demonstration in humans DNA vaccine to induce neutralizing antibody in a clinical trial.
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| Also in collaboration with Vical, Inc., the VRC developed a second-generation DNA vaccine using an improved vector expressing the same WNV proteins.
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| NIAID-supported researchers have developed hamster models of WNV infection (both immunocompetent and immunosuppressed hamsters) that closely mimic the human disease. Mouse models of WNV infection have also been developed. These animal models have proved useful in delineating progression of disease and are critical for evaluating the initial safety and efficacy of candidate vaccines, as well as the safety and efficacy of potential therapies. Using the hamster model, researchers were able to determine that prior infection with other related viruses may provide complete or partial immunity to WNV.
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| [[Image:WNV vaccine.jpg]]
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| ==References== | | ==References== |
Revision as of 13:03, 11 September 2014