An effective way to protect against influenza infection is through vaccination with attenuated influenza virus. However, due to reassortment, co-infection of an individual with a live attenuated vaccine strain and a wild-type strain of influenza may enable formulation of replication-competent virus carrying the vaccine derived hemagglutinin, to which an infected person would likely be naïve. Thus, there is a need to develop methods of preventing or limiting reassortment of vaccine strains of influenza virus with wild-type influenza viruses.
Dr. Palese and colleagues have engineered chimeric influenza virus gene segments which by swapping the packaging regions limit reassortment and are useful in the production of recombinant influenza viruses. Recombinant influenza viruses produced using this technology may reduce the potential for reassortment and thus provide for safer vaccines for the prevention and treatment of influenza.
Current Development Status
- In vitro studies
Applications
- Production of recombinant influenza viruses as potential influenza vaccine candidates
Advantages
- Reduced ability or inability of recombinant viruses to reassort with other influenza viruses to improve the safety of the recombinant viruses as live attenuated vaccines
Publications
- Gao et al “Rewiring the RNAs of influenza virus to prevent reassortment” PNAS 106/37 15891-15896
- Hai et al “A Reassortment-Incompetent Live Attenuated Influenza Virus Vaccine for Protection against Pandemic Virus Strains” J. Virol. 85/14 8832-8843
Patent Status
- International Application PCT/US2010/043697 filed July 29, 2010
- Status: Pending. International Publication No. WO 2011/014645
- European Application No. 10748161.6 filed July 29, 2010
- Status: Published. EP Publication No. EP2459585
- Canadian Application No. 2,805,505 filed July 29, 2010
- Status: Pending
- Japanese Application 2012-523037 filed July 29, 2010
- Status: Pending
- Hong Kong (EPC) Application No. 12112359.6 filed March 11, 2012
- Status: Pending. Publication No. HK1171464
- US Utility Application 13/387,485 filed June 1, 2012
- Status: Issued. US Patent No. 8,828,406
Contact
Alan Belicha, PhD
Business Development Manager
Mount Sinai Innovation Partners | Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Phone: 646.605.7306