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Uses of vaccinia virus as a vector for the production of live recombinant vaccines
Author(s) -
Smith Geoffrey L.,
Moss Bernard
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
bioessays
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.175
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1521-1878
pISSN - 0265-9247
DOI - 10.1002/bies.950010308
Subject(s) - vaccinia , virology , virus , biology , smallpox , gene , immune system , recombinant dna , orthopoxvirus , recombinant virus , infectious disease (medical specialty) , genome , pathogen , poxviridae , smallpox vaccine , vector (molecular biology) , vaccination , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics , disease , medicine , pathology
Vaccinia virus, the world's oldest vaccine, was used originally for the eradication of smallpox. It is now being genetically engineered to create new live vaccines for use against other infectious agents of medical and veterinary importance. Genes coding for antigens of several pathogens have been linked to vaccinia virus transcriptional regulatory signals and inserted into the vaccinia virus genome. The resultant recombinant viruses are infectious, express the foreign gene, stimulate specific immune responses in vaccinated animals and can protect against disease caused by the corresponding pathogen.