ARS | Publication request: Develop of new candidate H5N1 vaccine virus for pre-pandemic vaccine

Submitted to: Options for the Control of Influenza Conference
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: April 1, 2007
Publication Date: June 17, 2007
Citation: Dong, J., Matsuoka, Y., Swayne, D.E., Yu, H., Shu, Y., Donis, R., Cox, N. 2007. Develop of new candidate H5N1 vaccine virus for pre-pandemic vaccine [abstract]. In: Abstracts of the Conference on the Options for the Control of Influenza VI, June 17-23, 2007, Toronto, Canada. p. 137.

Technical Abstract: Abstract This study describes the development of new candidate H5N1 vaccine by reverse genetics. Anhui/01/2005(H5N1)-PR8-IBCDC-RG5 (Anhui/PR8) virus was produced under the condition in compliance with Good Laboratory Practice (GLP). The virus contains 6 internal genes from A/Puerto Rico/8/34 (PR8) and the NA and modified HA genes from A/Anhui/01/2005(H5N1). The reassortant virus was rescued by transfection of plasmid DNAs into certified Vero cells. The HA and NA genes of rescued virus are identical to those of the parental virus except for the modified HA cleavage site where 4 basic amino acid residues were removed. The reassortant virus was trypsin-dependent for the formation of plaques in chicken embryo fibroblast (CEF) cells. The virus was also tested in mammalian (ferrets) and avian (chickens) hosts and was confirmed to be non-pathogenic. Thus Anhui/PR8 is suitable as a pre-pandemic vaccine candidate for the subsequent human safety study.