Abstract

Poxviruses comprise a large family of complex DNA viruses that have vertebrate and invertebrate hosts. Two poxviruses, variola virus and molluscum contagiosum virus, are specific human pathogens. Variola virus was the cause of smallpox until the latter was eradicated but is still feared because of potential use a biological weapon. Molluscum contagiosum virus causes benign skin lesions in immunocompetent infants and a more severe and widespread disease in immunodeficient adults. In addition, several animal poxviruses can be transmitted to humans as zoonosis. The most serious of these is monkeypox, which has an estimated human mortality of about 10%. The poxviruses express a large number of host immune evasion genes that contribute to virulence. The purpose of this project is to increase our understanding of poxvirus pathogenesis and the basis for immunity to poxviruses.

  Funding Agency

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Type
Intramural Research (Z01)
Project #
1Z01AI000979-01
Application #
7315115
Study Section
(LVD)
Project Start
Project End
Budget Start
Budget End
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2006
Total Cost
Indirect Cost

  Institution

Name
Niaid Extramural Activities
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
State
Country
United States
Zip Code

  Publications

Shinoda, Kaori; Wyatt, Linda S; Irvine, Kari R et al. (2009) Engineering the vaccinia virus L1 protein for increased neutralizing antibody response after DNA immunization. Virol J 6:28
Senkevich, Tatiana G; Wyatt, Linda S; Weisberg, Andrea S et al. (2008) A conserved poxvirus NlpC/P60 superfamily protein contributes to vaccinia virus virulence in mice but not to replication in cell culture. Virology 374:506-14
Nelson, Gretchen E; Sisler, Jerry R; Chandran, Dev et al. (2008) Vaccinia virus entry/fusion complex subunit A28 is a target of neutralizing and protective antibodies. Virology 380:394-401
Fogg, Christiana N; Americo, Jeffrey L; Earl, Patricia L et al. (2008) Disparity between levels of in vitro neutralization of vaccinia virus by antibody to the A27 protein and protection of mice against intranasal challenge. J Virol 82:8022-9
Earl, Patricia L; Americo, Jeffrey L; Wyatt, Linda S et al. (2007) Recombinant modified vaccinia virus Ankara provides durable protection against disease caused by an immunodeficiency virus as well as long-term immunity to an orthopoxvirus in a non-human primate. Virology 366:84-97
Nigam, Pragati; Earl, Patricia L; Americo, Jeffrey L et al. (2007) DNA/MVA HIV-1/AIDS vaccine elicits long-lived vaccinia virus-specific immunity and confers protection against a lethal monkeypox challenge. Virology 366:73-83
Fogg, Christiana N; Americo, Jeffrey L; Lustig, Shlomo et al. (2007) Adjuvant-enhanced antibody responses to recombinant proteins correlates with protection of mice and monkeys to orthopoxvirus challenges. Vaccine 25:2787-99
Chen, Zhaochun; Earl, Patricia; Americo, Jeffrey et al. (2006) Chimpanzee/human mAbs to vaccinia virus B5 protein neutralize vaccinia and smallpox viruses and protect mice against vaccinia virus. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 103:1882-7
Lustig, Shlomo; Fogg, Christiana; Whitbeck, J Charles et al. (2005) Combinations of polyclonal or monoclonal antibodies to proteins of the outer membranes of the two infectious forms of vaccinia virus protect mice against a lethal respiratory challenge. J Virol 79:13454-62
Aldaz-Carroll, Lydia; Whitbeck, J Charles; Ponce de Leon, Manuel et al. (2005) Physical and immunological characterization of a recombinant secreted form of the membrane protein encoded by the vaccinia virus L1R gene. Virology 341:59-71

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