Application of real-time PCR to significantly reduce the time to obtain recombinant MVA virus

Development of a Universal Epitope-Based Influenza Vaccine and Evaluation of Its Effectiveness in Mice

Vaccination is an effective and economically viable means of protection against the influenza virus, but due to rapid viral evolution, modern seasonal vaccines are not effective enough. Next-generation vaccines are designed to provide protection against a wide range of influenza virus strains, including pandemic variants. In our work, we made an epitope-based universal vaccine, rMVA-k1-k2, against the influenza virus based on the modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA) vector and using our own algorithms to select epitopes from conserved fragments of the NP, M1 and HA proteins of influenza A and B. We show that double immunization protects mice with a 67% or greater efficiency against viral influenza pneumonia when infected with various strains of the H1N1, H2N2, H3N2 and H5N1 subtypes of influenza A. In animals, the level of protection provided by the rMVA-k1-k2 vaccine was comparable to that provided by the universal M001 and MVA-NP+M1 (Invictus) vaccines, which have shown success in clinical trials, against strains of the H1N1 and H3N2 subtypes.

Comparison of Recombinant MVA Selection Methods Based on F13L, D4R and K1L Genes

Modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA) is a promising vaccine vector due to its highly attenuated phenotype and good immunogenicity. However, obtaining a new recombinant MVA remains a tedious and laborious procedure involving many rounds of plaque purification. Recombinant MVA generation can be greatly improved and facilitated by different selection techniques. Here, we describe a comparison between techniques based on K1L, F13L and D4R genes.