title: Immunization of monkeys with rabies ribonucleoprotein (RNP) confers protective immunity against rabies.
abstract: The ability of rabies virus ribonucleoprotein (RNP) to induce protective immunity against rabies and to prime for production of virus-neutralizing antibodies (VNA) was studied in monkeys. Following two immunizations with RNP, monkeys developed a strong anti-RNP response and were protected against a challenge infection with a lethal dose of street rabies virus. Monkeys that were primed with RNP and then immunized with a single dose of human diploid cell vaccine (HDCV) developed VNA titres comparable to the VNA titres in non-primed monkeys after a second HDCV immunization. The utility of rabies RNP for the pre-exposure prophylaxis of human rabies is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Superiore di Sanita-Viale Regina Elena, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tollis
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dietzschold
authors.forename: C B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Volia
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Koprowski
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008252:Macaca fascicularis; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D011818:Rabies / Q000517:prevention & control; D011819:Rabies Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D011820:Rabies virus / Q000276:immunology; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins / Q000276:immunology*; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D011819:Rabies Vaccines; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic