Genetically engineered viral vaccines--prospects for the future.
Genetic engineering (recombinant DNA technology)--the revolution in molecular biology--has enabled us to isolate any genes from any source in a pure form, and to move them from one cell to another. It has become possible to program bacterial or yeast cells with foreign genes and force the new host to produce commercially valuable proteins (e.g. hormones, enzymes, diagnostic reagents). It is now also possible to produce viral and bacterial antigens in various types of cells. We hope that this will soon enable us to manufacture vaccines cheaply. The production of a foot-and-mouth-disease virus vaccine--the first promising example of a genetically engineered effective vaccine--has recently been reported. Expression of hepatitis B surface antigen, influenza virus haemagglutinin and polio-virus proteins from the cloned genes have also been reported, and many more viral genes have been cloned although not yet expressed in bacteria. Despite the extremely rapid development, there are a number of problems, both technical and immunological, which have to be extensively studied and eventually solved, before we can hope to obtain effective and safe genetically engineered viral vaccines for clinical use.
D001419:Bacteria / Q000276:immunology; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004267:DNA Viruses / Q000276:immunology; D004274:DNA, Recombinant; D005544:Forecasting; D005821:Genetic Techniques / Q000639:trends*; D012328:RNA Viruses / Q000276:immunology; D014765:Viral Vaccines
D004274:DNA, Recombinant; D014765:Viral Vaccines