New strategies for closing the gap of measles susceptibility in infants: towards vaccines compatible with current vaccination schedules.
Peptides representing epitopes of the measles virus glycoproteins have been designed to induce neutralizing and protective antibodies. Those that escape recognition by passively acquired anti-whole virus antibodies could potentially be used as components of a 'pre-vaccine' that could be given during early childhood irrespective of persisting maternal antibodies. Unlike vaccines based on recombinant proteins, epitope-based vaccines can be designed to be compatible with a subsequent boost with the standard life attenuated vaccine. Although synthetic peptides may induce only short-term immunity they have the potential to close in young infants the gap of vulnerability until the standard live attenuated vaccine can be given at 9 or 15 months of age.
El Kasmi
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Medizinische Fakultät Universität Tübingen, D-72076, Tübingen, Germany.
Muller
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CP
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D000939:Epitopes / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007115:Immunization Schedule; D007223:Infant; D008457:Measles / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008458:Measles Vaccine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008459:Measles virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D019151:Peptide Library; D022223:Vaccines, Subunit / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology
D000956:Antigens, Viral; D000939:Epitopes; D008458:Measles Vaccine; D019151:Peptide Library; D022223:Vaccines, Subunit; D014764:Viral Proteins