Evaluation of modified vaccinia virus Ankara based recombinant SARS vaccine in ferrets.
Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) caused by a newly identified coronavirus (SARS-CoV) remains a threat to cause epidemics as evidenced by recent sporadic cases in China. In this communication, we evaluated the efficacy and safety of two SARS vaccine candidates based on the recombinant modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA) expressing SARS-CoV spike or nucleocapsid proteins in ferrets. No clinical signs were observed in all the ferrets challenged with SARS-CoV. On the other hand, vaccination did not prevent SARS-CoV infection in ferrets. In contrast, immunized ferrets (particularly those immunized with rMVA-spike) exhibited significantly stronger inflammatory responses and focal necrosis in liver tissue after SARS-CoV challenge than control animals. Thus, our data suggest that enhanced hepatitis is linked to vaccination with rMVA expressing SARS-CoV antigens.
Czub
Markus
M
National Microbiology Laboratory, Canadian Science Centre for Human and Animal Health, 1015 Arlington Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3E 3R2.
Weingartl
Hana
H
Czub
Stefanie
S
He
Runtao
R
Cao
Jingxin
J
D000818:Animals; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D001483:Base Sequence; D000086462:Coronavirus Nucleocapsid Proteins; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D005289:Ferrets; D006524:Hepatitis, Viral, Animal / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D045473:Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D045169:Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D064370:Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000235:genetics / Q000494:pharmacology; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D014765:Viral Vaccines / Q000235:genetics / Q000494:pharmacology*
D000956:Antigens, Viral; D000086462:Coronavirus Nucleocapsid Proteins; D004279:DNA, Viral; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins; D012367:RNA, Viral; D064370:Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; D014765:Viral Vaccines