title: Animal models in influenza vaccine testing.
abstract: The threat of a pandemic outbreak of influenza A H5N1 and H2N2 has brought attention to the development of new vaccines. Regulatory authorities require companies to provide data proving the effectiveness of vaccines, which cannot, however, be based on real efficacy data in humans. A weight-of-evidence approach may be used, based on evidence of protection in an appropriate animal model and the satisfaction of the surrogate end points in the clinical situation. In this review, we will discuss various animal species that can be infected with influenza. The main animals used for testing vaccines destined for human use are laboratory mice and ferrets and, to a lesser extent, macaques. We will focus particularly on these species.
authors.affiliation: Section on Safety of Medicines and Teratology, Centre for Biological Medicines and Medical Technology, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, PO Box 1, 3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands. jan-willem.van.der.laan@rivm.nl
authors.forename: Jan Willem
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: van der Laan
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Herberts
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lambkin-Williams
authors.forename: Alison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Boyers
authors.forename: Alexander J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Mann
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Oxford
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005289:Ferrets; D006801:Humans; D053121:Influenza A Virus, H2N2 Subtype; D053124:Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D008251:Macaca; D051379:Mice; D023421:Models, Animal; D009976:Orthomyxoviridae Infections / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D007252:Influenza Vaccines