title: World Influenza Congress Europe 2009.
abstract: The World Influenza conference comprised numerous plenary sessions and some panel discussions. The highlights of the meeting were the novel approaches to vaccine developments, particularly the use of live-attenuated viruses and baculovirus- or bacteriophage-derived virus-like particles as delivery vectors. Improvements in antigenicity have been demonstrated by thoroughly understanding the biology of the influenza virus; in particular, understanding which residues within the hemagglutinin protein correspond with plaque morphology in cell culture. At least two different bioinformatic approaches were discussed for the rationale design of peptide vaccines; these are naturally at a very early stage but data look promising. We were reminded by several presenters that although we were in the midst of a pandemic caused by the H1N1 swine-derived influenza strain, avian influenza strains were still circulating, and some were predicting more widespread infection with these strains in the future.
authors.affiliation: Research & Development, Health Protection Agency, Centre for Emergency Preparedness & Response, Porton Down, Salisbury, SP4 0JG, UK. nigel.silman@hpa.org.uk
authors.forename: Nigel J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Silman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001435:Bacteriophages / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D016367:Baculoviridae / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D001717:Birds; D005060:Europe; D006801:Humans; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D005585:Influenza in Birds / Q000453:epidemiology; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009975:Orthomyxoviridae / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity; D014613:Vaccines, Attenuated / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D022223:Vaccines, Subunit / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D007252:Influenza Vaccines; D014613:Vaccines, Attenuated; D022223:Vaccines, Subunit