title: Prospects for defined epitope vaccines for respiratory syncytial virus.
abstract: The history of vaccines for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) illustrates the complex immunity and immunopathology to this ubiquitous virus, starting from the failed formalin-inactivated vaccine trials performed in the 1960s. An attractive alternative to traditional live or killed virus vaccines is a defined vaccine composed of discrete antigenic epitopes for which immunological activities have been characterized as comprehensively as possible. Here we present cumulative data on murine and human CD4, CD8 and neutralization epitopes identified in RSV proteins along with information regarding their associated immune responses and host-dependent variability. Identification and characterization of RSV epitopes is a rapidly expanding topic of research with potential contributions to the tailored design of improved safe and effective vaccines.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Pediatrics and Canadian Center for Vaccinology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 1X5, Canada. robert.anderson@dal.ca
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Joanne M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Langley
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D057134:Antibodies, Neutralizing / Q000276:immunology; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D018985:Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D022261:Respiratory Syncytial Virus Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D018113:Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D057134:Antibodies, Neutralizing; D018985:Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; D022261:Respiratory Syncytial Virus Vaccines; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic