title: Respiratory syncytial virus: virology, reverse genetics, and pathogenesis of disease.
abstract: Human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is an enveloped, nonsegmented negative-strand RNA virus of family Paramyxoviridae. RSV is the most complex member of the family in terms of the number of genes and proteins. It is also relatively divergent and distinct from the prototype members of the family. In the past 30 years, we have seen a tremendous increase in our understanding of the molecular biology of RSV based on a succession of advances involving molecular cloning, reverse genetics, and detailed studies of protein function and structure. Much remains to be learned. RSV disease is complex and variable, and the host and viral factors that determine tropism and disease are poorly understood. RSV is notable for a historic vaccine failure in the 1960s involving a formalin-inactivated vaccine that primed for enhanced disease in RSV naïve recipients. Live vaccine candidates have been shown to be free of this complication. However, development of subunit or other protein-based vaccines for pediatric use is hampered by the possibility of enhanced disease and the difficulty of reliably demonstrating its absence in preclinical studies.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Building 50, Room 6517, 50 South Dr MSC 8007, Bethesda, MD, 20892-8007, USA, pcollins@niaid.nih.gov.
authors.forename: Peter L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Collins
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fearns
authors.forename: Barney S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Graham
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral; D005814:Genes, Viral; D016679:Genome, Viral; D058507:Host Specificity; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D018357:Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000821:virology; D022261:Respiratory Syncytial Virus Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000276:immunology*; D018113:Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Human / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity; D059386:Reverse Genetics; D014613:Vaccines, Attenuated; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D056189:Viral Tropism; D014779:Virus Replication
chemical_list: D022261:Respiratory Syncytial Virus Vaccines; D014613:Vaccines, Attenuated; D014764:Viral Proteins