Tailor-made cleavage site attenuates influenza B

Abstract

Evaluation of: Stech J, Garn H, Herwig A et al. Influenza B virus with modified hemagglutinin cleavage site as a novel attenuated live vaccine. J. Infect. Dis. 204(10), 1483–1490 (2011).

Influenza B viruses contribute significantly to human influenza. The circulation of two antigenically divergent lineages of this virus can reduce the efficacy of licensed influenza vaccines. A novel live-attenuated influenza B vaccine candidate has been generated by creating a virus that strictly requires elastase activity for the accurate proteolytic maturation of its hemagglutinin. This mutant influenza B virus grows to high titers in vitro and is strongly attenuated in mice, yet it induces a robust protective immune response in this host. The findings on this tamed influenza B virus and its potential prospects are discussed.

Keywords::

• elastase
• hemagglutinin
• influenza B
• live-attenuated vaccine
• proteolytic activation

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The author has no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.