FluGen Scientists Publish in the Journal Vaccine (29:2308-12)

Vaccine. 2011 Mar 9;29(12):2308-12. Epub 2011 Jan 25.

An M2 cytoplasmic tail mutant as a live attenuated influenza vaccine against pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza virus.

Hatta Y, Hatta M, Bilsel P, Neumann G, Kawaoka Y.

Influenza Research Institute, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53711, USA.

Abstract

The 2009 influenza pandemic brought home the importance of vaccines in infection control. Previously, we demonstrated an M2 cytoplasmic tail mutant H5N1 influenza virus could serve as a live-attenuated vaccine. Here, we adapted that strategy, generating a mutant pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus that grew well in cell culture, but replicated less well in mice than did wild-type virus. The mutant virus elicited sterile immunity in mice, completely protecting them from challenge with a pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus. Our results indicate that M2 cytoplasmic tail mutants are suitable for live-attenuated vaccines against pandemic viruses.