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Topical news snippets about viruses that affect people.  And other things. Like Led Zeppelin. And zombies B-)
Curated by Ed Rybicki
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India announces development of $1 rotavirus vaccine

India announces development of $1 rotavirus vaccine | Virology News | Scoop.it
From blogs.terrapinn.com - May 16, 2013 6:01 AM

The Government of India’s Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and Bharat Biotech have announced the development of a rotavirus vaccine that will be sold at $1 per dose, once approved. Results from a Phase III clinical trial showed that the ROTAVAC® vaccine decreased the incidence of severe rotavirus diarrhoea by 56% during the first year of life, and the protection conferred by the vaccine also continued into the second year of life. The clinical trial enrolled 6,799 infants across three sites in India.


The vaccine’s development resulted from a unique partnership between Indian and international researchers, with partners including DBT, Bharat Biotech, the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Stanford University School of Medicine, and PATH.


Rotavirus graphic courtesy of Russell Kightley Media

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We need to do this here...!

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Virus-like particles produced in plants as potential vaccines

Virus-like particles produced in plants as potential vaccines | Virology News | Scoop.it
From www.expert-reviews.com - April 2, 2013 3:44 AM

Virus-like particles (VLPs) have been produced as candidate vaccines in plants virtually since the introduction of biofarming. Even today, VLPs remain the best candidates for safe, immunogenic, efficacious and inexpensive vaccines. Well-characterized human animal viruses such as HBV, HCV, HIV and HPV, rotaviruses, norovirus, foot and mouth disease viruses and even influenza virus proteins have all been successfully investigated for VLP formation. Proteins have been produced in transgenic plants and via transient expression techniques; simple structures, structures depending on more than one protein, naked and enveloped particles have all been made. There have been multiple proofs of concept, more than a few proofs of efficacy, and several products moved into human trials. This review will cover the history of VLP production in plants, and will explore a few examples in detail to illustrate the potential of such a mode of production for human and animal medicine.

 Image of HIV-1 Pr55Gag VLPs produced in plants, courtesy of Ann Jaffray, UCT.  Bar = 100 nm
Ed Rybicki's insight:

OK, yes, blowing my own trumpet...but it will put the recent news of FMDV VLPs in perspective, AND point up the fact that these can be (and probably have been) produced in plants - as well as other even more complicated particles, like human rotavirus and bluetongue virus.

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dayangyusof's curator insight, July 22, 2016 2:09 AM

OK, yes, blowing my own trumpet...but it will put the recent news of FMDV VLPs in perspective, AND point up the fact that these can be (and probably have been) produced in plants - as well as other even more complicated particles, like human rotavirus and bluetongue virus.
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Recombinant Monovalent Llama-Derived Antibody Fragments (VHH) to Rotavirus VP6 Protect Neonatal Gnotobiotic Piglets against Human Rotavirus-Induced Diarrhea

Recombinant Monovalent Llama-Derived Antibody Fragments (VHH) to Rotavirus VP6 Protect Neonatal Gnotobiotic Piglets against Human Rotavirus-Induced Diarrhea | Virology News | Scoop.it
From www.plospathogens.org - May 10, 2013 3:32 AM

This study shows that the oral administration of rotavirus VP6-VHH nanoAb is a broadly reactive and effective treatment against rotavirus-induced diarrhea in neonatal pigs. Our findings highlight the potential value of a broad neutralizing VP6-specific VHH nanoAb as a treatment that can complement or be used as an alternative to the current strain-specific RVA vaccines. Nanobodies could also be scaled-up to develop pediatric medication or functional food like infant milk formulas that might help treat RVA diarrhea.

Ed Rybicki's insight:

Always nice to Scoop a paper from a co-author, in this case Andres Wigdorovitz and friends.  Nice work, too - shows that rotavirus VP6 is a useful recombinant protein target for use as a vaccine, given that llama single-chain Abs specific to it can protect.  But why not make them in plants, Andres??

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