Chinese scientists develop live H5N1 vaccine for human

Source: Xinhua | 05-02-2009 10:41

HARBIN, May 1 (Xinhua) -- Chinese scientists have developed a live human bird flu vaccine after more than three years of research on animals, a chief researcher said here Friday.

Tests of the cold-adapted, live attenuated H5N1 vaccine in mice and nonhuman primates showed that the vaccine provided complete protection in the animals against homologous and heterologous H5N1virus challenge, said Chen Hualan, director of China's National Avian Influenza Reference Laboratory, who is in charge of the research.

"Our study represents a major advance in vaccine development for H5N1 pandemic influenza and we are very confident about its prospect," Chen told Xinhua in an exclusive interview.

Chen said the new type of vaccine "has many revolutionary improvements" in terms of its protective efficacy, production technique, and usage.

Vaccinated rhesus macaques remained healthy after they were injected with H5N1 virus as the vaccine stops the replication of the virus. But those infected animals without vaccination showed symptoms of fever, pneumonia and inappetence, similar to human infections.

Chen's team started the research and experiments in 2005, after a domestic epidemic that caused huge losses for poultry breeders.

The research results of the new vaccine was published on Friday's edition of the PLoS Pathogens, an international journal published by the Public Library of Science (PLoS).