Encouraging prospects for a vaccine against hantavirus

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A recombinant vaccine against hantavirus is undergoing clinical development by US researchers. The hantavirus vaccine, designed to prevent haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, has shown encouraging results in preclinical studies. In a phase I study, immunisation with hantavirus vaccine elicited both humoral and cellular immune responses against Hantaan virus, a type of hantavirus. However, pre-existing immunity to vaccinia virus interferes with the immunogenicity of hantavirus vaccine in humans. Researchers are now looking at ways of overcoming this and improving the potential of hantavirus vaccine. These new approaches, as well as the findings from the preclinical and phase I studies, were discussed at the 19th International Congress of Chemotherapy [ Montréal, Canada; July 1995 ].