Modified vaccinia virus Ankara protects macaques against respiratory challenge with monkeypox virus

Authors
Sittelaar,K.J.; van,Amerongen G.; Kondova,I.; Kuiken,T.; van Lavieren,R.F.; Pistoor,F.H.; Niesters,H.G.; van,Doornum G.; van der Zeijst,B.A.; Mateo,L.; Chaplin,P.J.; Osterhaus,A.D.;

Department of Virology, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Netherlands Vaccine Institute, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
Department of Animal Science, Biomedical Primate Research Centre, Rijswijk, The Netherlands
ViroClinics B.V., Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Bavarian Nordic GmbH, Martinsried, Germany

Abstract
The use of classical smallpox vaccines based on vaccinia virus (VV) is associated with severe complications in both naive and immune individuals. Modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA), a highly attenuated replication-deficient strain of VV, has been proven to be safe in humans and immunocompromised animals, and its efficacy against smallpox is currently being addressed. Here we directly compare the efficacies of MVA alone and in combination with classical VV-based vaccines in a cynomolgus macaque monkeypox model. The MVA-based smallpox vaccine protected macaques against a lethal respiratory challenge with monkeypox virus and is therefore an important candidate for the protection of humans against smallpox

PMID: 15919938