hantavirus deoxyribonucleic acid vaccine

The hantavirus deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) vaccine is an investigational vaccine platform primarily developed by the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) to prevent Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS) and Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS). The most advanced iteration is a bivalent vaccine consisting of two DNA plasmids, pWRG/HTN-M and pWRG/SEO-M, which encode the envelope glycoproteins (Gn and Gc) of the Hantaan virus (HTNV) and Seoul virus (SEOV), respectively. The vaccine is typically administered intramuscularly followed by in vivo electroporation, a technique that uses brief electrical pulses to create temporary pores in cell membranes, significantly enhancing the uptake of the DNA plasmids. Once inside host cells, the DNA is transcribed and translated into viral proteins that mimic a natural infection, thereby stimulating the production of neutralizing antibodies and activating cellular immune responses. This platform has also been adapted for other hantaviruses, such as the Andes virus (ANDV), which causes HPS.

Other names

hantavirus DNA vaccineHTNV/SEOV DNA vaccinebivalent hantavirus DNA vaccineAndes virus DNA vaccine