Highly attenuated poxvirus strains, methods for their production and use as protective immunity inducers or for the production of vector vaccines

摘要

The present invention relates to highly attenuated animal smallpox viral strains and to the use thereof as paramunity inducers or for producing vector vaccines. As a result of the high attenuation process, the claimed animal smallpox strains lose their virulent and immunising properties. The invention also relates to a method for producing such highly attenuated pox virus strains and the use thereof for inducing paramunity, i.e. for activating the non-specific immune system in mammals and humans or for producing vector vaccines for specific immunisation with the positive side-effect of paramunisation. The claimed highly attenuated animal smallpox viruses are thus suitable for preventing and treating diseases associated with an immune deficiency. Preferred embodiments relate to highly attenuated orthopox-(e.g. camel smallpox viruses), leporipox-(e.g. myxoma viruses), avipox-, parapox- and other orthopox viral strains, such as MVA, which have excellent paramunisation properties and in which the immunising properties have been lost.