Next-Generation Adenovirus Vaccine

One of the most important infectious diseases affecting the health of military recruits is adenovirus, which causes acute outbreaks of respiratory disease in military facilities incapacitating personnel, burdening hospitals, disrupting military operations and increasing medical costs. We propose to continue the development of a new generation of adenovirus vaccines based on adenovirus-like particle (AdVLP) technology. This vaccine will significantly benefit the military by protecting servicemen against multiple adenovirus serotypes. This will minimize the impact of adenovirus disease in military facilities, which will reduce the costs associated with these disruptions and improve readiness.The current adenovirus vaccine is effective in eliciting strong protection against two of several respiratory disease causing adenoviral serotypes. However the resulting vacated ecological niches created by this immunity are subsequently occupied by other viral serotypes, which leads to the reemergence of acute respiratory illness in vaccinated military recruits.To address these limitations of the live adenovirus vaccine, it seems imperative therefore, to design produce and test a new generation of adenovirus vaccines and delivery strategies.Our strategy for adenovirus vaccine development is based on the recombinant expression of adenovirus-like particles (AdVLPs) composed of alternative combinations of structural elements involved in the morphogenesis of complete icosahedral virion particles.