MODIFIED INFLUENZA VIRUS FOR MONITORING AND IMPROVING VACCINE EFFICIENCY

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an improved technology of determining immunogenicity in order to test an immune response after infection as well as the efficacy of a vaccine.SOLUTION: The immunogenicity of an influenza virus hemagglutinin (HA) molecule can be increased by replacement of amino acids in an HA sequence. The replacement of specific HA residues (e.g., asparagine at position 223 of H5 HA) increases the sensitivity of a hemagglutinin inhibition (HI) assay by modification of receptor specificity and/or antibody-antigen binding. The HA molecule including the replacement will be useful in developing a diagnostic reference virus and an improved influenza vaccine.