cDNA corresponding to the genome of negative-strand RNA viruses, and process for the production of infectious negative-strand RNA viruses.

摘要

The present invention relates, in general, to a methodology suitable for generating infectious negative-stranded viruses, suitable for use as vaccines, from cloned complementary deoxyribonucleic acid (cDNA). The invention relates specifically to cDNA molecules and to helper cells suitable as tools in this methodology and to the characterization of the resulting viruses. Measles virus (MV) is used as a model for negative-strand RNA viruses. The described invention provides the technology for construction of recomibnant MV vaccine strains encoding epitopes or entire proteins from heterologous viruses, bacteria, or parasites. With slight modification of the technology described, any negative-stranded RNA virus can by used as vector in place of MV. <IMAGE>