• Vaccine Name: V-LSGPC
• Target Pathogen: Lassa Fever Virus
• Target Disease: Lassa fever
• Vaccine Ontology ID: VO_0004086
• Type: Vaccina virus
• LASVsSgp2 glycoprotein gene engineering:
  • Type: Protein
  • Description:
  • Detailed Gene Information: Click Here.
• Preparation: The Lassa virus GPC gene was assembled and ligated into the unique SmaI site of the vaccinia virus expression vector pSCl1. The products of this reaction were transfected into competent Escherichia coli MC1061 cells, and a transformant containing the proper orientation of the Lassa GPC gene was identified by restriction enzyme digestion of plasmid DNA and confirmed by nucleotide sequence analysis (Auperin et al., 1988).
• Description: V-LSGPC is a cloned cDNA containing the complete glycoprotein gene of the Josiah strain of Lassa virus was inserted into the thymidine kinase (TK) gene of the New York Board of Health (WYETH) strain of vaccinia virus (Auperin et al., 1988).

Guinea pig Response

• Host Strain: Hartley
• Vaccination Protocol: Animals were vaccinated with l0^8 plaque-forming units (PFUs) of V-LSGPC recombinant virus using a single intradermal injection of 0.1 ml on the back. l04 PFUs of guinea of pig-cultured Lassa virus were given by intraperitoneal innoculation 21 days post-vaccination.
• Persistence: All surviving animals were completely free of virus in their blood and tissues by 61 days postchallenge, when the experiment was terminated (Auperin et al., 1988).
• Side Effects: Two to three days after vaccination, vesicles developed at the site of inoculation on each animal. The vesicles arising from V-LSGPC were approximately 2-3 mm. All vesicles scabbed and completely healed by 19 days postvaccination. vaccinated animals developed mild symptoms of Lassa fever following challenge. The animals vaccinated with V-LSGPC virus developed low-grade fevers, which began about 8 days post-challenge and lasted approximately 4 days. The unprotected animals, however, developed significantly higher fevers, which persisted until
  they died (Auperin et al., 1988).
• Efficacy: Vaccination with V-LSGPC effectively limited the replication of Lassa virus in comparison to the unvaccinated animals. The ability to construct recombinant vaccinia viruses that express heterologous genes offers great potential for vaccine development (Auperin et al., 1988).
• Description: 21 days post vaccination the animals were challenged with Lassa virus. All animals that received V-LSGPC recombinant virus survived the lethal Lassa virus challenge (Auperin et al., 1988).