Duke University

David J Pickup

Dhavalkumar D Patel

James B Antczak

The present invention relates, in general, to vaccines and, in particular, to a modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA) virus, to a composition comprising such a virus and to methods of using same to induce an immune response.

Modified vaccinia ankara virus vaccine

The present invention relates to a method of effecting site-specific cleavage of RNA and to an element and a factor responsible for such cleavage.

Site-specific RNA cleavage

The invention comprises a plasmid vector, utilizing genetic material that causes high levels of expression of poxvirus genes, and the method of using this genetic material. One preferred embodiment comprises an upstream cis-acting element of a poxvirus gene encoding the major protein component of the poxvirus A-type inclusion. A second preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a downstream cis-acting element of a poxvirus gene encoding the major protein component of the poxvirus A-type inclusion. These elements are inserted upstream and downstream respectively, of selected cloned genes in the plasmid vector to obtain very high levels of expression of the cloned gene.

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Durham, NC, United States of America

David J Pickup