Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation

Jihui Ping

Yoshihiro Kawaoka

Gabriele Neumann

The invention provides a composition useful to prepare high titer influenza B viruses, e.g., in the absence of helper virus, which includes internal genes from an influenza B virus vaccine strain or isolate, e.g., one that is safe in humans, for instance, one that does not result in significant disease, that confer enhanced growth in cells in culture, such as MDCK cells, or in eggs.

Influenza B virus replication for vaccine development

An isolated recombinant influenza virus is provided having PA, PB1, PB2, NP, NS, M, NA and HA viral segments, wherein the PB1 viral segment encodes a PB1 with a residue other than isoleucine at position 711 or the M viral segment encodes a M1 with a residue other than methionine at position 128, wherein the recombinant influenza virus has enhanced replication relative to a corresponding influenza virus having a PB1 viral segment that encodes a PB1 with an isoleucine at position 711 or having a M viral segment that encodes a M1 with methionine at position 128, as well as methods of making and using the virus.

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Nanjing, China

Jihui Ping