The United States of America As Represented by the Department of Health

The United States of America, As Represented by the Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services

John R Ticehurst

Robert H Purcell

Jeffrey I Cohen

Stephen M Feinstone

Suzanne U Emerson

David Baltimore

Ian D Gust

Richard J Daemer

Stphen M Feinstone

Vincent R Racaniello

Bahige M Baroudy

Stephan M Feinstone

The present invention provides an attenuated hepatitis A virus useful as a vaccine.

Vaccine against hepatitis A virus

A full-length cDNA copy of an attenuated, cell culture-adapted hepatitis-A virus genome has been constructed. The HAV cDNA when inserted, without the oligo (dG) oligo (dC) tails, into an RNA transcription vector yielded a plasmid designated pHAV/7. Transfection of monkey kidney cells with pHAV/7 DNA yielded HAV. Transfection with RNA transcripts produced in vitro from pHAV/7 yielded about 10-fold more HAV than transfection with pHAV/7 DNA. HAV thus produced are useful as a vaccine.

Chimeric hepatitis A vaccine

Methods for producing HAV cDNA, products thereof, and uses thereof, are described. HAV cDNA is produced, for example, by reverse transcribing HAV RNA and subsequently inserting the HAV cDNA into bacterial plasmids by genetic-engineering techniques. Transformed bacteria are then cloned and cultured to produce replicated chimetic plasmids containing the HAV cDNA. Such HAV cDNA is useful in assaying for the presence of HAV and in the production of HAV antigen and in the production of antibodies against HAV.

Methods of detecting hepatitis A virus

cDNA encoding attenuated cell culture adapted hepatitis A virus genome

Growing community of inventors

Kensington, MD, United States of America

John R Ticehurst