Bavarian Nordic A/s

Sabine Vollstedt

Paul Chaplin

Mark Suter

Mathias Ackermann

Hans Peter Hefti

Ruth Hefti, Legal Representative

Marco Franchini

The invention relates inter alia to a method for inducing a long-term protection in an animal against foreign antigens and tumor antigens comprising the step of administering to the animal at least one factor selected from type I interferons and Flt-3, and to a method for inducing a long-term increase of the number of dendritic cells in an animal comprising the step of administering to the animal a factor selected from type I interferon and Flt-3 and to a method of inducing or enhancing the maturation and/or for the activation of the immune system of an animal comprising the step of administering to the animal a factor selected from type I interferon and Flt-3.

Modified vaccinia virus ankara for the vaccination of neonates

The invention concerns the use of a virus to increase the number of dendritic cells or their precursor cells in an immunocompromised animal, including a human. The virus is preferably a Modified Vaccinia Virus Ankara which is capable of infecting the cells of a neonatal or prenatal animal, including a human, but not capable of being replicated to infectious progeny virus in the neonatal or prenatal animal, including a human.

The invention concerns the use of a virus for the preparation of a medicament for the vaccination, treatment, or protection, of a neonatal or prenatal animal, including a human, wherein the virus is capable of infecting the cells of the neonatal or prenatal animal, including a human, but not capable of being replicated to infectious progeny virus in the neonatal or prenatal animal, including a human. The virus is preferably a Modified Vaccinia Virus Ankara. In particular, the invention concerns the vaccination of neonates against infections with viruses belonging the same virus group as the virus used for vaccination. Moreover, the invention concerns the vaccination of neonates against antigens selected from foreign antigens and tumor antigens, wherein the tumor antigen and/or the foreign antigen are different from the antigens associated with the virus. The invention further concerns the use of viruses as defined above to (i) increase the level of factors which activate dendritic cells or their precursor cells, (ii) and/or to increase the number of dendritic cells or their precursor cells, (iii) and/or to increase the production and/or cellular content of an interferon (IFN) or IL-12.

Growing community of inventors

Zurich, Switzerland

Sabine Vollstedt