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Tracy Hampton, PhD

JAMA. 2008;299(9):1008.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 136 words of the full text and any section headings.

A vaccine against H5N1 avian influenza has been engineered and tested by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Vaccine Research and the pharmaceutical company Novavax Inc, in Rockville, Md (Bright RA et al. PLoS ONE. 2008;3[1]:e1501).

The vaccine, which encodes genes for 3 influenza viral proteins, uses a viruslike particle that lacks genetic information to reproduce, making it safer than other avian flu vaccines that are partially developed from live viruses.

When administered either intramuscularly or intranasally to mice, the vaccine produced strong immune responses and protected the animals from a lethal challenge with the H5N1 avian virus. Mice injected in muscle developed more antibodies in the blood, while mice receiving the vaccine via nasal administration had more antibodies in the lungs.

The vaccine is currently being tested in humans.