Special Issue "H5N1 Influenza Virus"

Guest Editor
Prof. Dr. Daniel R. Perez
Associate Professor, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Room 1215, 8075 Greenmead Drive, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD 20742, USA
Website: http://avianflu.umd.edu
E-Mail: dperez1@umd.edu
Phone: (301) 314-6811
Fax: (301) 314-6855
Interests: Interspecies Transmission of H9N2 avian influenza viruses, BulletPathogenesis and Transmission of 2009 H1N1pdm influenza strains, BulletUniversal vaccine approaches for animals and humans, BulletCross-protective immunity during H5N1 infections, BulletVirus-host interactions - Influenza receptors in avian and mammalian hosts

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H5N1; Influenza Virus

Type of Paper: Review
Title: Updated Values of Molecular Diagnosis for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus
Authors: Akira Sakurai and Futoshi Shibasaki
Affiliations: Department of Molecular Medical Research, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, 2-1-6, Kamikitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-8506, Japan; E-Mails: sakurai-ak@igakuken.or.jp; shibasaki-ft@igakuken.or.jp
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: shibasaki-ft@igakuken.or.jp; Tel.: +81-3-5316-3299; Fax: +81-3-5316-1684
Abstract: Highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses of H5N1 strain pose a pandemic threat of a highly lethal and contagious disease since the outbreak with human cases at Hong Kong in 1997. The occurrence of outbreaks indicates that rapid identification and subtyping of influenza viruses is a high priority for surveillance of avian influenza virus with pandemic potential, control of the pandemic spread of influenza and treatment of infected patient. Molecular diagnosis has played an important role in detecting and typing influenza virus, because the techniques of detection and characterization of viral RNAs and proteins has dramatically progressed in recent years. These technique, including immunochromatography, real-time quantitative PCR, super high speed real-time PCR, isothermal DNA amplification and other systems, are expected to enhance the capability for diagnosis and typing of influenza viruses,
Keywords: influenza virus, highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1, molecular diagnosis

Type of Paper: Review
Title: Development of Live-attenuated Influenza Vaccines against H5N1 Influenza Pandemic
Authors: Yinglei Yi¹, Dan Zheng¹, and Ze Chen^1,2,3*
Affiliations: ¹ Shanghai Institute of Biological Products, Shanghai 200052, China, 2 College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, Hunan, China, ³ State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China
*Correspondence should be addressed to Ze Chen; E-mail: chenze2005@hotmail.com; chenze2005@263.net; Phone/Fax: (00)86-(0)21-62826658
Abstract: Several global outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 virus have increased the urgency of developing effective and safe vaccines against H5N1 influenza. Compared with H5N1 inactivated vaccines, H5N1 live-attenuated influenza vaccines (LAIVs) have advantages in vaccine efficacy, dose-saving formula, long-lasting effect, ease of administration and induction of cross-protective immunity. Furthermore, H5N1 LAIVs induce both humoral and cellular immune responses, especially initiating a strong mucosal IgA antibody response. The current trend of H5N1 LAIVs is toward cold-adapted, temperature-sensitive, or replication-defective vaccines. Moreover, recent studies demonstrated that mucosal adjuvants could enhance further the immune effect of H5N1 LAIVs. This review provides an update on the advantages and development of H5N1 live-attenuated influenza vaccines.

Type of Paper: Review
Title: H5N1 Influenza Viruses and Human Innate Immunity
Authors: Irene Ramos and Ana Fernandez-Sesma^*
Affiliation: Department of Microbiology and the Global health and Emerging Pathogens Institute, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York
^*Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Microbiology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, 1468 Madison Avenue, Box 1124, New York, NY 10029. Phone: (212) 241-5182. Fax: (212) 534-1684. E-mail: ana.sesma@mssm.edu
Abstract: Avian influenza virus infections are rare in humans, mostly due to their very innefficient direct human-to-human transmission. However, when humans do get infected by these avian viruses, a strong inflammatory response is usually induced, characterized by elevated levels of cytokines and chemokines in serum, believed to be responsible for the severe pathogenesis that these patients develop in a high number of the reported cases. Extensive research has been performed in order to gain knowledge on the molecular viral mechanisms involved in the H5N1 pathogenesis in humans, providing interesting insights about the virus-host interaction and the regulation of the innate immune response. In this review we summarize and discuss the most important findings in this field, focusing mainly in H5N1 virulence factors and their impact in the modulation of the innate immunity.

Type of Paper: Review
Title: Avian influenza H5N1 zoonosis from poultry to humans: Why has vaccination failed?
Author: Cassandra Berry
Affiliation: School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, Murdoch University, South Street, Murdoch, Perth 6150, Western Australia, Australia.
Abstract: Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1 strains have emerged as zoonotic viral pathogens over the last decade and have eluded our serious attempts of control by vaccination, with numerous countries having endemic regions for H5N1 virus. Although the biology and genomics of H5N1 influenza viruses are well characterised, having been extensively researched since 2003, viral outbreaks still occur in domestic poultry, posing a dangerous threat for human transmission. Here we review our futile attempts to control H5N1 viral outbreaks in domestic poultry flocks and question our capacity for future achievements of eradicating zoonotic H5N1 influenza. Vaccination procedures regarding domestic poultry rather than wild migratory birds and other species will be discussed with particular reference to control of potentially deadly but silent infection in vaccinated poultry.

Type of Paper: Review
Title: Advances and Future Challenges in Adenoviral Vectored Avian (H5N1) Influenza Vaccines
Author: Jianfeng Zhang
Affiliation: Director of Research, Vaxin Inc., 1500 First Avenue North, Birmingham, AL  35203, USA; Office:  (205) 909-3737, Mobile:  (205) 266-3388, Fax:  (205) 307-6503, Email:  zhang@vaxin.com
Abstract: The emergence of a highly pathogenic H5N1 influenza virus and a high probability that influenza will cause further pandemics highlights the necessity for developing a new generation of vaccines capable of mass immunizing humans as well as poultry (the major source of avian influenza for human infections) in a timely manner. Recombinant adenovirus vectored avian influenza vaccines hold promise as an attractive alternative to the currently licensed influenza vaccines. This class of vaccines can be manufactured rapidly and can be mass-administered for people and poultry. Both human adenovirus serotypes and nonhuman adenoviruses are currently being investigated and appear promising both in preclinical and clinical studies. This review will highlight the current status of various adenoviral vectored avian influenza vaccines and will outline novel approaches for the future.

Type of Paper: Review
Title: A Review of Molecular Mechanisms Involved in Cross-species Transmission of the H5N1 Avian Influenza A Virus
Authors: Hong Zhang¹, Ke Xu and Bing Sun
Affiliation: Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology & Immunology, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, Shanghai institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200025, China
^* Address correspondence to Bing Sun, bsun@sibs.ac.cn, or Ke Xu, kxu@sibs.ac.cn
Abstract: Since the breakout of human infection with highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 virus in Hong Kong in the year 1997, people realize that avian influenza viruses are able to be transmitted from birds to humans leading to cross-species infection. Thus, it raises a great concern on the possibility of a human pandemic caused by either an avian virus or a reassortant between human flu viruses and avian flu viruses, which could be more virulent, easily-transmissible and lethal to humans. Understanding the mechanisms involved in cross-species transmission of the H5N1 virus is therefore mandatory for preventing and controlling such a possible pandemic. It is believed that two host cellular barriers mainly contribute to the restriction of a certain influenza virus infection, the cell membrane where the binding and enter of the virus occurs and the nuclear envelop where the vRNP components need to cross enabling the replication and transcription of viral genome in the nucleus. Many viral and host factors have been already known to be involved in these two events, and more unrevealed factors are demanded to be discovered. In this review, we will summarize the current knowledge of molecular mechanisms in H5N1 cross-species transmission, including viral and host factors that determine the ability of the virus to cross cell membrane and nuclear envelop to replicate in a new host.