Poxviruses as vaccine vectors

The discovery of Jenner in 1798 founded the science of immunology and eventually led to smallpox eradication from the earth in 1980 after a world-wide vaccination campaign with vaccinia virus (another poxvirus) and paradoxically, despite the eradication of smallpox, there has been an explosion of interest in vaccinia virus in the eighties. This interest has stemmed in part from the application of molecular genetics to clone and express foreign genes from recombinant vaccinia viruses. Vaccinia is also gaining renewed interest due to bioterrorism. These recombinant viruses have multiple applications in research and vaccinology and led to the development of vectored vaccines, such as the recombinant vaccinia rabies vaccine used to eliminate rabies in Western Europe and, more recently, in the United States. Secondly, alternative poxvirus vectors, such as avipox viruses, were proved to be even safer and efficacious non-replicating vectors (suiciole vectors) when used in non-avian species.