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Current Emerging Infections Research Conducted by the Viral Respiratory Pathogens Research Unit Contract to Baylor College of Medicine

• Assessment of the significance of influenza and other respiratory virus infections in outpatient geriatric populations
• Development of improved inactivated influenza vaccines
  • Value of increased vaccine dose
  • Optimization of mucosal immunization
  • Development of a T cell vaccine for cross-reacting immunity
  • Assessment of the potential of cross-reacting M2 antibody
• Development of vaccines for pandemic influenza
  • Clinical trials of influenza H5N1 and H9N2 vaccines*
• Research program on SARS coronavirus infection and disease
  • Pathogenesis of SARS coronavirus infection and disease*
  • Development of a virus-like particle vaccine for SARS*
  • Clinical trials of SARS vaccines*
  *Laboratory research component is conducted at UTMB through a subcontract from BCM
  Interpandemic Influenza

Influenza is the most common emerging infection among humans. An epidemic occurs annually and is attributable to emergence of new and novel influenza viruses. This circumstance of an annual epidemic caused by newly emerging virus infections is known as interpandemic epidemic influenza. Studies conducted at Baylor College of Medicine in the past provided proof that an influenza epidemic occurs annually; these studies also described the major medical impact of the epidemics.

Investigators in the Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology at Baylor College of Medicine are currently studying influenza infections, disease, and vaccines so as to better understand the needs and options for developing means for control of interpandemic human influenza. Current projects are:

• Developing new peptide vaccines for induction of both humoral and cell mediated immune responses against influenza viruses that can prevent or modify infections
• Identifying the optimal way to induce mucosal immune responses to influenza viruses that can increase resistance at the site where infection initially occurs
• Searching human genes for single nucleotide polymorphisms that determine the pattern and magnitude of immune response to influenza virus or provide an explanation for illness and its severity
• Determining the role of immune responses directed toward the different proteins of influenza, including new candidates for a beneficial role
• Performing clinical trials of new and experimental vaccines as part of a program for development of improved influenza vaccines
• Developing improved methods for quantitating cell mediated immune function in humans

Recent Publications (PubMed)

Frey SE, Couch RB, Tacket CO, Treanor JJ, Wolff M, Newman FK, Atmar RL, Edelman R, Nolan CM, Belshe RB. Clinical Responses to Undiluted and Diluted Smallpox Vaccine. NEJM 346(17):1265-74, 2002.

Belshe, RB, Couch RB, Glezen WP, and Treanor JT Live Attenuated Intranasal Influenza Vaccine. Vaccine 20:3429-30, 2002.

Keitel WA and Couch RB. Inactivated Influenza Vaccines. In: Potter, D.W., ed., Influenza, Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp. 145-177, 2002.

Glezen WP and Couch RB. Estimating Deaths due to Influenza and Respiratory Syncytial Virus. JAMA 289:2500-2, 2003.

Couch RB. An Overview of Serum Antibody Responses to Influenza Virus Antigens. In: Brown F., Haaheim L.R., Wood J.M., Schild G.C., eds., Developments in Biologicals: Laboratory Correlates of Immunity to Influenza, Karger, 115:25-30, 2003.

Couch RB. Nasal vaccination, Escherichia coli Enterotoxin, and Bell’s Palsy. NEJM 350:860-1, 2004.