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Vaccine Research Center
Scientific Updates

SARS Vaccine Development
A Cooperative Research and Development Agreement and contract have been established with GenVec, Inc. to produce pre-clinical and clinical grade adenoviral vectors that express several SARS proteins. The NIAID Vaccine Research Center plans to evaluate the immunogenicity of these vectors preclinically, and will continue to develop and test adenovector-based vaccine candidates against SARS that are suitable for rapid advancement toward clinical trials. In addition, the VRC has contracted with Vical, Inc. to manufacture a SARS DNA based vaccine encoding the spike (S) glycoprotein of the SARS coronavirus. Recent studies have demonstrated that this vaccine induces T cell and neutralizing antibody responses, as well as protective immunity, in a mouse model. A Phase I trial of this recombinant DNA vaccine developed at the VRC is being planned for late 2004 or early 2005.