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The VRC01-class of potent, broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) targets the conserved CD4-binding site (CD4bs) of HIV-1 Env which has been a major target of HIV-vaccine design. The current best priming immunogen to engage the VRC01-class germline precursors is the eOD-GT8 60mer, which elicits VRC01-class precursors in multiple transgenic mouse models. However, a large proportion of the antibodies elicited by eOD-GT8 60mer are non-CD4bs or “off-target” antibodies, undermining its effectiveness in eliciting the VRC01-class bnAb precursors.

Ebola virus (EBOV) hemorrhagic fever is one of the most lethal viral infections and lacks a licensed vaccine. EBOV is transmitted by contact with body fluids from infected individuals including droplets or aerosols. Aerosolized EBOV could also be exploited for intentional virus spread. Therefore, vaccines that protect against mucosal and systemic exposure are needed.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease caused by activated autoimmune T lymphocytes in patients resulting in inflammatory demyelination in the central nervous system. Current treatments are focused on functional control of these activated autoimmune T cells, but these treatments are non-specific T cell inhibitors and have serious, sometimes fatal side effects. A specific therapy aimed at eliminating these autoimmune T cells through restimulation-induced cell death (RICD) could cure the disease and overcome the fatal side effects of current therapies.

Millions of people are infected with HIV-1 worldwide, and 2.5 to 3 million new infections have been estimated to occur yearly. Although effective antiretroviral therapies are available, millions succumb to AIDS every year, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa, underscoring the need to develop measures to prevent the spread of this disease.

The inventors have created a reverse genetics system for RSV strain B1 of antigenic subgroup B encoding a replication-competent recombinant RSV that contains a codon-optimized G ORF and expresses enhanced green fluorescence protein (GFP). There are two antigenic subgroups of RSV, subgroups A and B, and most of the available information and reagents are for subgroup A. Immunity against either subgroup has reduced effectiveness in restricting the heterologous subgroup, suggesting that an effective RSV vaccine might need to contain both subgroups.

The respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) fusion (F) glycoprotein is the primary target of neutralizing antibodies. The F glycoprotein exists in at least two conformations, a meta-stable prefusion state, and an extremely stable postfusion state. Both states share several epitopes targeted by neutralizing antibodies, but it has been demonstrated that the prefusion conformation of F contains at least one epitope not present in the postfusion conformation.

In pursuit of an effective vaccine to end the global HIV-1/AIDS pandemic, researchers at the Vaccine Research Center (“VRC”) continue to study the structure of HIV-1. Recently, these researchers have determined the three-dimensional structure of the HIV-1 Envelope trimeric ectodomain (“Env”), comprised of three gp120 and three gp41 subunits, in its prefusion, mature, closed conformation.

Acute respiratory infections during early childhood constitute a major human health burden. Human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common and important viral cause of severe acute pediatric respiratory infections worldwide. Mortality due to RSV in the post-neonatal (28 days to 1 year old) population is second only to malaria. It is estimated that RSV causes 34 million lower respiratory tract infections, 4 million hospitalizations, and 66,000-199,000 deaths every year in children less than 5 years of age.

This technology provides a new set of hybridoma cell lines each expressing a single monoclonal antibody against human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) nonstructural protein 1 (NS1). These antibodies have variously been shown to detect NS1 protein in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), Western blot assay, immunofluorescence microscopy of paraformaldehyde-fixed cells, and flow cytometry. The various antibodies can vary in their efficiency in each of these assays.

Human metapneumovirus (hMPV), a negative, single-stranded RNA virus, accounts for approximately 5-15% of infant respiratory tract infections and poses a severe risk of disease and hospitalization in both the elderly and the immunocompromised. Investigators at the Vaccine Research Center (VRC) of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) have generated an hMPV fusion glycoprotein (“F protein”) stabilized in a prefusion conformation.