United States Patent Application 20090010962
Kind Code A1
Palese; Peter ; et al. January 8, 2009
Genetically Engineered Swine Influenza Virus and Uses Thereof
Abstract
The present invention relates, in general, to attenuated swine influenza viruses having an impaired
ability to antagonize the cellular interferon (IFN) response, and the use of such attenuated viruses in
vaccine and pharmaceutical formulations. In particular, the invention relates to attenuated swine
influenza viruses having modifications to a swine NS1 gene that diminish or eliminate the ability of
the NS1 gene product to antagonize the cellular IFN response. These viruses replicate in vivo, but
demonstrate decreased replication, virulence and increased attenuation, and therefore are well suited
for use in live virus vaccines, and pharmaceutical formulations.
Inventors: Palese; Peter; (Leonia, NJ) ; Garcia-Sastre; Adolfo; (New York, NY) ; Webby;
Richard J.; (Memphis, TN) ; Richt; Juergen A.; (Ames, IA) ; Webster; Robert G.;
(Memphis, TN) ; Lager; Kelly M.; (Colo, IA)
Correspondence
Name and
Address:
JONES DAY
222 EAST 41ST ST
NEW YORK
NY
10017
US
Assignee Name
and Adress:
MOUNT SINAI SCHOOL OF MEDICINE OF NEW YORK UNIVERSITY
New York
NY
ST. JUDE CHILDREN’S RESEARCH HOSPITAL
1 of 82 1/2/10 2:14 PM
Memphis
TN
THE UNITED STATED OF AMERICA AS REPRESENTED BY THE
SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE
Washington
DC
Serial No.: 628292
Series Code: 11
Filed: June 1, 2005
PCT Filed: June 1, 2005
PCT NO: PCT/US2005/019382
371 Date: February 6, 2008
U.S. Current Class: 424/199.1; 424/209.1; 435/236; 435/325
U.S. Class at Publication: 424/199.1; 435/236; 424/209.1; 435/325
Intern’l Class: C12N 7/00 20060101 C12N007/00; C12N 5/10 20060101
C12N005/10; A61K 39/145 20060101 A61K039/145; A61P
31/12 20060101 A61P031/12; C12N 7/04 20060101
C12N007/04
Claims
1. An attenuated swine influenza virus comprising a mutation in a swine influenza NS1 gene that
diminishes the ability of the NS1 gene product to antagonize the cellular interferon response, and
permits the attenuated virus, at a multiplicity of infection of 0.001, to grow to titers between
approximately 3 fold to approximately 7 fold lower than wild-type swine influenza in pig cells, as
determined approximately 5 days post-infection when propagated under the same conditions.
2. The attenuated swine influenza virus of claim 1, wherein the attenuated virus is genetically
engineered.
3. The attenuated swine influenza virus of claim 1, wherein the attenuated virus is a mutagenized virus
or reassortant.
United States Patent Application: 0090010962 http://appft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2...

My article was not intended to be a defence of antivirals. Every drug must be assessed on the basis of its risk/benefit ratio. Some would say that the jury is still out on Tamiflu.

As suggested, I googled ‘swine flu meta cure’, and was particularly interested to learn that:

“…all flu started with the mass-killer 1918-19 spanish flu [...]. As per nature’s law, thousands of dead bodies lying unattended during the 1914-18, attracted destructive agents from outside the earth to do what they did best – decompose those bodies as ‘the dead must decay’. They were the subtler microvita – the fundamental units of all life – but of the bad type.

They travel uninterrupted unstopped across all the worlds – for example in the form of bio-photons. Since then they have adopted our earth as their home as they really fell deeply in love with some of the herd-minded earthlings here : pig-minded pigs, bird-headed birds & both pig-minded + bird-headed of all humans as their well-deserved hosts.”

I encourage any readers to do the same google search and draw their own conclusions.

Rachel.

Thank you for your comment.

As you know, both swine flu and bird flu are examples of a influenza A viruses, which are classified according to which type of the proteins hemagglutinin and neuraminidase are present.

The bird flu virus subtype which is causing most concern is classified as H5N1 (meaning it has a type 5 hemagglutinin and a type 3 neuraminidase), while virus subtype responsible for the current outbreak of swine flu is H1N1. This was the distinction that I was making in my article.

Scientists at the Centre for Biochemical Engineering, University College London, have described a disturbing (if unlikely) scenario in which swine flu spreads to countries such as Indonesia where it infects animals or humans who are already affected by bird flu. Bird flu is currently not easily transmitted, but is highly virulent if caught; while swine flu is more readily transmitted, but causes relatively mild symptoms. If a person becomes infected by both strains, it is possible that there will be an exchange of genetic material resulting in the creation of an easily transmissible but highly virulent virus

On a lighter note, some people say that the real difference between bird flu and swine flu is that with bird flu you may need tweetment whereas with swine flu you may need oinkment…

Rachel.

Furthermore, the shadow of bird flu still threatens; just because we have had swine flu, does not mean we will not have bird flu. This is not an ‘either, or’ situation.

Are you not aware that the H1N1 virus contains swine, bird and 2 human types of dna?

I was with you until I read the part of your article I quoted above.

Because in reality, it goes like this:

DARNED if they do, and DAMNED if they don’t.

The post-mortem critique of disaster management is never symmetrical.

If you over-reacted, and warned people loud and clear about what might be imminent, and then nothing really awful happens, you get accused of being a fear-monger. A media hog (different word often used, but “hog” will do). You get accused of mis-directing resources that could better have been targeted at X, the next disaster that actually happens out of all the ones that MIGHT happen. You don’t usually get fired; you don’t usually lie awake at night thinking about all the people who died because you didn’t warn them. You just get, well, scoffed at.

You are darned if you do.

If you under-reacted, and under-warned, and under-prepared, you are brought before post-even Parliamentary or Congressional Commissions and Inquiries. You get fired. You are vilified in the media. The families of victims who died all find out your email address, and send you pictures of the children who died because you didn’t warn them. You wonder if you will ever get their pictures out of your head. You think you never should.

You are damned if you don’t.