Animals, Agriculture & Food
Plasmids Encoding Avian Influenza Genes
WARF: P06123US
Inventors: Yoshihiro Kawaoka
The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) is seeking commercial partners interested in plasmids encoding either the H3 N1 or the H5 N2 genes of avian influenza.
Overview
Avian influenza causes significant economic losses for poultry producers worldwide and can be transmitted to humans and other mammals. The surface glycoproteins hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) play a key role in infection with this virus. Of the sixteen different HA antigens (H1-H16) and nine different NA antigens (N1-N9), human disease has been caused by the subtypes H1, H2, H3, H5, H7 and H9, and N1 and N2.
The Invention
A UW-Madison researcher has developed plasmids encoding either the H3 N1 or the H5 N2 genes of avian influenza. These genes were cloned directly from viral isolates and are under the control of the pol II promoter.
Applications
- Avian influenza vaccine development
Key Benefits
- Useful in developing avian influenza vaccine
- May aid in development of diagnostics for avian influenza