Innoculation of recombinant viral vectors for rapid pre-exposure prevention and post-exposure protection against alphavirus-induced encephalitides

Abstract

This invention addresses how to rapidly prevent alphavirus-induced encephalitides before and after exposure to alphaviruses. The invention discloses a single dose administration of two types of recombinant viral vectors: one expressing interferon and another expressing the structural proteins of alphaviruses or a single dose administration of the recombinant viral vector co-expressing both interferon and the structural proteins of alphaviruses. This invention can be used to prevent humans from alphavirus-induced encephalitides in the event of a bioterrorism attack or biowarfare in which alphaviruses such as Venezuelan (VEEV), eastern (EEEV) and western (WEEV) equine encephalitis viruses are deliberately released to humans, a natural outbreak of alphaviruses, and an accidental exposure to alphaviruses in laboratory.

1 . A composition comprising an adenoviral vector encoding an interferon (IFN), wherein said composition is formulated for intranasal delivery. 
     
     
         2 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein said IFN is IFN-α. 
     
     
         3 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein said composition comprises a pharmaceutically acceptable liquid. 
     
     
         4 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein said adenoviral vector is an adenoviral 5 (Ad5) vector. 
     
     
         5 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein said composition comprises a dose of said adenoviral vector of about 1×10 7  plaque forming units (pfus) per 20 grams body weight.