OSU researcher working on RSV vaccine

Friday, January 8, 2010

(Jan. 5, 2009 Stillwater, Okla.) – Dr. Tom Oomens, a researcher at Oklahoma State University’s Center for Veterinary Health Sciences, is evaluating the assembly of Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)  in order to find new ways to treat the virus, including creating new concepts for a vaccine.

RSV is a widespread, highly contagious virus that hospitalizes more than 100,000 children each year.  Evident only in the winter months, the virus resides in the lungs and causes cold or flu-like symptoms that if not treated can turn into pneumonia, especially in infants and premature babies.  Although the virus is rarely fatal in the U.S., numerous children in underdeveloped countries die each year from RSV.

“RSV infects virtually every person on the planet,” Oomens says.  “Available therapies are not adequate and a better understanding of the virus life cycle is needed.  In the winter, a large portion of patients in the pediatric wings of hospitals are small children with RSV.”

Oomens and research team members Darshna Patel, Pradyumna Baviskar and Ruchira Mitra are looking at the molecular biology of RSV in cell cultures.  They are asking fundamental questions about how the virus puts itself together in a cell, how it behaves and how it duplicates.  Their work is supported by a three-year, $300,000 grant from the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology.

There is currently no vaccine for RSV and individuals can be infected multiple times.  Research indicates that a live attenuated (weakened) virus will give a better immune response than killing the virus and using it as a vaccine.  However, Oomens says there are issues with making a live vaccine.   

First, it is difficult to produce the large amounts of RSV necessary for a vaccine.  Secondly, due to the virus’ instability, virus stock must be stored in an ultra-low temperature freezer at negative 80 degrees Celsius – something virtually impossible for those living in underdeveloped countries.

“These are challenges we are working to overcome,” Oomens says.   “We want to see if we can make vaccines in a new way.”

Oomens and his team have been working on the project for the last year and expect to see several new developments soon.

For more information on this project, contact Kelly Green, coordinator of research communications, at 405-744-5827.