Using recombinant DNA technology for the development of live-attenuated dengue vaccines

Dramatic increases in dengue (DEN) incidence and disease severity have been reported, in great part due to the geographic expansion of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes. One result is the expanded co-circulation of all dengue 1-4 serotype viruses (DENV) in urban areas worldwide, especially in South and South-East Asia, and South America. DEN disease severity ranges from asymptomatic infections to febrile dengue fevers (DF) to life-threatening dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) and dengue shock syndrome (DSS). There is an urgent need for a safe and effective tetravalent DEN vaccine. Several live attenuated, tetravalent DEN vaccine candidates have been generated by recombinant DNA technology; these candidates are capable of providing immunity to all four DENV serotypes. In this paper we review (a) recombinant live-attenuated DEN vaccine candidates in terms of deletion, antigen chimerization, and the introduction of adaptive mutations; (b) strategies for improving tetravalent vaccine attenuation; and (c) live-attenuated DENV vaccine development.