Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 2, 2026

Vaccinia Reporter Viruses for Quantifying Viral Function at All Stages of Gene Expression
Published on: May 15, 2014
Rapid spreading and immune evasion by vaccinia virus
1Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QP, UK, gls37@cam.ac.uk.
Abstract:
Vaccinia virus (VACV) is the live vaccine that was used to eradicate smallpox, a feat achieved in 1977 and certified by the World Health Organization in 1980. Since 1980, research with VACV has continued in part because of the development of techniques to genetically manipulate VACV and create live VACV strains expressing foreign genes. These recombinant VACVs can be used as live vaccines against other infectious diseases and cancers, and as a powerful tool to study virus pathogenesis, immunology, cell biology, and virus-host interactions. This short article describes two examples of how enduring interest in VACV has revealed new features of VACV biology and the immune system.
Related Concept Videos
Vaccinations
Vaccines
Immune Response Against Viral Pathogens
NK Cells
NK cells are a crucial part of our innate immune system, acting as the first line of defense against viral infections. These cells can recognize and kill infected cells without prior exposure to the virus, effectively slowing down the spread of infection. Additionally, NK cells produce proinflammatory...
Viral Recombination
Rous Sarcoma Virus (RSV) and Cancer
RSV is a retrovirus that contains two copies of a plus-strand RNA genome. Its genome consists of four main open...
Viral Mutations

