Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 29, 2026

Use of an Influenza Antigen Microarray to Measure the Breadth of Serum Antibodies Across Virus Subtypes
08:52

Use of an Influenza Antigen Microarray to Measure the Breadth of Serum Antibodies Across Virus Subtypes

Published on: July 26, 2019

8.6K

Antigenic breadth: a missing ingredient in HSV-2 subunit vaccines?

William P Halford1

  • 1Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, IL 62702, USA.

Expert Review of Vaccines
|May 20, 2014
PubMed

The successful human papillomavirus and hepatitis B virus subunit vaccines contain single viral proteins that represent 22 and 12%, respectively, of the antigens encoded by these tiny viruses. The herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2) genome is >20 times larger. Thus, a single protein subunit represents 1% of HSV-2's total antigenic breadth. Antigenic breadth may explain why HSV-2 glycoprotein subunit vaccines have failed in clinical trials, and why live HSV-2 vaccines that express 99% of HSV-2's proteome may be more effective. I review the mounting evidence that live HSV-2 vaccines offer a greater opportunity to stop the spread of genital herpes, and I consider the unfounded 'safety concerns' that have kept live HSV-2 vaccines out of U.S. clinical trials for 25 years.

Keywords:
alum + monophosphoryl lipid A adjuvantantigenic breadthdeletion of ICP0’s nuclear localization signalglycoprotein Dherpes simplex virus 2infected cell protein 0live HSV-2 vaccineplaque-forming unitsevere-combined immunodeficiency

More Related Videos

Author Spotlight: Advancing Immune Monitoring in Critical Care Patients Using Whole Blood Assays06:03

Author Spotlight: Advancing Immune Monitoring in Critical Care Patients Using Whole Blood Assays

Published on: September 20, 2024

1.5K
Use of Interferon-γ Enzyme-linked Immunospot Assay to Characterize Novel T-cell Epitopes of Human Papillomavirus13:41

Use of Interferon-γ Enzyme-linked Immunospot Assay to Characterize Novel T-cell Epitopes of Human Papillomavirus

Published on: March 8, 2012

11.4K

Related Concept Videos

Cross-reactivity00:42

Cross-reactivity

Overview
28.7K
Antigens Involved in Adaptive Immunity01:26

Antigens Involved in Adaptive Immunity

An antigen is any substance the immune system identifies as foreign and potentially harmful to the body, prompting an immune response. Antigens have two functional properties: immunogenicity and reactivity. Immunogenicity is the ability of an antigen to stimulate a specific immune response. At the same time, reactivity describes the antigen's ability to react with the cells and antibodies produced in response to it.
Complete Antigens
Complete antigens possess both immunogenicity and...
1.7K
Vaccines01:21

Vaccines

Vaccines are among the most effective tools in preventive medicine, designed to prepare the immune system to recognize and combat infectious agents. By introducing antigens—substances that the immune system identifies as foreign—vaccines stimulate an adaptive immune response that leads to immunological memory. This immunological memory enables the body to mount a faster and more effective response upon future exposures to the actual pathogen.Vaccines can be categorized based on the...
87
Diversity of Antigen Receptors01:28

Diversity of Antigen Receptors

Antigen receptors are essential components of the immune system crucial in defending the body against foreign invaders. These receptors are present on the surface of B and T cells, enabling them to recognize antigens and mount an appropriate immune response.
Before encountering any antigen, lymphocytes express these receptors. On B cells, the antigen receptor is a membrane-bound antibody molecule called BCR; on T cells, it is a T cell receptor or TCR. B and T cell receptors are composed of two...
2.1K
Vaccinations01:51

Vaccinations

Overview
44.1K