Current Status of Vaccine Development for Monkeypox Virus.

Area of Science:

• Virology
• Immunology
• Vaccinology

Background:

• Monkeypox virus (MPXV), a member of the Poxviridae family, causes zoonotic mpox (Mpox) with a global fatality rate of 0-11%, disproportionately affecting children.
• Existing smallpox vaccines (first and second generation vaccinia virus vaccines) offer protection against MPXV but are associated with adverse effects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide an overview of the current status of vaccines against MPXV.
• To highlight the development and efficacy of different vaccine generations and novel computational approaches for MPXV prevention.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on MPXV vaccines, including first, second, and third-generation vaccines.
• Analysis of the safety and efficacy profiles of Modified Vaccinia Ankara-Bavarian Nordic (MVA-BN) vaccines.
• Exploration of computational studies designing multi-epitope vaccines targeting MPXV proteins.

Main Results:

• Third-generation MVA-BN vaccines, such as Imvanex, Imvamune, and JYNNEOS, demonstrate fewer adverse effects and significant neutralizing antibody production.
• Computational studies have successfully designed multi-epitope vaccines by linking various MPXV-derived epitopes (B-cell, CTL, CD8+, CD4+).
• The World Health Organization declared a global health emergency in May 2022 due to rising MPXV cases, underscoring the need for effective vaccines.

Conclusions:

• The MVA-BN vaccine represents a significant advancement in MPXV prevention due to its favorable safety profile and immunogenicity.
• Multi-epitope vaccine design offers a promising future strategy for combating MPXV by targeting multiple viral components.
• Continued research and development of safe and effective MPXV vaccines are crucial, especially in light of recent global health emergencies.