The Interferon Antagonist NS2 Protein of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Is an Important Virulence Determinant for Humans

Abstract

BackgroundRespiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is targeted for vaccine development, because it causes severe respiratory tract illness in the elderly, young children, and infants. A primary strategy has been to derive live attenuated viruses for use in intranasally administered vaccines that will induce a protective immune response. In the present study, the NS2 gene, whose encoded protein antagonizes the host’s interferon-α/β response, was deleted from RSV vaccine candidates by use of reverse genetics