Avian flu vaccine to be developed by Mount Sinai School of Medicine and Bionostra

Apr 26 2006

The Mount Sinai School of Medicine will collaborate with the prestigious Bionostra Group of Spain to develop an avian flu vaccine. The vaccine will protect against the lethal infection of the H5N1 virus.

Founded in 2000, Bionostra - in collaboration with members of the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) which is the Spanish High Council of Scientific Research - has developed a new technology based on virus-like-particles to provide a new generation of vaccines for human and animal health. These novel technology, will offer researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine a great jumping off point in the creation of the vaccine.

"We are enthusiastic with this promising collaboration between Bionostra and the Mount Sinai School of Medicine which is renowned for its prestigious scientific research," said Juan Carlos del Castillo Tamayo, CEO of Bionostra. "This is the first step for a revolutionary new generation of vaccines against the influenza virus."

Mount Sinai School of Medicine has been at the forefront in the study of the influenza virus. The reconstruction of the 1918 influenza virus, a recent scientific breakthrough, was made possible by a technique developed and patented by Mount Sinai School of Medicine researchers. The virus was reconstructed using reverse genetics, a technique developed by Adolfo Garcia-Sastre, PhD, Professor of Microbiology and Peter Palese, PhD, Professor and Chairman of Microbiology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. The collaboration with Bionostra will offer Mount Sinai's researchers an even greater understanding of the pathology of the H5N1 virus and will result in the development of a novel vaccine that combats this burgeoning pandemic.

http://www.bionostra.com/

http://www.mssm.edu/