Lassa virus diversity and feasibility for universal prophylactic vaccine [version 1; peer review: 3 approved]

• Published in: F1000 research Vol. 8; p. 134
• Main Authors: Lukashevich, Igor S, Paessler, Slobodan, de la Torre, Juan Carlos
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Faculty of 1000 Ltd 2019; F1000 Research Limited; F1000 Research Ltd
• Subjects: Biodiversity; Candidates; Drug development; Fatalities; Fever; Food contamination & poisoning; Genetic diversity; Genomes; Infections; Lassa fever; Morbidity; Mortality; Pediatrics; Phylogenetics; Public health; Review; RNA polymerase; Severe acute respiratory syndrome; Tropical diseases; Vaccine development; Vaccines; Liberia; Togo; Mali; United States > US; West Africa; Ivory Coast; Nigeria; vaccine development; Lassa virus; Lassa fever
• ISSN: 2046-1402; 2046-1402
• DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.16989.1

Lassa virus (LASV) is a highly prevalent mammarenavirus in West Africa and is maintained in nature in a persistently infected rodent host,
Mastomys natalensis, which is widely spread in sub-Saharan Africa. LASV infection of humans can cause Lassa fever (LF), a disease associated with high morbidity and significant mortality. Recent evidence indicates an LASV expansion outside its traditional endemic areas. In 2017, the World Health Organization (WHO) included LASV in top-priority pathogens and released a Target Product Profile (TPP) for vaccine development. Likewise, in 2018, the US Food and Drug Administration added LF to a priority review voucher program to encourage the development of preventive and therapeutics measures. In this article, we review recent progress in LASV vaccine research and development with a focus on the impact of LASV genetic and biological diversity on the design and development of vaccine candidates meeting the WHO's TPP for an LASV vaccine.