DEVELOPMENT OF A BOTULINUM NEUROTOXIN SEROTYPE A VACCINE USING THE VEE VIRUS REPLICON SYSTEM

Abstract

Botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT), produced by Clostridium botulinum, is a potent and lethal substance. The toxin produces a flaccid paralysis by blocking the release of acetylcholine at the neuromuscular junction. The current human use vaccine for BoNT involves formaldehyde treatment of C. bolutinum culture supernatants, followed by aluminum hydroxide precipitation. This pentavalent toxoid vaccine is costly to produce and only protects against five of the seven different serotypes of BoNT. Consequently, the development of a new BoNT vaccine is desirable.