Fall 2012/Winter 2013 Aesculapian Magazine - University of ...
Fall 2012/Winter 2013 Aesculapian Magazine - University of ...
Fall 2012/Winter 2013 Aesculapian Magazine - University of ...
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
advantage <strong>of</strong> genetic engineering, and my lab<br />
is particularly good at engineering viruses,” He<br />
said. “We can take a virus, look at its genetic<br />
sequence, take bits and pieces away and generate<br />
a new virus with less virulence that will work as a<br />
vaccine.”<br />
“The No. 1 issue for us in making<br />
a pediatric vaccine is safety,” He<br />
said. “So far our testing suggests<br />
we are on the right track.”<br />
Before the advent <strong>of</strong> genetic engineering, the<br />
process <strong>of</strong> creating a vaccine could be intensely<br />
laborious, as researchers would have to pass the<br />
virus through many generations <strong>of</strong> reproduction<br />
until they found a naturally occurring weakened<br />
virus. This process can take long periods <strong>of</strong> time,<br />
and there is little guarantee that the weakened<br />
virus will work as a vaccine.<br />
Genetic engineering allows He’s lab to produce<br />
an effective and safe vaccine much more quickly.<br />
Vaccine safety became a topic <strong>of</strong> much<br />
discussion after British medical researcher<br />
Andrew Wakefield suggested that there was a link<br />
between the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine<br />
and autism. However, his claims were found to<br />
be fraudulent, and Wakefield was barred from<br />
practicing medicine in the United Kingdom.<br />
Much <strong>of</strong> the fallout from the Wakefield case<br />
remains, and some people are still hesitant to have<br />
their children vaccinated, but He is insistent that<br />
administering vaccines to children is the safe and<br />
responsible thing to do.<br />
“The No. 1 issue for us in making a pediatric<br />
vaccine is safety,” He said. “So far our testing<br />
suggests we are on the right track.”<br />
Once He and his laboratory have devised a safe,<br />
reliable method to create vaccines for genotype G,<br />
they can apply that knowledge to rapidly produce<br />
vaccines for the other 12 mumps genotypes<br />
currently circulating in populations throughout<br />
the world.<br />
Health pr<strong>of</strong>essionals were able to contain the<br />
outbreaks <strong>of</strong> 2006 and 2010, but He thinks that<br />
the large global population and ease with which<br />
people move from one location to another make<br />
humankind vulnerable to rapid disease spread.<br />
“It’s almost like a small fire; if it stays small, we<br />
can put it out,” He said. “But if conditions are<br />
right, and the wind begins to blow, the fire can<br />
take over.”<br />
Research reported in this publication was<br />
supported by the National Institutes <strong>of</strong> Health<br />
under award number 1R01AI097368-01A1.<br />
Mumps cells. Photo provided by Biao He.<br />
<strong>Aesculapian</strong> <strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2012</strong>/<strong>Winter</strong> <strong>2013</strong> 38