The R2 non-invasive vaccine was developed by Drs. Gregory Smith (Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine), Patricia Sollars & Gary Pickard (University of Nebraska-Lincoln), and Ekaterina Heldwein (Tufts University School of Medicine). R2 vaccines retain native replication in epithelial cells but are incapable of retrograde axonal transport and invasion of the nervous system.[1] A single dose of the R2 vaccine passively introduced on mucosal tissues protects the nervous system from future infections and affords protection against lethal encephalitic infections in mice and rats. This vaccine strategy is noted for its effectiveness against both veterinary and clinical neuroinvasive herpesviruses.[40] Thyreos LLC was founded to develop a herpesvirus vaccine platform based on the R2 design with targeted applications in human health, companion animal health, and livestock productivity.