Dogs: Best friends in vaccine research Researchers at the
University of Georgia have discovered that a virus commonly
found in dogs may serve as the foundation for the next great
breakthrough in human vaccine development. Although harmless in
humans, parainfluenza virus 5, or PIV5, is thought to contribute
to upper respiratory infections in dogs, and it is a common
target for canine vaccines designed to prevent kennel cough. In
a paper published recently in PLOS ONE, researchers describe how
this virus could be used in humans to protect against diseases
that have eluded vaccine efforts for decades. "We can use this
virus as a vector for all kinds of pathogens that are difficult
to vaccinate against," said Biao He, the study's principal
investigator and professor of infectious diseases in UGA's
College of Veterinary Medicine. "We have developed a very strong
H5N1 flu vaccine with this technique, but we are also working on
vaccines for HIV, tuberculosis and malaria." PIV5 does not cause
disease in humans, as ou