Characteristics of an attenuated vaccinia virus strain, LC16m0, and its recombinant virus vaccines.

This article reviews studies concerning the characteristics of a vaccinia virus strain, LC16m0, and its recombinant virus vaccines. The LC16m0 strain is one of several temperature-sensitive and further attenuated variants derived from the Lister (Elstree) strain of vaccinia virus, which has a proven safety record in human populations. Several types of recombinant vaccinia viruses expressing a foreign antigen gene from a pathogenic virus have been constructed using the LC16m0 strain as a vector, and their immunological and virological characteristics have been investigated extensively. These studies indicate that the LC16m0 strain has potential as a vector in a live recombinant vaccine. The advantages, disadvantages and future prospects of vector are discussed.