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.