Poxvirus and Vaccines

The main objectives of our laboratory are geared to understand the molecular basis in the pathogenesis of infectious agents and their interaction with the host, as well as to use this knowledge in the development of vaccines that might be effective against viral and parasitic diseases like HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C, malaria, leishmaniasis and cancer. As a model system of infectious agent and as a delivery vector for expression of genes of interest, we used vaccinia virus (VV) a member of the poxvirus family. We have developed prototype vaccines that have been tested in phase I clinical trials as prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines against HIV. We have also developed other vaccines against chikungunya, ebola y zika that triggered good immune responses in animal models and high levels of protection against the corresponding viral pathogens. Other poxvirus vectors against tumors and Alzheimer are being developed.The final aim is a clinical application of these vaccines.