REVIEW  RESPIRATORY SYNCYTIAL VIRUS IN INFANTS 

Minerva Pediatrica 2018 December;70(6):566-78

DOI: 10.23736/S0026-4946.18.05305-7

Copyright © 2018 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Active prophylaxis for respiratory syncytial virus: current knowledge and future perspectives

Anna C. VITTUCCI ¹ ✉, Paola ZANGARI ², Claudia CIARLITTO ³, Chiara DI CAMILLO ¹, Annalisa GRANDIN ¹, Nicola COTUGNO ², Maria R. MARCHILI ¹, Alberto VILLANI ¹

¹ Unit of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital (OPBG), Rome, Italy; ² Congenital and Perinatal Infections Research Unit, Division of Immune and Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital (OPBG), Rome, Italy; ³ Department of Pediatrics, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common respiratory pathogen in infants and young children but represents also an important cause of morbidity in adults, particularly in the elderly and immunocompromised persons. Despite its global impact on human health, no effective treatment is available except for supportive care and no safe vaccine has been licensed yet. Vaccine development has been hindered by several factors including vaccine enhanced disease associated with formalin-inactivated RSV vaccine, ethical concerns and lack of consensus concerning the most appropriate target antigen. In this review, we analyze history of RSV vaccine and current approaches for preventing RSV including live-attenuated, vector-based, subunit, nucleic acid-based, particle-based vaccines and we debate about concerns on target population, correlates of protection and obstacles that are slowing the progress toward a successful RSV vaccination strategy.

KEY WORDS: Respiratory syncytial virus vaccines - Respiratory syncytial virus infections - Health services needs and demand