| abstract |
An altered G protein or portion thereof of RSV which retains immunogenicity and which, when incorporated into an immunogenic composition or vaccine and administered to a vertebrate, does not induce enhanced disease (e.g., atypical pulmonary inflammation such as pulmonary eosinophilia) upon subsequent infection with RSV, is disclosed. In a particular embodiment, the altered G protein comprises an alteration in one or more regions selected from the group consisting of the region from amino acid 159 to amino acid 198, the region from amino acid 159 to amino acid 174, the region from amino acid 171 to amino acid 187, the region from amino acid 176 to amino acid 190, and the region from amino acid 184 to amino acid 198 of the RSV G protein. Immunogenic compositions and vaccines comprising the altered RSV G protein, and optionally comprising RSV F protein, are also disclosed. |