Up to now, several attenuated MEASLES VIRUS vaccine strains derived from the Edmonston B vaccine consisting of Schwarz/Moraten, Zagreb, and AIK-C have been introduced for the rescue of their relative VIRUSes through reverse genetics. In most studies, the MEASLES VIRUS rescue was done by supplying a cell line that expresses T7 RNA polymerase and MEASLES VIRUS N and P proteins as accessory proteins. The present study aimed to evaluate the rescue efficiency of the recombinant MEASLES VIRUS AIK-C vaccine strain by using a tricistronic expression plasmid. In this study, the rescue of the recombinant MEASLES VIRUS AIK-C vaccine strain was performed by co-transfection of three plasmids, including the cloned antigenomic cDNA of MEASLES VIRUS, a tricistronic expression plasmid that contained T7 RNA polymerase and MEASLES VIRUS N and P genes, and MEASLES VIRUS L polymerase expression plasmid. To increase the rescue efficiency, the transfected HEK-293 cells were co-cultured with Vero cells. As a result, the use of tricistronic expression plasmid that concomitantly encoded three necessary genes for the rescue of the MEASLES VIRUS led to the viral cytopathic effect with high efficacy five days post-transfection. Finally, the co-culture of transfected HEK-293 cells with Vero cells showed a relatively fast induction of viral cytopathic effect.

Background: Molecular epidemiology of MEASLES VIRUS (MV) is important, not only to measure the success of MEASLES vaccination programs but also to monitor the circulation and elimination of the VIRUS worldwide. In this study, we compared MV obtained from patients before the 2003 mass vaccination MR campaign and VIRUSes detected after 2003 until 2008 in Iran.Methods: The nucleoprotein (N) gene of 29 MV strains circulating in Iran between 2002 and 2008 were amplified by RT-PCR and subjected to sequence and phylogenetic analysis.Results: Molecular characterization of MV studied here revealed that although the outbreaks in Iran were associated with MV genotype D4, the isolated VIRUSes clearly belonged to several different lineages. Maximum and minimum homology within the 29 Iranian strains in our study was 100% and 94.9% within the carboxyl terminus of the N gene, respectively. Using ClustalX program, the alignment of Iranian MV sequences showed nine lineages.Conclusion: This study provides the usefulness of MV sequence analysis for the demonstration of local interruption of indigenous strain transmission as well as providing a valuable means for monitoring the elimination processes of MV control.

The effects of MEASLES VIRUS (MV) antibodies (abs) in the sera and breast milk of nursing and lactating mothers on sericonversion to MEASLES vaccination was studied. Three hundred and ninty six samples were collected each from sera and breast milk of nursing mothers and corresponding number of finger prick prevaccination sera samples on filter paper from their children were tested for MV abs. Eighty (20.2%) mothers had MEASLES haemagglutination inhibition (HI) abs in their sera and 88(27.2%) had MV HI abs in their breast milk. Eight (2.0%) of the children who had prevaccination MV abs in their sera were all from MV ab negative mothers. Forty-four (37.0%) who came back for post vaccination sera seroconverted while 76 (63.3%) gave a low seroconversion rate of 37.0%. Results showed that MV abs in either sera or breast milk of mothers did not interfer with MV vaccination in their children. The low seroconversion rate obtained was due to low vaccine potency with titers ranging between (log10-1.0 – log10-2.5) TCID/per dose. This was beside other non-specific antiviral substances exhibited VIRUS neutralizing activity.

MEASLES VIRUS (MV), a negative-strand RNA VIRUS, has been known as an ideal candidate for oncolytic virotherapy. Recombinant MV could encode genes of interests to achieve several aims. Replication efficiency of oncolytic VIRUS in tumor cells is a key parameter in efficient tumor eradication. Products of the P gene (P/V/C) support MEASLES VIRUS to circumvent IFN 1 as the main response of the innate immune system against VIRUSes. But vaccine strains used in oncolytic virotherapy trials comprise several mutations in their P gene sequences. These mutations affect replication efficacy and cause the attenuation of MEASLES strains applicable in vaccination. Thus, arming vaccine strains with a wild-type P gene is useful to achieve high viral titer. Here in this study, a fully detailed protocol was developed for efficient engineering and recovery of MV for different purposes.

MEASLES is one of the most contagious human diseases. Although mass vaccination programs have reduced the incidence of this disease, MEASLES is still an important cause of morbidity and mortality among children in developing countries. Therefore the use of sensitive techniques to evaluate vaccine efficacy and level of immunity among members of susceptible communities is crucial. Serum neutralization test (SNT) and Dot immunoassay (DIA) are among the best methods utilized for evaluating MEASLES VIRUS antibodies. In this study, DIA was applied for detection and titration of MEASLES VIRUS antibodies. This test was developed for the fIrst time in Iran in the Virology Department of the School of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modarres University. Viral antigen was first prepared and titrated. Then human IgG was isolated by affinity chromatography. Anti-human immunoglobulin was prepared by immunizing rabbits with human IgG and was later conjugated with peroxidase. DIA was applied using these reagents. The results indicated that the specifIcity and sensitivity of DIA in comparison with SNT was 96% and 89%, respectively. This study demonstrated that DIA is a rapid and simple test which can be applied for the detection of mass immunity against the MEASLES VIRUS.

This study was designed to evaluated the anti- cancerous, antiviral and antibacterial effects of Cymbopogon citratus aqueous leave extracts. Methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) staining assay has been applied to detect the cytotoxicity and the antiviral properties against MEASLES VIRUS (MV) using cervical cancer cell line (HeLa). The antibacterial potency of the extract against Staphylococcus aureus (staph. aureus) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (Kleb. pneumoniae) was determined using disc diffusion method by means of agar overlay assay. The results showed that C. Citratus extract effectively destroyed Hela cell line after 72 h of exposure. The half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) value for the extract was found to be 500 µg mL-1 which exhibited the concentration of 600 µg mL-1 potent antiVIRUS activity. The extract demonstrated antibacterial potency against Staph. aureus with mean inhibition zone 16.4 mm which was higher than that produced by Kleb. pneumoniae with mean inhibition zone of 10.7 mm. C. citratus was a favourable candidate as a natural herb to treat cervical cancers in vitro, restricted the MV replication and has potent antimicrobial activity against gram-positive and negative bacteria isolated from the respiratory tract.