Indian Institute of Science department of biochemistry has undertaken an advanced research initiative in the area of virogenomics. Under this, studies are going on to understand gene expression changes induced in the brain by neurotropic viruses such as Japanese Encephalitis and rabies viruses. These research activities are being funded on a five year research grant of Rs 70 lakh from the Department of Science and Technology under the Swarna Jayanthi Fellowship.

A team of scientists led by Dr Pundi Narasimhan Rangarajan, associate professor, department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science is carrying out the research.

"We have identified 60 different genes which are activated in the brain in response to the virus infection and efforts are underway to understand their function. For example, one of the virus-inducible genes makes RNA which does not make any protein and hence we named it as Virus inducible noncoding RNA or VINC, he said.

Another virus-inducible gene called GARG39/IFIT2 codes for a protein which accumulates in the microtubules of actively dividing normal and cancer cells. We have also initiated a research programme on the study of biology of non-conventional yeasts such as Pichia pastoris and this project is being funded by the Department of Biotechnology, informed Dr Rangarajan.

Other research efforts carried out by the department of biochemistry under the leadership of Dr Rangarajan include the transference of the recombinant Hepatitis B vaccine technology to two companies in Hyderabad: Biological E Limited and Indian Immunologicals Limited. The former is marketing the IISc research vaccine under the brand name Bevac and the latter is marketing it as Elovac-B.

Earlier, the department of biochemistry successfully carried out the research on the DNA rabies vaccine which is currently pending clearance from the Drugs Control General of India for human trials. If approved, IIL which is a wholly owned subsidiary of the National Dairy Development Board plans to market it under the brand name Dinarab. The study resulted in the development of a novel strategy of enhancing the potency of the DNA vaccine by the addition of a small quantity of inactivated virus. Patents for this invention were granted from Europe, China, Canada, South Africa and India. A paper was also published in the Human Gene Therapy Journal in 2001. The inventors of the vaccine are P N Rangarajan, V A Srinivasan, G S Reddy and Subhabrata Biswas.

The vaccine has worked well in mice and cattle. The pre-clinical toxicology study took place under a Department of Biotechnology grant at National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad.

The key benefits of DNA vaccine are that it increases the stability and shelf life of the vaccine. These vaccines can be produced more rapidly than conventional vaccines.

Globally, only two veterinary DNA vaccines have so far been granted regulatory approvals: A license has been granted by the US FDA to Fort Dodge, a subsidiary of Wyeth, to market West Nile Innovator DNA, a vaccine to prevent West Nile virus infection in horses. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has granted license to Aqua Health Limited, a subsidiary of Novartis to market APEX-IHN, a DNA Vaccine to protect farm-raised salmon fish against Infectious Haematopoietic Necrosis Virus.

"We hope that Dinarab will soon be granted regulatory approval so that it will be third DNA vaccine in the world and first from Asia. So far, no DNA vaccine has been licensed for use in humans", added Dr Rangarajan.