A novel influenza virus microarray and methods for using the microarray for the identification of existing and new types and subtypes of human influenza viruses.

Available for licensing and commercial development are a novel influenza virus microarray and methods for using the microarray for the identification of existing and new types and subtypes of human influenza viruses.  There are three types of influenza viruses, type A, B and C.  Influenza types A or B viruses cause epidemics of disease almost every winter, with type A causes major pandemic periodically.  Influenza type A viruses are further divided into subtypes based on two proteins on the surface of the virus.  These proteins are called hemagglutinin (H) and neuraminidase (N).  There are 16 known HA subtypes and 9 known NA subtypes of influenza A viruses.  Each subtype may have different combination of H and N proteins.  Although there are only three known A subtypes of influenza viruses (H1N1, H1N2, and H3N2) currently circulating among humans, many other different strains are circulating among birds and other animals and these viruses do spread to humans occasionally.  There is a requirement for sensitive and rapid diagnostic techniques in order to improve both the diagnosis of infections and the quality of surveillance systems.  This microarray platform tiles the genomes of all types/subtypes of influenza viruses, and is capable of correctly identifying all 3 types/subtypes of influenza viruses from an influenza vaccine sample.

 

More specifically, the invention consists of: 1) microarrays comprising a solid support with a plurality of n-mer influenza viral nucleotide segments of influenza Types A, B and C, including each respective subtypes, and 2) methods of detecting and identifying known and unknown influenza viral types and subtypes by: a) using hybridization microarrays to known influenza viral nucleotide sequences, b) sequencing the nucleotides which hybridize to the microarrays and c) analyzing the hybridized sequences using existing databases, thus identifying existing or new subtypes of influenza viruses.

 

Applications: 

• Detection and identification of human influenza viruses
• Efficient discovery of new subtypes of influenza viruses
• Diagnosis of influenza outbreaks

 

Development Status: 

This microarray platform was capable of correctly identifying all 3 types/subtypes of influenza viruses from an influenza vaccine sample.

U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/857,695 filed 07 Nov 2006 (HHS Reference No. E-208-2006/0-US-01)

 

U.S. Patent Application No. 11/936,530 filed 07 Nov 2007 (HHS Reference No. E-208-2006/0-US-02)

 

PCT Application No. PCT/US2007/023448 filed 07 Nov 2007 (HHS Reference No. E-208-2006/0-PCT-03)

 

Inventors: 

Xiaolin Wu, Cassio S. Baptista, Elizabeth Shannon, and David J. Munroe (NCI)

 

Licensees Sought: 

Available for non-exclusive or exclusive licensing.