The present invention relates to the development and manufacturing of viral vaccines. In particular, the invention relates to the field of industrial production of viral vectors and vaccines, more in particular to the use of avian embryonic stem cells, preferably the EBx® cell line derived from duck embryonic stem cells, for the production of viral vectors and viruses. The invention is particularly useful for the industrial production of viral vaccines to prevent viral infection of humans and animals.

The present invention relates to a method for purifying an enveloped virus. The present invention further relates to an enveloped virus or a plurality of enveloped viruses obtainable by said method.

In this study, for the first time, protective efficacy of gD against ILTV challenge was evaluated. Immunization with recombinant Newcastle disease virus expressing ILTV gD induced a higher level of neutralizing antibodies and offered complete protection to chickens against lethal ILTV challenge. Uses of recombinant NDV as a vaccine vector are also described.

The present invention provides chimeric negative-stand RNA viruses that allow a subject, e.g., an avian, to be immunized against two infectious agents by using a single chimeric virus of the invention. In particular, the present invention provides chimeric influenza viruses engineered to express and incorporate into their virions a fusion protein comprising an ectodomain of a protein of an infectious agent and the transmembrane and cytoplasmic domain of an influenza virus protein. Such chimeric viruses induce an immune response against influenza virus and the infectious agent. The present invention also provides chimeric Newcastle Disease viruses (NDV) engineered to express and incorporate into their virions a fusion protein comprising the ectodomain of a protein of an infectious agent and the transmembrane and cytoplasmic domain of an NDV protein. Such chimeric viruses induce an immune response against NDV and the infectious agent.

The present invention relates to a method for purifying an enveloped virus. The present invention further relates to an enveloped virus or a plurality of enveloped viruses obtainable by said method.

The present invention relates to the development and manufacturing of viral vaccines. In particular, the invention relates to the field of industrial production of viral vectors and vaccines, more in particular to the use of avian embryonic stem cells, preferably the EBx? cell line derived from duck embryonic stem cells, for the production of viral vectors and viruses. The invention is particularly useful for the industrial production of viral vaccines to prevent viral infection of humans and animals.

In this study, for the first time, protective efficacy of gD against ILTV challenge was evaluated. Immunization with recombinant Newcastle disease virus expressing ILTV gD induced a higher level of neutralizing antibodies and offered complete protection to chickens against lethal ILTV challenge. Uses of recombinant NDV as a vaccine vector are also described.

The present invention provides chimeric negative-stand RNA viruses that allow a subject, e.g., an avian, to be immunized against two infectious agents by using a single chimeric virus of the invention. In particular, the present invention provides chimeric influenza viruses engineered to express and incorporate into their virions a fusion protein comprising an ectodomain of a protein of an infectious agent and the transmembrane and cytoplasmic domain of an influenza virus protein. Such chimeric viruses induce an immune response against influenza virus and the infectious agent. The present invention also provides chimeric Newcastle Disease viruses (NDV) engineered to express and incorporate into their virions a fusion protein comprising the ectodomain of a protein of an infectious agent and the transmembrane and cytoplasmic domain of an NDV protein. Such chimeric viruses induce an immune response against NDV and the infectious agent.