Vaccination against Epstein-Barr virus: current progress and future strategies.

A vaccine derived from the high-molecular-weight glycoprotein (gp340) component of the Epstein-Barr (EB) virus membrane antigen conferred complete protection against a 100% lymphomagenic dose of EB virus in the cottontop tamarin, the animal of choice for experiments with EB virus. The membrane-antigen gene has already been cloned, and the development of a vaccine for use in man should now be possible. Such a vaccine could be tested first against infectious mononucleosis, because the effectiveness of vaccination would become evident in a relatively short time. Field trials against Burkitt's lymphoma and nasopharyngeal cancer could follow.