FIG. 6.

Animals vaccinated with IL-15-integrated vaccinia viruses better tolerate a lethal intranasal vaccinia virus challenge. Four groups of mice, five animals per group, were vaccinated with equivalent doses (2 × 10⁶) of the respective vaccine agents. (A) Vaccinated animals were challenged 30 days after vaccination. (B) Vaccinated animals were also challenged 10 months after vaccination. For intranasal challenge of vaccinated animals, 1 × 10⁶ PFU of the WR strain of vaccinia virus was used. The body weights of individual animals were measured daily after intranasal challenge. Age-matched unimmunized mice were included in the challenge experiments to serve as controls. Two separate experiments showed similar weight loss patterns.