Abstract: The present invention concerns: a) an isolated peptide comprising an amino acid sequence which is at least 90% identical to the VP4 amino acid sequence of a rhinovirus, or an isolated polynucleotide comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding said peptide, placed under the control of the elements necessary for its expression in a mammalian cell; and/or b) an isolated peptide comprising an amino acid sequence of at least 100 amino acids which is at least 90% identical to an amino acid sequence located in the last 363 C-terminal amino acids of the RNA polymerase of a rhinovirus, or an isolated polynucleotide comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding said peptide, placed under the control of the elements necessary for its expression in a mammalian cell; and c) a Th1 adjuvant when said immunogenic composition comprises one or more of said isolated peptides.

Abstract: The present invention provides the use of IFN-?, an agent that increases the expression of IFN-?, or a polynucleotide which is capable of expressing IFN-? or said agent for the manufacture of a medicament for the treatment of rhinovirus-induced exacerbation of a respiratory disease selected from asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, wherein said treatment is by airway delivery of said medicament, e.g. by use of an aerosol nebuliser. Also provided is IFN-? for the same purpose.

Abstract: A transgenic non-human animal whose genome comprises a polynucleotide encoding human ICAM-1 domains D1 and D2 and preferably encoding human ICAM-1 domains D1 and D2 and host non-human ICAM-1 domains D3, D4 and D5. Methods for the production of such transgenic animals, screening methods using such transgenic animals, associated transgenes, constructs, vectors, and cells are disclosed. The transgenic non-human animal is a suitable model for studying human rhinovirus infection.