Recombinant respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are provided which express
one or more immune modulatory molecules. The recombinant virus is
modified by addition or substitution of a polynucleotide sequence
encoding the immune modulatory molecule, which is preferably a cytokine.
Introduction of the cytokine increase, decrease, or otherwise enhances
aspects of viral biology and/or host immune responses to RSV to
facilitate vaccine use of the virus. Cytokines for use within the
invention include but are not limited to interleukin 2 (IL-2),
interleukin 4 (IL-4), interleukin 5 (IL-5), interleukin 6 (IL6), or
interleukin 18 (IL-18), tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha, interferon
gamma (IFN), and granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor
(GM-CSF). The polynucleotide or immune modulatory molecule is preferably
added or substituted into the recombinant viral genome or antigenome,
typically at an intergenic or other non-coding site, as a separate gene
but may be otherwise expressed, for example as a fusion protein.