1982年，文献首次报道外源基因成功在痘苗病毒WR株（小鼠嗜神经毒株）中获得表达，引起了中国科学家的极大关注。1984年，中国医学科学院病毒学研究所在朱既明院士的组织下成立了痘苗病毒基因表达载体研究协作组，提出使用天坛痘苗病毒疫苗株开发可用于人体的痘苗病毒基因表达载体的新思路。该研究历时10余年，成功构建了痘苗病毒天坛株高效表达载体，并广泛用于外源基因表达、基因工程疫苗研究、单克隆抗体研制和诊断试剂开发。本文简单介绍了该载体的研究及应用，并对载体疫苗存在的问题及发展前景进行了讨论。

In 1982, a foreign gene successfully expressed in the vaccinia virus WR strain (mouse neurotropic strain) aroused a great concern of Chinese scientists. In 1984, Dr. ZHU Ji-Ming, academician of Chinese Academy of Science organized a collaborative research group in the Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Medical Science to develop a novel gene expression system based on vaccinia virus Tiantan strain which was used to prepare smallpox vaccine for human use more than 50 years in China. After more than ten years of effort, a highly efficient vector system for foreign gene expression was successfully established and widely used for the expression of foreign genes, for recombinant vaccines, and the development of monoclonal antibodies and diagnostic reagents. This paper briefly described the study and application of the gene expression system and discussed the problems and prospects of vector vaccine development.