Award details

Mucosal Immunology

Reference	BBS/E/I/00001589
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Dr Geraldine Taylor
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	The Pirbright Institute
Department	The Pirbright Institute Department
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	154,975
Status	Completed
Type	Institute Project
Start date	01/02/2011
End date	31/03/2012
Duration	14 months

Abstract

Respiratory infections of livestock are a major animal welfare problem and pose a considerable financial burden to UK agriculture. In this project we seek to increase understanding of the viral and host factors that influence the outcome of respiratory virus infections with the aim of developing improved vaccination strategies. The project will focus initially on bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV), which is an important cause of respiratory disease in calves and which is closely related to human RSV, a major cause of pneumonia and bronchiolitis in children. There is a clear need to develop safe and more effective BRSV vaccines. Since inactivated BRSV vaccines can exacerbate disease, the lack of disease potentiation following natural RSV infection is a critical safety advantage of a live mucosally delivered, vaccine strategy. Furthermore, the mucosal route of vaccination has the advantage of directly stimulating local immunity, and of overcoming the immunosuppressive effects of maternally derived antibodies. In this project, the ability of different vaccine candidates to prime RSV-specific T-cell responses, local and systemic antibody responses, and induce protection against challenge will be compared. The findings from this study will allow the identification of a safe and effective RSV vaccine candidate, and the type of vaccine construct most appropriate for stimulating mucosal immunity. The project will also characterise mucosal T-cell responses, local and systemic antibody responses analysis induced by FMDV infection and vaccination.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Not funded via Committee
Research Topics	Animal Health, Immunology, Microbiology
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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