Award details

Elucidating local and systemic immune responses of livestock to arbovirus infections and arthropod saliva.

Reference	BBS/E/I/00001728
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Dr Karin Darpel
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	The Pirbright Institute
Department	The Pirbright Institute Department
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	604,035
Status	Completed
Type	Institute Project
Start date	21/05/2012
End date	31/03/2017
Duration	58 months

Abstract

This interdisciplinary research project will study the immune response and pathogenesis of arboviral infections in their mammalian hosts while additionally addressing the effect of vector arthropod saliva. The majority of studies investigating the immune response towards arboviruses and vector arthropod saliva will be carried out using their natural mammalian host, either in vivo or by establishing primary and/or ex vivo cell and organ culture systems. A major aspect of the in-vivo studies will be the cannulation of superficial lymphatic vessels in cattle and sheep to compare the inflammatory and migratory cell response in the collected lymph between infected and non-infected as well as arthropod exposed and non-exposed animals. The project will also investigate if certain aspects of the innate and systemic immune response contribute to the development of disease in mammalian hosts, rather than conferring protection. Initial studies will focus on the immune response of ruminants towards bluetongue virus infection and Culicoides spp. blood-feeding. Innate and systemic immune responses in ruminants towards Culicoides spp, can later be compared to responses of hosts towards other haematophagous arthropod vectors (e.g. ticks and mosquitoes) as well as additional arboviruses. The in-vitro work studying the immune response of skin cells and endothelial cells has the additional benefit of being transferable to include equine derived cells, therefore allowing research into important horse disease or in the wider future important zoonotic arboviruses such as West Nile virus.

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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