Fighting viral infection in sheep The Jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus (JSRV) is responsible for the incidence of contagious lung tumours in sheep. The LIFE QUALITY programme funded a specific project to define the molecular events during JSRV infection and to evaluate novel candidate vaccines against the virus. Health © PhotoDisc The project consortium was headed by the Moredun Research Institute, the researchers of which pursued many avenues of investigation. Their aim was not just to understand the viral infection pathway but also to propose specific therapeutic and/or protective approaches against infection. Researchers managed to induce immune reactions to specific JSRV proteins. The produced antibodies could be induced in infected and non-infected sheep populations, proving that viral infection does not block antibody production. This could be a significant find, since it implies that a post-infection vaccine for JSRV could be possible from a molecular point of view. Concentrating their efforts towards vaccine development, researchers then focused on ways to induce antibody expression using specific JSRV proteins. A number of different gene constructs, called plasmids were produced for the expression of recombinant JSRV proteins. These proteins could form part of future vaccine products but could also be used for further research purposes, therefore the production of the plasmids was deemed an important breakthrough. It is likely that the discovery of an efficient vaccine against JSRV will tap into a lucrative veterinary market, potentially on a global scale. Overall, the Moredun Institute has tackled a number of research issues associated with JSRV infection and its treatment. The Institute seeks to create alliances in the form of further financial and/or research support in an effort to further this line of research, perhaps to the point of vaccine discovery and development.
