New solutions against animal diseases
EC-funded EFFICACIOUS DELIVERY project evaluated different vaccine types in regards to their ability to protect against classical swine fever virus (CSFV) infections. The first type of vaccines comprised antigens produced in vitro, while the second one included a DNA- or RNA-based delivery where the antigens are produced in vivo. The recombinant Orf parapoxvirus (ORFV) was used as a safe vector able to induce an immune response. ORFV was engineered to express the CSFV protein E2. The E2 producing plasmid was shown to induce strong immune responses in vaccinated pigs. More specifically, results showed that vaccination resulted in the production of CSFV-neutralising antibodies, thus protecting from infection. The results were detectable after a single application and a multi-site application was shown to be the most efficacious. These results could be of particular value to pharmaceutical companies active in the field of animal health and keen to explore ORFV-based vectors. The researchers are interested in forming licensing agreements or even joint venture deals with appropriate parties.
