Efficacy assay for pig vaccines
As part of the EU-funded EFFICACIOUS DELIVERY novel vaccines have been investigated and developed to tackle CSFV. A significant and important section of this research was the design of a method to evaluate the vaccines' effectiveness. Real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays were developed from pigs vaccinated and then challenged with the virus. Using TaqMan probes, a technique commonly used with RT-PCR, one assay allowed the simultaneous detection of nine sequences. Targets can be selected from a range of immune response proteins including lymphokines and cytokines. For the development of a normalisation factor, project partners calculated the average expression value of three out of four housekeeping genes. These sequences are required for maintenance of the cell and are consequently transcribed at relatively constant levels across all known conditions. Data from sequence targets of interest could then be calculated relative to this factor. Project partners are seeking further research or development support. For interested parties, CSFV represents an excellent model for the evaluation of protective immunity in swine induced by other viral subunits.
