Broadly protective vaccines for porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome and swine influenza virus infections

生猪生产是东南亚增长最快的畜牧业，生猪生产的集约化导致疾病增加，包括呼吸道疾病，这是全球养猪业经济损失的主要原因。两种病毒，猪繁殖与呼吸综合征病毒和猪流感病毒，是导致猪呼吸道疾病的主要因素。预防感染这两种病毒将显著改善泰国猪的福利，并将呼吸道疾病造成的经济损失降至最低。为此，我们将与泰国科学家合作，测试针对这两种病毒的创新新疫苗，以预防感染和疾病。由于这两种病毒都有许多毒株，疫苗需要针对在泰国传播的病毒毒株进行量身定做。我们的泰国合作伙伴利用他们对这些毒株的详细知识和复杂的分子生物学方法来制造最有可能预防当地病毒多样性的候选疫苗。候选疫苗将在英国进行测试，以确定它们是否能刺激强大的免疫反应。泰国科学家将来到英国学习这些免疫学方法。激发最强大免疫反应的候选疫苗将在泰国进行测试，看看它们是否能在实验室条件下和野外保护猪免受病毒感染。我们希望了解为什么这两种病毒使猪容易患上严重的呼吸道疾病。为了研究这一问题，猪只将分别或联合感染每种病毒，并将详细分析对每种病毒的免疫反应，以了解免疫反应如何改变，从而导致疾病恶化。该项目将开发针对泰国病毒株的广泛保护疫苗，并将免疫学和疫苗学专业知识转移给泰国科学家，以促进在泰国实施猪繁殖与呼吸综合征和猪流感病毒的疫苗计划。然后，这些技术可以适应其他病原体和牲畜物种。

Pig production is the fastest growing livestock sector across Southeast Asia and intensification of pig production has led to an increase in diseases, including respiratory diseases, which are a major cause of economic losses in the pig industry worldwide. Two viruses, porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus and swine influenza virus, are major contributors to respiratory disease in pigs. Prevention of infection with the two viruses would significantly improve the welfare of pigs in Thailand and minimise economic losses due to respiratory disease. To do this, we will collaborate with Thai scientists to test innovative new vaccines against these two viruses, which will prevent infection and disease. Because there are many strains of both viruses, the vaccines need to be tailored to the virus strains that circulate in Thailand. Our Thai partners have used their detailed knowledge of these strains and sophisticated molecular biology methods to make vaccine candidates that have the best chance of protecting against the diversity of local viruses.The candidate vaccines will be tested in the UK to determine whether they stimulate a powerful immune response. Thai scientists will come to the UK to learn these immunological methods. The candidate vaccines that stimulate the most powerful immune response will then be tested in Thailand to see if they can protect pigs against infection with the viruses both under laboratory conditions and in the field.We wish to understand why these two viruses predispose pigs to severe respiratory disease. To study this question, pigs will be infected with each virus separately or together and the immune responses to each virus will be analysed in detail to learn how the immune response is altered leading to exacerbated disease.The project will develop broadly-protective vaccines tailored to Thai virus strains and will transfer expertise in immunology and vaccinology to Thai scientists to facilitate the implementation of vaccine programmes for porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome and swine influenza viruses in Thailand. These technologies can then be adapted to other pathogens and livestock species.