African swine fever virus: Understanding virus host interactions and improving control strategies
Lead Research Organisation:
The Pirbright Institute
Department Name: Vector Borne Diseases
Abstract
Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.
Publications
Fishbourne E
(2013)
Increase in chemokines CXCL10 and CCL2 in blood from pigs infected with high compared to low virulence African swine fever virus isolates.
in Veterinary research
Lithgow P
(2014)
Correlation of cell surface marker expression with African swine fever virus infection.
in Veterinary microbiology
| Description | The UK-China partnering award aimed to establish collaborations between The Pirbright Institute and two Chinese Veterinary Research Institutes, The China Animal Health and Epidemiology Center, Qingdao, Shandong Province and Veterinary College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou. It also aimed to disseminate information about African swine fever to Chinese Veterinary Authorities and Researchers. The very high pig population in China means that it is at risk from introduction of ASF which causes very high mortality in pigs and this would have a very high impact on China and global food security. The partnering award enabled two scientists from the Pirbright Institute to present keynote presentations at a workshop on Exotic Disease Prevention and Control in Hainan Province June 2011. This was attended by 50 Chinese Scientists and Veterinary Authorities from 10 Chinese provinces. Current knowledge on ASFV was presented. Collaboartion between The Pirbright Institute and Chinese partners has been identified through visits of Pirbright scientists to PR China and a visit of 7 months of a Chinese scientist Dr Xinyu Zhang to Pirbright in 2012 to undetake collaboarative work. This work involved testing an ELISA kit to detect antibodies against ASFV in serum from pigs exposed to the virus. This assay was based on 3 recombinant ASFV proteins produced by the lab in China and was used to assay for antibodies against ASFV in samples from experimentally infected pigs at the Pirbright Institute. The results showed that the ELISA assay had very good sensitivity and specificity, comparable or exceeding that of current commercial ELISA kits. A publication has been submitted decribing this study. In addition antibody responses to individual ASFV proteins was measured identifying those which induced strong or weak antibody responses. With the support of the UK-China award, Dr Fuquan Zhang from the Pirbright Institute visited the Fourth Military Medical University (FMMU) in Xian, China during July and August 2014. During this visit Fuquan met the deputy heads and other staff members from both Microbiology Department and Experimental Animal Centre of FMMU, and discussed potential collaboration projects. While working on a BBSRC project Fuquan characterised a small protein from African swine fever virus (ASFV) DP71 as a eukaryotic translational enhancer and created an expression vector with this translational enhancer built in. He performed in vitro transfection experiments on various cells and proved that this vector is superior to the parental vector in expressing a reporter gene in transfected cells. He hypothesises that this approach can be applied to DNA vaccination to improve its poor immunogenicity that has been a major drawback of this once promising vaccine strategy. During the above mentioned trip to China, Fuquan gave a presentation at the Experimental Animal Centre of FMMU to explain his work which was well received. Both sides have agreed to further explore this novel vector. As a proof of concept, they will test this vector side by side with the parental one on mouse models in FMMU. A formal collaboration and material transfer agreement has been signed by both the Pirbright Institute and FMMU. We have completed the transfer of the plasmids from Pirbright to FMMU, and are currently preparing for the animal experiments. |
| Exploitation Route | The kits developed could be developed for use in surveillance or erradication programmes to monitor for exposure of pigs to ASFV. The results have identified ASFV proteins that are immunogenic and induce strong antibody responses. A joint publication is in progress. The plasmid to enhance protein translation may have application in improving production of vaccines. |
| Sectors | Agriculture Food and Drink |
| Description | The findings have been used to produce a prototype ELISA kit for detection of ASFV antibodies by our Chinese partners |
| First Year Of Impact | 2013 |
| Impact Types | Economic |
| Description | Exchange visit from Yangzhou University faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Jiangshi Province, PR China |
| Organisation | Yangzhou University |
| Department | Faculty of Veterinary Medicine |
| Country | China |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Member of faculty from from Yangzhou University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, visited The Pirbright Institute between July 2012 and February 2013 to carry out collaboration experiments on the establishment of cells that support African swine fever virus replication and to test novel ASFV proteins as diagnostic tools to measure antibodies against ASFV. |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | Exploiting novel porcine macrophage cell lines and ASFV virulence factors |
| Organisation | Zoetis |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | The Pirbright Research Team is constructing gene deleted African swine fever viruses and is testing these in pig macrophage primary cell cultures and using novel pig macrophage cell lines from University of Plymouth. These are also being tested in pigs in immunization and challenge vaccination experiments. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Zoetis will establish conditions for scaling up of the novel pig macrophage cell lines in a commercial setting. |
| Impact | Multi-disciplinary: Virology, cell biology, pathogenesis, immunology, vaccinology |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Description | Visit of UK Scinetists to Chinese Animal Health and Epidemiology Center, Qingdao and Yangzhou University, College |
| Organisation | China Animal Health and Epidemiology Center (CAHEC) |
| Country | China |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Visited Chinese Animal Health and Epidemiology Center, Qingdao and Yangzhou University, College and presented seminars at each location |
| Collaborator Contribution | Exchange of staff |
| Impact | Exchange visit to Pirbright |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | Visit of UK Scinetists to Chinese Animal Health and Epidemiology Center, Qingdao and Yangzhou University, College |
| Organisation | Yangzhou University |
| Department | Faculty of Veterinary Medicine |
| Country | China |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Visited Chinese Animal Health and Epidemiology Center, Qingdao and Yangzhou University, College and presented seminars at each location |
| Collaborator Contribution | Exchange of staff China/UK |
| Impact | Exchange visits, partnering award |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | Invited Seminar China Animal Health and Epidemiology Centre Qingdao PR China |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Invited seminar at China Animal Health and Epidemiology Centre Qingdao PR China |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| Description | Invited seminar Yangzhou University PR China |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Presentation to postgraduate students and faculty at Yangxhou University Veterinary faculty |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |