Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) Immunology
Lead Research Organisation:
The Pirbright Institute
Department Name: UNLISTED
Abstract
Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) is one of the most important pig diseases worldwide with a huge economic impact, estimated in the USA alone to exceed $600 million p.a. PRRS virus (PRRSV) is an arterivirus which exists in two distinct genotypes. Due to the replication cycle being prone to mutation and recombination events, PRRSV is a rapidly evolving virus, which is most dramatically illustrated by the emergence of highly pathogenic variants in South East Asia and Eastern Europe. Thus, more efficacious control strategies are urgently sought. An improved understanding of immunology and pathology of PRRS will aid the development of the next generation of PRRSV vaccines or intervention strategies. To address this need we aim to:
1. Characterise the interactions of PRRSV with dendritic cells
2. Define PRRSV virulence determinants and their mechanisms of action
3. Elucidate the roles of neutralising antibodies and T cell responses in protective immunity
4. Develop and evaluate novel PRRSV vaccines
1. Characterise the interactions of PRRSV with dendritic cells
2. Define PRRSV virulence determinants and their mechanisms of action
3. Elucidate the roles of neutralising antibodies and T cell responses in protective immunity
4. Develop and evaluate novel PRRSV vaccines
Organisations
- The Pirbright Institute, United Kingdom (Lead Research Organisation)
- University of Hertfordshire, United Kingdom (Collaboration)
- University College London Hospital (Collaboration)
- National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC) (Collaboration)
- ACM Biolabs (Collaboration)
- AIMM Therapeutics (Collaboration)
- University of Minnesota, United States (Collaboration)
- Kansas State University, United States (Collaboration)
- University of Plymouth, United Kingdom (Collaboration)
- Animal and Plant Health Agency (Collaboration)
- University of Central Lancashire, United Kingdom (Collaboration)
People |
ORCID iD |
| Simon Paul Graham (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Singleton H
(2016)
Establishing Porcine Monocyte-Derived Macrophage and Dendritic Cell Systems for Studying the Interaction with PRRSV-1.
in Frontiers in microbiology
Riitho V
(2017)
Design and evaluation of the immunogenicity and efficacy of a biomimetic particulate formulation of viral antigens.
in Scientific reports
Morgan SB
(2016)
Pathology and Virus Distribution in the Lung and Lymphoid Tissues of Pigs Experimentally Inoculated with Three Distinct Type 1 PRRS Virus Isolates of Varying Pathogenicity.
in Transboundary and emerging diseases
Mokhtar H
(2017)
Evaluation of hydrophobic chitosan-based particulate formulations of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus vaccine candidate T cell antigens.
in Veterinary microbiology
Mokhtar H
(2016)
The Non-structural Protein 5 and Matrix Protein Are Antigenic Targets of T Cell Immunity to Genotype 1 Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Viruses.
in Frontiers in immunology
Hemmink JD
(2016)
Limited genetic and antigenic diversity within parasite isolates used in a live vaccine against Theileria parva.
in International journal for parasitology
Goldeck D
(2019)
Establishment of Systems to Enable Isolation of Porcine Monoclonal Antibodies Broadly Neutralizing the Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus.
in Frontiers in immunology
Franzoni G
(2017)
Characterization of the interaction of African swine fever virus with monocytes and derived macrophage subsets.
in Veterinary microbiology
| Description | We have developed methodologies to identify and isolate antibody-secreting and memory B lymphocytes from pigs. |
| Exploitation Route | These techniques can be utilized to study these cells and their antibodies from infected/immunized pigs, which can play an important role in the development of improved vaccines for PRRS and other diseases. |
| Sectors | Agriculture, Food and Drink,Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology |
| Description | BBSRC Industrial CASE (iCASE) studentship programme Oxford Interdisciplinary Bioscience Doctoral Training Partnership |
| Amount | £80,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | University of Oxford |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 10/2019 |
| End | 09/2023 |
| Description | European PRRS Research Award |
| Amount | € 25,000 (EUR) |
| Organisation | Boehringer Ingelheim |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | Germany |
| Start | 11/2016 |
| End | 10/2017 |
| Description | The Pirbright Institute PhD Studentship |
| Amount | £80,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | The Pirbright Institute |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 10/2017 |
| End | 10/2021 |
| Description | Evaluation of artificial cell membranes for delivery of PRRSV antigens |
| Organisation | ACM Biolabs |
| PI Contribution | Ability to evaluate the immunogenicity of artificial cell membranes (ACMs) for delivery of PRRSV antigens |
| Collaborator Contribution | To use their patented platform technology to produce a panel of ACMs embedded with different PRRSV envelope proteins |
| Impact | Not yet |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | Evaluation of porcine cytomegalovirus as a viral vaccine vector |
| Organisation | University of Plymouth |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | PRRSV model and vaccine candidate antigens. Expertise in porcine T cell immunology |
| Collaborator Contribution | Expertise in exploiting herpesviruses as vaccine vectors |
| Impact | not yet |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Description | Evaluation of the efficacy of antiviral nanoparticles (AVNPs) against PRRSV |
| Organisation | University of Hertfordshire |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Expertise in PRRSV and in vitro model to assess efficacy of AVNPs |
| Collaborator Contribution | Expertise in materials science |
| Impact | Not yet |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | Evaluation of virus-imprinted polymers as synthetic neutralisng antibodies |
| Organisation | University of Central Lancashire |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Model viruses and systems to evaluate the ability of molecularly-imprinted polymers to neutralise virus infectivity |
| Collaborator Contribution | Expertise in molecularly-imprinted polymers |
| Impact | Wellcome Trust Seed Award |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Description | Nanoparticulate antigen delivery systems |
| Organisation | University College London Hospital |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Expertise in disease models, vaccine antigens and immune response evaluation |
| Collaborator Contribution | Expertise in nanoparticulate formulations |
| Impact | Several joint publications |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | Novel PRRS and swine influenza vaccines |
| Organisation | National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC) |
| Country | Thailand |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Expertise in PRRS immunology and vaccine evaluation. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Novel vaccine strains and SE Asian field strains |
| Impact | Collaborative grant proposal funded under the BBSRC Newton Fund UK-China-Philippines-Thailand Swine and Poultry Research Initiative |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | Provision of PRRSV field strains |
| Organisation | Animal and Plant Health Agency |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Experimental heterologous PRRSV challenge model to assess the induction of broadly neutralizing antibodies. Model to assess dendritic cell tropism of PRRS viruses |
| Collaborator Contribution | Provision of PRRSV-1 and -2 field strains |
| Impact | Not yet |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | Provision of PRRSV field strains |
| Organisation | Kansas State University |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Experimental heterologous PRRSV challenge model to assess the induction of broadly neutralizing antibodies. Model to assess dendritic cell tropism of PRRS viruses |
| Collaborator Contribution | Provision of PRRSV-1 and -2 field strains |
| Impact | Not yet |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | Reporter PRRS viruses |
| Organisation | Kansas State University |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | A new application for recombinant reporter PRRS viruses i.e. to use them as a high throughput screen for neutralizing (monoclonal) antibodies. Use as tools to assess the tropism of PRRSV for dendritic cell subsets and the functional consequences. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Provision of plasmids encoding GFP-expressing PRRSV-1 and -2. |
| Impact | Not yet |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | Retroviral-mediated genetic programming of porcine memory B cells |
| Organisation | AIMM Therapeutics |
| PI Contribution | Provided a novel 'model' system to test their technology to isolate novel monoclonal antibodies |
| Collaborator Contribution | To provide their patented platform technology to genetically program porcine memory B cells to enable the isolation of memory B cells |
| Impact | Not yet |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | Use of fluorescent virions to isolate PRRSV-specific porcine B cells |
| Organisation | University of Minnesota |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Deployment of a novel technology to facilitate isolation of PRRSV neutralizing monoclonal antibodies |
| Collaborator Contribution | Provision of a method to fluorescently tag purified virions to label PRRSV-specific B cells |
| Impact | None to report to date |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | Invited Presentation |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Presentations at the European PRRS Research Award ceremonies |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016,2017 |
| Description | Invited Presentation |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Invited talk entitled 'Identification of viral targets of host T cell immunity for development of livestock vaccines' presented at the International Symposium on Human and Veterinary Viruses 2018: From Research to Application, Bangkok, Thailand. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | http://www.biotec.or.th/virus-symposium2018/index.php |
| Description | Invited Presentation |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Invited talk titled 'Identification of viral targets of host T cell immunity for development of livestock vaccines' presented at the British Society for Immunology Congress, Brighton, UK. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2010,2017 |
| URL | https://www.bsicongress.com/ |
| Description | Invited Presentation |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Invited talk titled 'Design and evaluation of biomimetic particulate formulations of viral antigens as veterinary vaccines' presented at VaxInLive 2018 Symposium, Lyon, France. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | https://clarolineconnect.univ-lyon1.fr/icap_website/view/1228 |
| Description | Invited oral presentation at 18th National Conference for Pig Disease Prevention and Eradication, Wuhan, China |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Invited oral presentation: 'Trying to hit a moving target: Novel approaches to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus vaccine development', 18th National Conference for Pig Disease Prevention and Eradication, Wuhan, China |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Invited presentation: 'Beyond Jenner: The Future of Vaccines', Discovery Day, Dr Jenner House Museum and Gardens |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Invited by the British Society for Immunology to give a presentation on vaccine research at the 'Beyond Jenner: The Future of Vaccines', Discovery Day, Dr Jenner House Museum and Gardens, Berkeley, UK. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Oral presentation at International Pig Veterinary Symposium and International PRRS Symposium, Chongqing, China. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Oral presentation on our PRRS research at the International Pig Veterinary Symposium and International PRRS Symposium, Chongqing, China. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | University of Surrey School of Veterinary Medicine Open Day |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Presentation of work conducted at The Pirbright Institute |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016,2017 |
| Description | Vet School Open Day |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | University of Surrey School of Veterinary Medicine Open Day - introduced The Pirbright Institute and the research we conduct to prospective students and parents. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |