Applied Research of a novel approach to vaccine virus attenuation

This application is for a Proof of Concept grant to undertake applied research towards a novel
approach of applying state-of-the-art genomic analysis, molecular biological and DNA
synthesis techniques to the development and deployment of improved attenuated live virus
vaccines.
The approach aims to identify novel sets of “universal” attenuating mutations that can rapidly
be introduced into emerging virulent strains with predictable outcomes in terms of
attenuation, vaccine potential and safety. If successful, it will bypass the time-consuming and
uncontrolled step of isolating and adapting the field virus in cell culture and allow vaccine
producers to keep pace with rapidly changing virus.
We will evaluate our approach to vaccine virus attenuation in the context of PRRSV (porcine
reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus) as it is one of the most rapidly evolving viruses
identified to date and is estimated to cost global swine producers in excess of $1.5 billion per
annum. These losses are largely the result of a failure to develop and deploy effective
vaccines.
In China, USA and some other countries the disease, through outbreaks of wave after wave of
highly virulent strains, wreaks havoc on pork producers. In the UK and Western Europe,
although the prevalent strains cause significant disease problems, producers have not yet
experienced the dramatic mortality and production loss associated with “highly virulent”
strains. Outbreaks have, however, already occurred in Eastern Europe.
We believe our technology, deployed towards effective PRRS vaccines, could derive
substantial earnings for the UK animal health industry and be an important tool to ensure the
sustainability of swine production in the UK in the face of a virulent strain outbreak.
A successful proof of concept study would additionally lead to further projects investigating
the extension of the concept into other animal health and human pathogens of global social
and economic importance.