Antigen delivery systems for veterinary vaccine development

Abstract

The recent advances in molecular genetics, pathogenesis and immunology have provided an optimal framework for developing novel approaches in the rational design of vaccines effective against viral epizootic diseases. This paper reviews most of the viral-vector based antigen delivery systems (ADSs) recently developed for vaccine testing in veterinary species, including attenuated virus and DNA and RNA viral vectors. Besides their usefulness in vaccinology, these ADSs constitute invaluable tools to researchers for understanding the nature of protective responses in different species, opening the possibility of modulating or potentiating relevant immune mechanisms involved in protection.

Structural Basis for the Development of Avian Virus Capsids That Display Influenza Virus Proteins and Induce Protective Immunity

“…Whereas attenuation of virulence and chemical inactivation are the oldest (and still-used) approaches to classical vaccine production, new strategies for human and veterinary medicine are constantly emerging due to improvements in safety and efficiency, among other factors (41). Approaches that use recombinant viral vector-and subunit (VLP)-based vaccines have been demonstrated to offer effective protection against diseases (42)(43)(44)(45). Our model for vaccine development is the IBDV VP2 capsid protein, which we tested as a platform to anchor foreign antigens.…”

A New Rabies Vaccine Based on a Recombinant Orf Virus (Parapoxvirus) Expressing the Rabies Virus Glycoprotein

“…To this end, improved efficacious and safe vaccines against RABV would be desirable. Since ORFV-vectored vaccines can be regarded as a potent, safe alternative to other poxvirusbased recombinant vaccines (44,49,51,57), we generated the novel recombinant D1701-V-RabG containing the RABV glycoprotein known as the principal correlate of protective immunity against rabies. The RabG gene was inserted into the vegf-e gene locus of the genome of the attenuated ORFV strain D1701-V and was correctly expressed in good amounts, which did not detectably alter the growth characteristics, the plaque phenotype, or the replication of parental D1701-V, as reported after expression of RabG in a Newcastle disease virus vector (22).…”

Quantification of rHVT-F genome load in feather follicles by specific real-time qPCR as an indicator of NDV-specific humoral immunity induced by day-old vaccination in SPF chickens

“…For many years, considerable scientific effort has been directed towards the development of novel vaccine technologies and the current knowledge in viral DNA and RNA vectors as carriers of foreign genes illustrates many of the potential approaches for antigen delivery and development of veterinary vaccines. Among DNA vectors, (i) the large genome size, (ii) the presence of genes not essential for productive viral replication, which allows the insertion of large amount of exogenous DNAs without disturbing its biology, and (iii) the availability of efficient methods to manipulate genomes are significant advantages for using herpesviruses as vaccine vectors (Brun et al, 2008). Herpesvirus of turkeys (HVT), named Meleagrid herpesvirus 1 as per recent classification by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses, is a member of the Mardivirus genus, while Marek's disease virus (MDV; Gallid herpesvirus 2) is a highly contagious cell-associated α-herpesvirus (serotype 1) that causes a lymphoproliferative and immunesuppressive disease in poultry.…”