seed grant competition

Understanding pig immune responses to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus
renukaradhya gourapura, Food animal Health research program Since the 1990s, porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) has caused uncontrollable and persistent respiratory viral disease in pigs. PRRS leads to an annual estimated loss of $664 million to the U.S. economy, but currently available vaccines have failed to completely control the disease outbreak. PRRS gains bodily entry through respiratory mucosal surfaces. Greater than 80 percent of body immune cells are localized at mucosal sites, and scientists have established that generating a protective mucosal immunity can be effective against pathogens such as PRRS. Developing a successful PRRS vaccine requires a thorough understanding of the virus-induced mucosal immune responses in the pig respiratory tract. To accomplish this, the research team performed a detailed mucosal immune response study in pigs experimentally infected with PRRS. The results showed that the PRRS virus quickly suppresses the Natural Killer (NK) cell function. NK cells typically provide rapid responses to virally infected cells and are unique because they have the ability to recognize stressed cells in the absence of antibodies. This suppression was observed as early as day two and persisted over one month after infection. Agents known to enhance NK cell function also failed and were unable to stop the NK cell suppression in PRRS-infected pigs. In addition to delayed onset of adaptive immunity, there was a rapid increase in the frequency of cell-signaling protein molecules that repress the immune system, as well as white blood cells that suppress immune defense cells. This project discovered important new information related to how the PRRS virus infects pigs, such as very early onset and prolonged suppression of the immune system. This knowledge will help the research team and others
renukaradhya gourapura

design strategies to overcome the suppressive immune response by combining PRRS vaccines with suitable adjuvants. The combination of the vaccine with a potent adjuvant will boost the immune response of the vaccine, in addition to limiting and/or eliminating the virus-induced immune suppression. One of the adjuvants used by the project team in conjunction with a PRRS vaccine overcame the immunosuppressive response and also protected pigs against genetically variant PRRS viral challenges. The results of this study will ultimately help scientists develop improved PRRS vaccines, thus eventually reducing the economic burden caused by the virus both in Ohio and throughout the United States.

Greater than 80 percent of body immune cells are localized at mucosal sites, and scientists have established that generating a protective mucosal immunity can be effective against pathogens such as PRRS.

www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/seeds SEEDS: The OARDC Research Enhancement Competitive Grants Program

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