Principal Investigator: Diego Diel

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): 

Swine influenza A virus (SIV) is a major cause of acute respiratory disease outbreaks in swine, ranking among the top three health problems of the swine industry worldwide. The substantial genetic and antigenic diversity among co-circulating field SIV isolates and the frequent introduction of novel human IAV strains in pig populations pose significant challenges for the development of effective SIV vaccines. The goal of this study is to develop broadly protective SIV vaccine platforms for swine.

We hypothesize that immunization of pigs with consensus- or chimeric stalk-based HA proteins of SIV will induce broad protective immunity against divergent influenza viruses. To test this hypothesis, we will use a safe and highly immunogenic vector platform based on the parapoxvirus orf virus (OV) to deliver computationally design SIV antigens in pigs.

The objectives of this study are:
(1) To define the protective efficacy of consensus- and chimeric-HA-based vaccine platforms against diverse swine influenza A viruses. (2) To define and characterize cross-protective effector immune responses elicited by immunization with the conHA or cHA-platforms in swine.

These objectives are related to the program of Diseases of Agricultural Animals. The work will impact the areas of “disease prevention and control” through the development of novel vaccine platforms for SIV. The study will contribute to the improvement and sustainability of the US swine industry by generating broadly protective vaccines for SIV. Availability of such platforms will allow effective control of SIV, thus reducing the burden posed by the disease to both human and animal health.