Pharma Investments, Ventures & Law Weekly March 12, 2006 EXPANDED REPORTING; Pg. 108 IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY Study investigated porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus vaccine Investigators evaluate immune responses and protection by vaccine and various vaccine adjuvant candidates to virulent porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus in a recent issue of Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology. "Various vaccine adjuvant candidates were assessed with the modified-live porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (MLV PRRSV) (Ingelvac PRRS MLV) vaccine. Their influence on humoral-mediated immune (HMI) and cell-mediated immune (CMI) responses as well as protection from virulent PRRSV challenge (MN-184) was evaluated," researchers in the United States report. Wasin Charerntantankul and collaborators at Iowa State University and Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. wrote, "Ninety seronegative pigs were randomly divided into nine groups of 10 pigs. One group received MLV vaccine alone. Five groups received MLV vaccine with either bacterial endotoxin-derived adjuvant (ET), mixed open reading frame 5 (ORF5) peptides derived from various PRRSV isolates, porcine interferon alpha (IFN alpha), polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid stabilized with polylysine and carboxymethyl cellulose (poly-ICLC), or porcine interleukin-12 (IL-12). One group did not receive MLV vaccine but was immunized with ORF5 peptides conjugated with cholera toxin (ORF5 peptide/CT). Two groups served as challenged and unchallenged nonvaccinated controls." Charerntantankul and associates stated, "Four-color flow cytometry was utilized to simultaneously identify three major porcine T-cell surface markers (CD4, CD8, and gamma delta TCR) and detect activation marker CD25 (alpha chain of IL-2 receptor) or intracellular IFN-gamma. The MLV PRRSV vaccine alone successfully primed CD4CD8+gamma delta- T-cells as demonstrated by a significant increase in %IFN-gamma+ cells when live PRRSV was used as a recall antigen." "Booster immunizations of mixed ORF5 peptides and co-administration of IL-12 with MLV PRRSV vaccine significantly enhanced IFN-gamma expression by some T-cell subsets (CD4-CD8+gamma delta+ and CD4-CD8-gamma delta+ for mixed ORF5 peptides and CD4+CD8+gamma delta- and CD4-CD8+gamma delta+ for IL-12)," reported the scientists. "All groups receiving MLV-vaccine with or without adjuvants had reduced lung lesions after challenge. The group immunized with only ORF5 peptide/CT did not have significant T-cell recall responses and was not protected from challenge." "Expression of IFN-gamma by several T-cell subsets correlated with reduced lung lesions and viremia, whereas expression of CD25 did not," noted the investigators. "Expression of surface CD25 did not correlate with IFN-gamma production. PRRSV ELISA s/p ratio prior to challenge also correlated with reduced lung lesions and viremia. Booster immunizations of the mixed ORF5 peptides and co-administration of IL-12 effectively enhanced the CMI response to MLV vaccine. However, neither adjuvant significantly contributed to reducing clinical effects when compared to MLV alone." Charerntantankul and coauthors published their study in Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology (Immune responses and protection by vaccine and various vaccine adjuvant candidates to virulent porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus. Vet Immunol Immunopathol, 2006;109(1-2):99-115). For additional information, contact James A. Roth, Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, Iowa State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Ames, IA 50011-1250, USA. E-mail: jaroth@iastate.edu. The publisher of the journal Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology can be contacted at: Elsevier Science BV, PO Box 211, 1000 AE Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Keywords: Ames, Iowa, United States, Virology Vaccine, Vaccine Development, Vaccine Adjuvant, Vaccine Efficacy, Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus, Immunology, Immunotherapy, Proteomics, Veterinary Medicine. This article was prepared by Pharma Investments, Ventures & Law Weekly editors from staff and other reports.