EPIZONE integrates research throughout Europe aimed at effective control of epizootic diseases by use of intervention strategies. The goal is to improve the efficacy of vaccination regimes and optimize vaccine strategies. The focus is on the OIE list A diseases: African swine fever, classical swine fever, foot-and-mouth disease, bluetongue, Rift Valley fever and avian influenza.
Work Package 5.1: Vaccine technologies
- A review was published in the high impact Vaccine Journal on "Antigen delivery systems for veterinary vaccine development: Viral-vector based delivery systems" and includes authors from 7 partners.
- Samples from two joint animal experiments were further analysed to test different strategies for African swine fever virus vaccination
Work Package 5.2: Host responses to infection
- Information has been shared on the use of microarrays and real-time PCR to study host transcriptional responses to infection.
- Internal Call 5.5: Improved immunological toolbox, has generated new monoclonal antibodies for bovine and porcine immune response proteins. These reagents will be distributed to different partners.
Work Package 5.3: Adjuvants
- Participants in, Adjuvants and Immunomodulators, provide expert input into the use of adjuvants in vaccination experiments. A further focus has been the development of liposomes and other methods for delivery of molecules and genes in large animals and fish.
Work Package 5.4: Antivirals
- A harmonised approach to test antivirals is being developed, moving from studies in cell culture to in vivo studies in animals.
- Traditional small molecule antivirals as well as silencing RNAs to inhibit virus replication are being evaluated.
- In vivo experiments were carried out to test small molecule inhibitors of classical swine fever virus and siRNAs targeted against pest des petit ruminants virus.