ARS | Publication request: U. S. Veterinary Immune Reagents Network: Progress with poultry immune reagents development

Submitted to: BARC Poster Day
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: April 7, 2011
Publication Date: April 18, 2011
Citation: Lee, S.H., Lillehoj, H.S., Jang, S.I., Lee, K., Kim, K., Park, M., O Donnell, S.M., Chun, J., Baldwin, C., Wagner, B. 2011. U. S. Veterinary Immune Reagents Network: Progress with poultry immune reagents development. BARC Poster Day. P.27.

Technical Abstract: A major obstacle to advances in veterinary immunology and disease research is the lack of sufficient immunological reagents specific for veterinary animal species. In 2006, U. S. Veterinary Immune Reagent Network (VIRN) Consortium (www.vetimm.org) was developed to develop immune reagents against major veterinary and aquatic animal species. The initial priority list for poultry immune reagent development was focused on developing immune reagents against chicken cytokines and chemokines. This poster will report our progress with the poultry immune reagent development efforts of the U. S. VIRN from August 2006 to July 2011. During this period, 26 cytokine and chemokine genes have been cloned and recombinant cytokines became commercially available through the Kingfisher Biotechnology laboratory (www.kingfisherbiotech.com). In addition, transformed cell lines with a transient expression of cell surface molecules of CD25, CD80, CD83 and CD86 have been developed and these cells were used to immunize mice for mouse monoclonal antibodies (mAb) production. Because there are very few established chicken cell lines which can be used in in-vitro cytokine/chemokine bioassays for poultry, validation of biological activity of recombinant chicken cytokines was carried out using primary lymphocytes and macrophages. Several stable mouse hybridomas secreting mAb against major chicken cytokines have been developed for immunoassay development. These immune reagents will serve as valuable tools for basic and applied research in poultry immunology (This project was supported, in part, by the National Research Initiative of the USDA, U.S. Veterinary Immune Related Reagent Network Grant # 2005-01812).