Location: Foreign Animal Disease Research
Project Number: 3022-32000-063-013-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Aug 1, 2019
End Date: Jun 30, 2023
Objective:
This project research project seeks to develop an African swine fever virus (ASFV) sub unit vaccine, using raccoon pox virus as vector, which can protect against the epidemiologically relevant strain Georgia 2007.
Specific objectives include:
1. Develop an ASFV subunit vaccine candidate using racoon pox as a vector with the co-expression of several (6-18) immunogenetic viral proteins.
2. Assess immunogenicity and protective effect in swing against challenge.
Approach:
The 5-10 most immunogenic African swine fever virus (ASFV) proteins will be selected based in results previously obtained by ARS, PIADC, where these proteins were identified by peptide scanning immune microarray. Based on this information, the corresponding recombinant plasmids will be commercially synthesized placing the selected ASFV proteins under the regulation of specific different promoters already tested in their efficacy in our laboratory. Recombinant viruses will be then produced using racoon pox vectored virus (RPVV) as templated. Once purified by successive purification steps, expression of ASFV recombinant proteins will be tested in vitro using monoclonal and monospecific polyclonal antibodies. Furthermore, recombinant RPVV developed in 2 will be evaluated in their ability to prevent disease after the challenge with ASFV Georgia07 strain. Pigs will be parenterally immunized and challenged following standard procedures at ARS, PIADC.
