Exciting advancements are being made towards the development of a safe and effective vaccine against swine flu. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln's long-term experiment has yielded successful results that could have significant implications for both the pork industry and human health.
Swine flu strains, along with avian influenza, have the ability to reconfigure and transmit to humans. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, caused by a variant of the H1N1 strain, originated in swine and quickly spread to infect a large portion of the global population. This outbreak resulted in thousands of deaths worldwide.
Researchers, led by Professor Eric Weaver, are utilizing Epigraph, a data-based computer technique, to develop a broad-based vaccine that can effectively combat influenza. Influenza is a challenging virus to prevent due to its rapid mutations.
Current strategies in the pork industry involve using vaccines derived from inactivated or weakened live viruses. However, the rapid evolution of swine influenza renders this approach expensive, time-consuming, and ineffective.
The Epigraph algorithm allows scientists to analyze amino-acid sequences among hundreds of flu-virus variants, leading to the creation of a vaccine cocktail that targets the most common viral protein fragments responsible for triggering the immune system's response. This research opens the door to the development of a universal flu vaccine that provides significant protection against multiple types of influenza viruses for extended periods.
The vaccine is delivered through an adenovirus, a common virus that mimics a natural viral infection, stimulating a robust immune response. Previous studies on mice and pigs demonstrated that the Epigraph-developed vaccine generated strong immune responses and protected against a wider range of strains compared to existing commercial vaccines.
In a recent longitudinal study, fifteen female pigs were observed for approximately six months, receiving either the Epigraph vaccine, a commercial whole inactive virus vaccine, or a saline solution as a control group. The pigs receiving the Epigraph vaccine exhibited faster and longer-lasting antibody and T-cell responses. After exposure to a divergent strain of swine flu, the vaccinated pigs showed better protection against the disease, with reduced viral shedding, fewer infection symptoms, and stronger immune system responses.
These promising findings offer hope for the development of a long-lasting swine flu vaccine that can safeguard both swine populations and potentially contribute to the protection of human health.
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Categories: Nebraska, Livestock, Hogs