3.4 Vaccine development
3.4.1 PBC 211
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| Programme Goal: | Control of Bovine Tuberculosis and Possums |
Objective 1
| Objective Title: | Immunology of bovine tuberculosis |
| Research Leader: | Dr Bryce Buddle |
Description:
Development and evaluation of vaccines and diagnostic tests for control of bovine tuberculosis in cattle and possums.
- Determining, when BCG vaccine is given orally, if microencapsulation of BCG enhances the cellular immune responses to Mycobacterium bovis antigens.
- Comparing the duration of protective immunity when groups of possums are challenged with virulent M. bovis at an interval of 2, 6 or 12 months after an aerosol BCG vaccination. This experiment is being conducted in association with Dr Roger Morris, Massey University at their Castlepoint facility.
- Determining the pathological changes which occur in possums at 1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks after intratracheal challenge with a low dose of virulent M. bovis. Lung macrophages will be collected from these animals at these time points and examined for their ability to kill M. bovis in in vitro cultures and for their cytokine mRNA expression.
- Developing an absorbed ELISA serological test for the diagnosis of bovine tuberculosis in cattle.
- Determining if there is a correlation between the type of immune response induced in cattle following inoculation with virulent and avirulent strains of M. bovis and the capacity of these M. bovis strains to survive in bovine alveolar macrophages and induce a cytokine response.
- Establishing a system for inducing respiratory M. bovis infections in guinea pigs to allow the preliminary screening of tuberculosis vaccines.
Results will be reported in the MAF Policy annual report and three papers will be submitted to refereed scientific journals by June 1998.
Objective 2
| Objective Title: | Possum Immunology | |
| Research Leader: | Dr Bryce Buddle |
Description:
Develop methods for measurement of systemic and mucosal immune responses in possums and for vaccine delivery to induce high levels of antibody. Identify possum cytokines which can be used as immunological adjuvants or are associated with high antibody production. This objective will be achieved by:
- Purifying possum IgA from at least one mucosal secretion (saliva, lung washings and milk) using a combination of chromatographic techniques including Jacalin resin, ion exchange and immuno-affinity. Polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies will be produced against the purified IgA.
- Determining whether BCG can be used as a vector for expressing a recombinant protein to possums. Cellular and humoral immune responses to the recombinant protein will be measured at systemic and mucosal sites.
- Developing methods to measure cellular and humoral immune responses in possums to wobbly possum disease virus.
- Establishing whether biologically active recombinant possum interleukin-1b (1L-1b) can be produced in yeast for investigation of its immunological adjuvant properties.
- Screening possum lymphocyte and macrophage cDNA for IL-4, 1L-6 and IFN-g using degenerate PCR primers.
Report results in the MAF Policy annual report and submit one paper to a refereed scientific journal by June 1998.
Contact for Enquiries
Farm Monitoring Programme Manager
Monitoring and Evaluation
MAF Policy
PO Box 2526
Wellington
NEW ZEALAND
Phone: +64 4 894 0623
Fax: +64 4 894 0741
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