Vaccine Development

Vaccination has been and continues to be the most successful and cost-effective means of combating infectious diseases in both veterinary and human medicine. Vaccines may be used to prevent clinical signs of disease after infection or to help control, eliminate or even eradicate an infection at the population level (eg smallpox). Vaccines are also increasingly used to control non-infectious diseases such as allergies and cancers.

The science of vaccine development, or Vaccinology, combines disciplines of immunology, microbiology, protein chemistry and molecular biology with practical considerations of production costs, regulatory affairs, and commercial returns. For the research scientists, the major challenges are:

1. the identification of protective antigen(s) which requires an in depth knowledge of the immunobiology of the infection and
2. the optimal way of stimulating the innate system to direct an effective immune response through the use of appropriate adjuvants.

This BRL program combines the basic science of vaccinology with experimental and field testing of candidate vaccines in both small and large animal species. In addition, it also applies its extensive knowledge of allergic inflammation, towards the development of allergy vaccines.

Contact: Prof Els Meeusen

Key publications

• Jayaraj R, Piedrafita D, Dynon K, Grams R, Spithill TW, Smooker PM. Vaccination against fasciolosis by a multivalent vaccine of stage-specific antigens. Vet Parasitol. 2009 Mar 23;160(3-4):230-6.
• Meeusen E.N.T., Walker J., Peters A., Pastoret P.P. and G. Jungersen (2007). Current Status of Veterinary Vaccines. Clinical Microbiology Reviews. 20(3):489-510 [2006 IF 12.643]
• Sedgmen B.J., Lofthouse S.A. and E.N.T. Meeusen (2006). The ovine nasal mucosa: an alternative tissue site for mucosal immunization. Methods 38:112-116 [ 2006 IF 3.817]
• Kennedy NJ, Spithill TW, Tennent J, Wood PR, Piedrafita D. DNA vaccines in sheep: CTLA-4 mediated targeting and CpG motifs enhance immunogenicity in a DNA prime/protein boost strategy. Vaccine. 2006 Feb 13;24(7):970-9.
• Meeusen, E.N.T., Scheerlinck, J-P. Y., Wattegedera, S. and Entrican, G. (2004). Advances in Mucosal Vaccination. Animal Health Research Reviews 5 (2) 209 - 217.
• Meeusen EN, Piedrafita D. Exploiting natural immunity to helminth parasites for the development of veterinary vaccines. Int J Parasitol. 2003 Sep 30;33(11):1285-90.
• Jacobs, H.J., Wiltshire, C., Ashman, K. and Meeusen, E.N.T. (1999). Vaccination against the gastrointestinal nematode, Haemonchus contortus, using a purified larval surface antigen. Vaccine, 17(4):362-368.