Applying Immunoinformatics to Animal Health
We were thrilled to have a visit by Julia Baker (U of Minn Vet School) last week! She gave a terrific talk to the Epi-team on the evolution of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome virus (PRRSV). PRRSV is a “billion dollar disease” affecting pigs. Like other RNA viruses, it evolves constantly, likely due to immune pressure. Julia reminded us just how dynamic PRRSV is— and that vaccines that are better matched to circulating strains will be critical for keeping it in check!
We anticipate that EpiVax immunoinformatic tools iVAX and EpiCC will play an big role in tackling vaccine design for animal health. For example, by comparing T cell epitopes in vaccines with circulating field strains, the EpiCC tool helps identify the vaccine to induce cross-reactive immunity. Learn more here.
On that note, I’ll be presenting our animal health tools at CRWAD on January 20th, “Potentiating the Application of Immunoinformatics Tools to Animal Health“.
Maternal Ab, Allergy and Vaccines
Does mother’s milk confer Tolerance? Well yes, and Tregitope too. New evidence suggest that allergen bound to IgG in maternal milk reduces allergy in children and may convert potentially lethal infections (such as acute HBV) to chronic diseases instead. Is maternal IgG (which contains tolerogenic Tregitopes) also responsible for “vaccination interference” during the neonatal period? In cattle, “You can’t vaccinate a calf that is receiving maternal colostrum“. Does maternal Ab induce tolerance? See this research study for more information and this one for a nice review. What is the impact of maternal Ab on vaccines given to neonates? Send me your thoughts here!
AI / HI is Back!
The Artificial Intelligence / Human Intelligence Workshop is back for round two! Mark your calendar for June 5-6 and join us in Providence, RI, for this free event. Registration is open now—secure your spot and stay tuned for updates on our exciting lineup of speakers!
-Annie
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