CD Laboratory for Optimized prediction of vaccination success in pigs

Vaccinations are an important measure for maintaining animal health. Therefore, new vaccines are continuously being developed. This CD Laboratory is researching ways to rapidly test the efficacy of new vaccines for pigs.

The success of a vaccination depends on the formation of long-lived pathogen-specific memory B and T cells within the immune system. However, detailed research into the mechanisms that lead to the formation of corresponding memory cells in pigs is currently only possible to a very limited extent, as the corresponding reagents must be species-specific and only a few reagents that react with pig immune cells are commercially available.

This CD Laboratory is therefore pursuing several strategies to improve research into the cellular immune response in pigs. The first stage focusses on the development of reagents that react with pig immune cells. To this end, monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are being developed that recognise molecules (markers) on memory B and T cells in pigs. This will make it possible to better monitor the development and functional properties of the memory cells.

Three strategies are being pursued to develop such mAbs. Firstly, selected molecules for the characterisation of memory B and T cells are examined for their sequence homology between pigs, humans and mice. If this homology is high, existing mAbs with reactivity against the corresponding molecules in humans or mice will be tested for cross-reactivity with porcine molecules.

For molecules with low sequence homology, it is necessary to specifically generate pig-specific mAb. For this purpose, the molecules are produced recombinantly and used to immunise mice. Established techniques are then used to generate long-lived hybridoma cell cultures that produce large quantities of specific mAb.

The third approach involves the use of lysates of porcine memory B and T cells for the immunisation of mice and the establishment of hybridoma cell cultures. The mAbs of these hybridoma cells are then tested for reactivity with memory cells. The molecule they recognise is analysed in a retroviral cDNA expression library.

The mAbs generated and tested using the three strategies are then combined with existing markers and tested using various techniques such as flow cytometry and immunofluorescence histology. Successfully established marker combinations can then be used to analyse memory B and T cell subpopulations in experimental infection and vaccination studies. In parallel, in vitro studies will be performed to analyse functional properties of newly identified memory B and T cell subpopulations.

This scientific work of the CD Laboratory enables a detailed characterisation of the cellular immune response in pigs. The identification of new memory B and T cell subpopulations also expands basic knowledge of the porcine immune system and will make a significant contribution to improved monitoring of the immune response following infection or vaccination. This improved understanding will ultimately enable faster and more targeted development of new vaccines and thus also contribute to fewer animals being required for testing the new vaccines.

This CD Laboratory was headed by Ass.Prof. Dr Wilhelm Gerner until 01.01.2021.