The Pirbright Institute in the United Kingdom has a received a Ј2.1 million (U.S. $2.7 million) grant from The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to conduct research on a novel foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccine.
Scientists will investigate the cattle antibody responses triggered by the vaccine, which will help them improve its protective properties. The team will also develop lab-based methods of testing whether the vaccine is effective to reduce the number of animal studies. The new vaccine is composed of virus-like particles (VLPs), which are effectively modified outer shells of the FMD virus that contain no genetic material.
Ground-breaking research carried out by Pirbright scientists and their collaborators has already demonstrated that the VLPs are able to protect against four different types of the disease. The Gate’s funded research, led by Professor John Hammond, will look at the cattle antibody response against the vaccine which will enable scientists to develop the second generation of VLPs.
This research will complement studies recently funded by the Wellcome Trust to make the manufacture of the VLP vaccine a practical reality and ensure it is commercially viable. The provision of an effective, low cost vaccine will help address the massive shortfall in the availability of FMD vaccines, particularly in Africa, where the disease has a huge impact on national and international trade, food security, and the health of both humans and animals.
