Advancements in Poultry Health: USPOULTRY Unveils mRNA Vaccine Research

The US Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY) and the USPOULTRY Foundation have announced a significant breakthrough in poultry health with the completion of a research project aimed at developing a messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccine platform. This innovative approach targets two major poultry viruses: the infectious bronchitis virus and the infectious laryngotracheitis virus.

Project Overview

This project, designated as Project #F97, focuses on the Development of mRNA-based Vaccines for Heterosubtypic Protection Against Infectious Bronchitis Viruses and Infectious Laryngotracheitis. The research was led by Dr. Stephen Spatz from the U.S. National Poultry Research Center in Athens, Georgia.

Key Findings

Researchers at the U.S. National Poultry Research Center achieved a notable milestone by successfully designing plasmids with a stable, segmented poly(A) tail. This advancement enhances the reliability of mRNA vaccines, potentially overcoming challenges faced by existing vaccines, such as:

• The risk of viral reversion to a pathogenic form
• Interference from maternal antibodies
• Complications arising from interactions between multiple vaccine viruses

These innovative findings lay crucial groundwork for the creation of safer and more effective next-generation vaccines, addressing poultry diseases that lead to significant economic losses in the sector.

Additional Information

For those interested in the research specifics, a summary of the project is available on the USPOULTRY website. Additional information about other research initiatives by the Association can also be found by visiting uspoultry.org.

Source

This article was sourced from the US Poultry & Egg Association.