Scientists from the UK, Austria and Spain are to study the immune response of pigs to inform future control strategies for the reproductive form of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS).
The globally distributed endemic disease causes reproductive failure in breeding stock and respiratory tract illness in young pigs, leading to substantial welfare and economic damage to the UK and European pork industries.
The Pirbright Institute is collaborating with the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna (Vetmeduni) and the University of Cordoba (UCO) to build a detailed picture of the immune response to the virus at the maternal-foetal interface.
Recent work by members of the consortia has shown that effector T cells - specialized immune cells that kill infected cells and coordinate immune responses - are generated in the area where the placenta connects to the uterus during PRRS virus (PRRSV) infection and may contribute to tissue damage in the placenta, ultimately causing foetal death and abortion.
Funded by the European Partnership on Animal Health and Welfare (EUAPHW) through the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs for the UK, the project will utilise Pirbright’s inbred Babraham pigs to determine whether effector T cells in the foetal placenta induced by PRRSV infection are of foetal or maternal origin, and whether the frequency of effector T cells correlate with placental damage.
In a team effort scientists at Vetmeduni, Pirbright and UCO will combine detailed pathological examination of foetal preservation with analysis of local immune responses at the maternal-foetal interface following PRRSV infection.
Dr Wilhelm Gerner, Group Leader in T-cell Biology at Pirbright, said: “This project brings together leading experts in the field of PRRS pathology and immunology to investigate whether immune responses in the maternal endometrium and foetal placenta contribute to protective immunity or immunopathology”.
“Results will have wider implications for disease control in newborn piglets, as our study will determine whether the immune system of piglets in late gestation is capable of mounting adaptive immune responses, or if the epitheliochorial placenta - with its layer of foetal epithelial tissue against the uterus wall - is not as impermeable as previously thought.”
Professor Andrea Buzanich-Ladinig, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, said: “We are delighted to be working on this in-depth reproductive study. We have long-standing experience working on PRRSV. Next to animal work, we will carry out a detailed phenotyping of isolated immune cells by flow cytometry, and sort PRRSV-specific CD8 T cells for analysis.”
Professor Irene M. Rodríguez-Gómez, University of Cordoba, said, “We genuinely welcome the opportunity to work alongside Pirbright and Vetmeduni colleagues on this EUPAHW-funded project. We will provide expertise in histopathological analysis and immunofluorescence histology of maternal and foetal tissues. PRRSV has devastating consequences for pig populations including reduced growth rates, higher mortality, and reproductive failure. With this coordinated project, we hope to contribute new knowledge and help the pork industry.”
For more information about The Pirbright Institute’s work, visit our webpages on PRRSV and T-Cell Biology.