Research paper Evaluation and use of in-silico structure-based epitope prediction with foot-and-mouth disease virus Understanding virus antigenicity is of fundamental importance for the development of better, more cross-reactive vaccines. However, as far as we are aware, no systematic work has yet been conducted using the 3D structure of a virus to identify novel epitopes. Therefore we… Read more
Research paper Induction of CD152 (CTLA-4) and LAP (TGF-beta 1) in human Foxp3(-) CD4(+) CD25(-) T cells modulates TLR-4 induced TNF-alpha production CD152 (CTLA-4) is a co-stimulatory molecule that is expressed by T cells and negatively regulates immune responses. Here, we report the identification of a novel ligand. GPC(81-95), with the ability to induce both CD152 and LAP (TGF-beta 1) on human Foxp3(-) CD25(-) CD4(+) T… Read more
Research paper Bluetongue virus reverse genetics This chapter contains sections titled: Introduction to Bluetongue virus, Bluetongue virus replication, Reverse genetics, Uses of reverse genetics in orbivirus research, Future perspectives. Read more
Research paper Towards a universal vaccine for avian influenza: protective efficacy of modified Vaccinia virus Ankara and Adenovirus vaccines expressing conserved influenza antigens in chickens challenged with low pathogenic avian influenza virus Current vaccines targeting surface proteins can drive antigenic variation resulting either in the emergence of more highly pathogenic viruses or of antigenically distinct viruses that escape control by vaccination and thereby persist in the host population. Influenza… Read more
Research paper Epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus serotype 6 experimentation on adult cattle Epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV), an arthropod-borne orbivirus (family Reoviridae), is an emerging pathogen of wild and domestic ruminants closely related to bluetongue virus (BTV). EHDV serotype 6 (EHDV6) has recently caused outbreaks close to Europe in Turkey and… Read more
Research paper Investigating incursions of bluetongue virus using a model of long-distance Culicoides biting midge dispersal Bluetongue virus (BTV) is an economically important pathogen of ruminants that is the aetiological agent of the haemorrhagic disease bluetongue. Bluetongue virus is biologically transmitted by Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), and long-range dispersal of… Read more
Research paper The peptide motif of the single dominantly expressed class I molecule of the chicken MHC can explain the response to a molecular defined vaccine of infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) In contrast to typical mammals, the chicken MHC (the BF-BL region of the B locus) has strong genetic associations with resistance and susceptibility to infectious pathogens as well as responses to vaccines. We have shown that the chicken MHC encodes a single dominantly… Read more
Research paper Functional and immunological relevance of Anaplasma marginale major surface protein 1a sequence and structural analysis Bovine anaplasmosis is caused by cattle infection with the tick-borne bacterium, Anaplasma marginale. The major surface protein 1a (MSP1a) has been used as a genetic marker for identifying A. marginale strains based on N-terminal tandem repeats and a 5'-UTR microsatellite… Read more
Research paper Culicoides biting midges, arboviruses and public health in Europe The emergence of multiple strains of bluetongue virus (BM and the recent discovery of Schmallenberg virus (SBV) in Europe have highlighted the fact that exotic Culicoides-borne arboviruses from remote geographic areas can enter and spread rapidly in this region. This review… Read more
Research paper CD4+ T-cell responses to foot-and-mouth disease virus in vaccinated cattle We have performed a series of studies to investigate the role of CD4+ T-cells in the immune response to foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) post-vaccination. Virus neutralizing antibody titres (VNT) in cattle vaccinated with killed FMD commercial vaccine were significantly… Read more
