Exploiting new knowledge of innate immunity in adjuvant research for bovine vaccines

Bovine tuberculosis is still a major problem in large parts of the world. The infection leads to cattle mortality and is also a zoonosis. The proximity between people and humans in small-holder farmers in countries like India make them especially at risk of catching bovine TB. While testing and slaughter policies have been implemented with great success in several parts of the world, this strategy is to a large extent incompatible with economic, religious and cultural requirements in India, and the contro l of this disease is therefore heavily dependent on efficient vaccines. Also in countries like the UK and New Zealand where a wildlife reservoir of bovine tuberculosis is a problem, a vaccine seems to be a good option to control the disease in cattle. It is well known that the success of a vaccine is dependent on additional factors than the antigen itself. Most often, it is necessary to provoke a local inflammation on the infection site. Collectively, such factors are known as adjuvants, which stimulate the innate immune system. This project aims to look particularly into adjuvants that interact with the innate immune system through hitherto scarcely explored mechanisms, by utilizing a recently established ruminant model. The experience gained from this project can serve as a general platform for adjuvant and vaccines strategies against other intracellular infections. Examples are paratuberculosis, listeriosis, brucellosis, neosporosis and toxoplasmosis, all globally important diseases where better vacc ines are needed.