Products
- Vaccines for RVF and AI: There is a critical need for improved
vaccines for zoonotic diseases of economic and public health applications,
such as Rift Valley Fever (RVF) and Avian Influenza (AI). In addition to
safety, efficacy, and the ability to manufacture sufficient quantities of
vaccine, FAZD
Center investigators
are using modern recombinant technologies to incorporate genetic “markers”
into RVF and AI vaccines to make it possible to distinguish vaccinated
livestock from infected livestock. In an outbreak, this property will
prevent unnecessary slaughter of animals and avert further damage to the
economy through trade restrictions. It will also lessen challenges to the
capacity for carcass disposal. Candidate vaccines are ready for initial
field testing.
- Anti-Viral Protection Against FMD
(with PIADC): Standard
vaccines for FMD require up to 10 days before becoming effective, creating
an immunity gap during which livestock remain vulnerable to one of the
most contagious of viral diseases. A new antiviral from the FAZD Center promotes “natural killer
cells” that attack the FMD virus, providing protection within three
days. Research in this area
contributes to vaccine development at Plum Island
Animal Disease
Center.
- Commercial Production of RVF Vaccine –
MP-12 : A major pharmaceutical company has approached the University
of Texas Medical Branch – a
partner in the FAZD
Center – to support
the development of a commercial vaccine for Rift Valley fever using the
MP-12 antigen which is also being considered for development of a human
vaccine. The FAZD Center
has supported the development of an animal vaccine at UTMB for three
years. This is a major step towards
successful technology transfer for a product that can either become part
of the national veterinary stockpile or be commercialized for
international use. If the decision to proceed is taken, the initial
development cycle would require about one year.
- Rapid Detection Tests: After an outbreak of Foot and Mouth
Disease (FMD) has been confirmed, the emergency response program to
eradicate the disease involves sometimes massive culling of infected or
exposed herds. The FAZD
Center is developing
rapid, accurate, inexpensive field tests that will distinguish between
infected and uninfected animals at chute site within minutes. This will eliminate unnecessary loss of
uninfected animals, saving hundreds of thousands of animals in large
outbreaks.
- Integrated Platforms for
Unknown or Attenuated Disease Agent Characterization: Pathogens encountered in
the future may differ substantially and in unknown ways from those
identified and characterized today, either by natural or intentional
attenuation. To address this gap, the FAZD Center
is developing with its partners a suite of universal, unbiased, and
massively parallel micro- and nano-analytical devices that can collect,
compare, and archive genetic biosignature information to effectively
categorize and contribute to the development of strategies for outbreaks
of unknown etiology. This suite of technologies includes the Integrated
Biomarker Specific Biosignature (IBSB), Multiple Select Agent Specific
(MSAS), and Universal Biosignature Detection Array (UBDA) platform
technologies.
