Royal Veterinary College awarded international grants to advance research into cattle vaccines

The Royal Veterinary College (RVC) has been awarded two pump-prime grants from the International Veterinary Vaccinology Network (IVVN) to advance crucial research into Bovine Babesiosis and Bovine Tuberculosis vaccines to support cattle welfare.

The first grant, surmounting to £89k, will support the exploration of the genetic diversity and vaccine potential of thrombospondin-repeat domain (TSR) proteins against Bovine Babesiosis. This disease is tick-transmitted and affects cattle by parasites replicating in red blood cells, causing fever, anaemia, anorexia and death. This disease has a hugely detrimental impact on the cattle’s health and can cause significant economic losses for farmers.

This research will be led by Dr Ellen Knuepfer, Lecturer in Vaccinology at the RVC, in collaboration with Dr Silvina Wilkowsky, Independent Researcher based at the Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology and Molecular Biology, Argentina.

Vaccine potential

The researchers will gather preliminary data on the vaccine potential of TSR proteins across three Bovine Babesiosis-causing protozoan parasites. The team aim to uncover the genetic diversity of field strains of three Bovine Babesiosis pathogens in Argentina and the UK; test the neutralisation potential of antibodies targeting TSR proteins across these three virulent Bovine Babesiosis pathogens in vitro; and determine the essentiality of TSR proteins using reverse genetics.

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This research will provide vital insights and could form the foundations for creating a safe and effective vaccine against Bovine Babesiosis to help farmers as well as the public with financial and food security. This will particularly benefit and support farmers in low- and middle-income countries. 

Dr Ellen Knuepfer, Lecturer in Vaccinology at the RVC, said: “We are delighted with the opportunity to start this collaboration with Dr Wilkowsky’s organisation in Argentina and delve down into the genetic diversity of Babesia parasites infecting cattle, both in Argentina and the UK.

“This funding will allow us to test a group of proteins called TSR proteins not only on a genetic level, but also explore their function, and application as vaccine antigen to protect cattle from this often fatal disease.”

Capacity building

Dr Silvina Wilkowsky, INTA, Argentina, said: “This project will support capacity building of my and Ellen’s laboratories via exchange visits where we will gain expertise in reverse genetic approaches and real time microscopy testing vaccine candidates to set up the technology back here in Argentina; and Ellen will gain expertise in BB eco-epidemiology and sample collection in enzoontic regions of Argentina and in nanopore WGS bioinformatic analysis.”

The second grant, totalling nearly £79k, will use Nanopore DNA sequencing to improve our understanding of genetic diversity in Bovine Tuberculosis (bTB) strains circulating in Algeria. Additionally, through collaboration with the University of Oxford, we will test vaccine efficacy against the field strains.  Tuberculosis (TB) is a chronic bacterial disease that impacts both human and animal populations. TB in cattle can cause fever, diarrhoea and loss of appetite and weight, resulting in animal health concerns, a significant economic burden due to loss of productivity, and, in many countries, represents a zoonotic transmission risk for humans.

The research will be led by Dr Sharon Kendall, Associate Professor in Molecular Bacteriology and Dr Dong Xia, Senior Lecturer in Bioinformatics at the RVC. They will work alongside Dr Rachel Tanner, Associate Professor of One Health at the University of Oxford and Dr Mammar Khames, researcher and lecturer at the University of Medea, Algeria.

Field trials

The BCG vaccine, currently deployed in humans is over a century old and fails to protect against adult pulmonary TB. Currently, there are no vaccines for use in livestock although, the UK alongside other countries is field trialling the BCG vaccine for use in cattle. This research will determine the extent to which the vaccination can cause pathogen inhibition and relate this to a protective immune response in cattle. If successful, this research could lead to improvements in the control of the disease in cattle in low- and middle-income settings. 

Dr Sharon Kendall, Associate Professor in Molecular Bacteriology at the RVC, said: “I am looking forward to working with all the collaborators on this project. Although I am familiar with exploring host-pathogen interactions in laboratory-adapted strains, this will be the first time we have investigated the behaviour of field strains. It brings the work closer to field-relevant situations.”

Dr Rachel Tanner, Associate Professor of One Health at the University of Oxford, said:  “This is an excellent opportunity to further strengthen links between Oxford and RVC, as well as form a new partnership with researchers at Medea University. The project brings together a broad range of expertise to create a team that is greater than the sum of its parts, tackling the important global One Health issue of bovine TB.”

Dr Mammar Khames, researcher and lecturer at the University of Medea, said: “As a veterinarian and zoonotic disease researcher in Medea University, Algeria, I’m delighted to be working with collaborators from the RVC and Oxford University on this project, which will enable me to acquire skills in the field of bovine tuberculosis research. Let’s hope this will lead to promising results and a wider project in the future.”