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Pirbright research to make vaccines more accessible
Pirbright research could boost vaccine yields by up to tenfold. 
Scientists to use gene-editing technology to remove major barrier to viral replication

Livestock vaccines may soon be more accessible and affordable thanks to funding from the Livestock Vaccine Innovation Fund.

The funding has been awarded to the Pirbright Research Institute to allow previous immune response research to continue. The research will involve using gene-editing technology to remove chiFITM proteins in chicken cells - one of the major barriers to viral replication - and could boost vaccine yields by up to tenfold.

Dr Mark Fife from Pirbright's Genetics and Genomics Group, which is leading the research, explains: “Many vaccines for both animal and human, are produced by going a weakened form of the virus in chicken eggs or cells, which are then extracted for use.

“Although chiFITM may help protect chickens from viral infection, the protein actually hinders vaccine productions, as it prevents the weakened virus from replicating at high levels and reduces the amount of vaccine that can be made.

"Our new research will involve using a gene-editing system called CRISPR/Cas9 to remove the chIFITM genes in chicken cells, therefore overcoming one of the barriers for viral replication, and boosting the levels of vaccine virus produced.”

This boost to vaccine production will make vaccines cheaper to produce and more accessible to livestock owners in developing nations. The scientists will first focus on increasing flu vaccine yields, but the method could also be applied to multiple livestock diseases and potentially human diseases too.

When the researchers have piloted the technique, they will work with commercial partners Horizon Discovery Group plc to bring this new technology to market. It is hoped the technology will commercially available as soon as 2021. 

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Vets to run marathon for World Animal Protection

News Story 1
 Two recently graduated veterinary surgeons will be running the London Marathon in April to raise money for the charity World Animal Protection.

Alex Bartlett and Maeve O'Neill plan to run the race together if they are given the same start times.

Dr O'Neill said: "You're always limited in what you can do to help animals, so it is nice to raise money for a charity that helps animals around the world."

Dr Bartlett added: "I have never run a marathon before and am excited to run my first one for such a good cause!"

Both Dr Bartlett and Dr O'Neill have fundraising pages online. 

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News Shorts
BSAVA releases new Guide to Procedures

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has published a new edition of its Guide to Procedures for Small Animal Practice.

It has added four new procedures; cystostomy tube placement, endotracheal intubation, point-of-care ultrasound and wet-to-dry dressings.

BSAVA says that it is an essential step-by-step guide to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed in practice. The textbook includes new images and illustrations, as well as high-definition videos for use prior to procedures.

Nick Bexfield and Julia Riggs, editors of the new edition, said: "We have built upon the success of the previous editions by responding to the feedback received from the BSAVA readership, and hope this new guide helps to further increase the confidence and accuracy with which these procedures are performed."

Print copies are available in the BSAVA store, with a digital version in the BSAVA library.