Work Package 7
The role of adaptive immunity in avian influenza virus virulence, pathogenesis, and protection
Avian influenza viruses (AIVs) pose significant risks to poultry industry, wildlife, and public health due to their potential to cause pandemics. While subtype-specific vaccines have been used in parts of Asia, Africa, and more recently in Europe and the Americas, their limitations in cross-protection against emerging AIV subtypes emphasize the need for a better understanding of the avian immune response.
This project aims to investigate the immune responses in chickens to different AIV pathotypes and their role in virus replication, evolution, and vaccine efficacy. Specifically, we will explore how innate and adaptive immunity affect the pathogenesis of high-pathogenic AIVs (HPAIVs), the transformation of low-pathogenic AIVs (LPAIVs) into HPAIVs, and protection against these viruses. Using knockout chicken models deficient in key immune receptors (IFNAR1 and γδ T cells) alongside molecular and immunological tools, we will evaluate the immune dynamics during AIV infections. To elucidate the role of the immune system in limiting virus replication and promoting protection, we will analyze viral replication in knockout chickens and assess immune responses by flow cytometry and transcriptomics.
This research will shed light on HPAIV evolution, the impact of immune responses on virulence, and provide important insights into improving vaccines against this important pathogen.
Principal investigator:
PD Dr. El-Sayed Mohammed Abd El-Whab