Bacterial DNA provides “danger” signal that broadens disease protection

Saskatoon, Sask., February 14, 2002

Researchers at the Veterinary Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) in Saskatoon Sask., hope to boost animal immune response against a number of infections by using a mixture of synthetic bacterial DNA as a new immunostimulant product.

“This product will be ideal for cattle arriving at feedlots and other situations where producers don’t know what diseases to expect,” says immunologist Dr. George Mutwiri, a VIDO scientist and project co-ordinator.

“With this project, we are capitalizing on the fact that bacterial DNA is structured differently than mammalian DNA,” says Mutwiri. “This structural difference is recognized as a ‘danger’ signal by the immune system and a response is triggered that heightens defences against a number of infections.”

Cattle are the main focus of this research, but swine and poultry are also included. Recent investigations by Mutwiri and his team have confirmed that synthetic bacterial DNA can activate the immune system in cattle and can also prevent the death of chickens following a lethal bacterial infection. Current research is focused on optimizing formulation, dosage and delivery of the immunostimulant.

If successful, the initial product would be delivered by needle injection, but it could eventually be administered using one of the alternative vaccine delivery systems under development at VIDO, such as intranasal sprays.

Though immunostimulants are still a number of years away, Mutwiri says, the potential to enhance an animal’s natural immune response to a number of diseases would be a substantial advantage to producers. “An immunostimulant that incites a broad immune response to a number of diseases could reduce disease management needs on the farm because animals will be more able to fend off diseases on their own.”

This method of enhancing the immune response could prove cost-effective for producers who will potentially need to use fewer vaccines, but get a broader disease-fighting capability in their livestock, adds Mutwiri.

This project is funded by a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Cooperative Research and Development Grant, Qiagen, the Canadian Adaptation and Rural Development program, Saskatchewan Horned Cattle Trust Fund, Saskatchewan Cattle Marketing Deductions Fund, Manitoba Cattle Producers, Kamloops Stockmen’s Association, Alberta Pork, Sask Pork and Manitoba Pork.

VIDO, a not-for-profit research institute wholly owned by the University of Saskatchewan, is a global leader in food animal and poultry vaccine research for infectious diseases. It operates with substantial support from the Government of Alberta and the Government of Saskatchewan.

For more information, contact:

Stuart Bond
Associate Director, Marketing and Business Development
Veterinary Infectious Disease Organization
Phone: (306) 966-7474
Fax: (306) 966-7478