Induction of neutralizing antibody response against koala retrovirus (KoRV) and reduction in viral load in koalas following vaccination with recombinant KoRV envelope protein.

ABSTRACT: Koala retrovirus (KoRV) infects the majority of Australia's koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) and has been linked to several life-threatening diseases such as lymphoma and leukemia, as well as Chlamydia and thus poses a threat to the continued survival of this species. While quarantine and antiretroviral drug treatment are possible control measures, they are impractical, leaving vaccination as the only realistic option. In this study, we examined the effect of a recombinant envelope protein-based anti-KoRV vaccine in two groups of South Australian koalas: KoRV infected or KoRV free. We report a successful vaccination response in the koalas with no vaccine-associated side effects. The vaccine induced a significant humoral immune response as well as the production of neutralizing

SUBMITTER: Olagoke O 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6072795 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature