Breakthrough in African Swine Fever Virus Research Reveals Promise in Developing New Vaccines

Strategic Insights -

Scientists at Foshan University in China have made significant progress in understanding the African swine fever virus (ASFV), a deadly disease affecting domestic pigs and wild boar. According to a new study published in the journal Vaccines, researchers have identified a protein, pE120R, which has the potential to induce more potent and broadly protective immune responses against ASFV. The team, led by Qiang Fu, found that antibodies against pE120R can significantly inhibit virus replication in primary porcine alveolar macrophages and trigger antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC). This breakthrough could lead to the development of more effective vaccines against ASFV.

Key Takeaways:

  • Researchers at Foshan University have identified a protein, pE120R, which has the potential to induce more potent and broadly protective immune responses against ASFV.
  • Studies have shown that antibodies against pE120R can significantly inhibit virus replication in primary porcine alveolar macrophages.
  • The ability of anti-pE120R antibodies to induce ADCC was evaluated in a co-culture system, and results showed that pE120R is highly conserved among different ASFV genotypes.
  • The team established an HEK293T cell line with stable expression of pE120R as target cells to study the effects of anti-pE120R antibodies.
  • Qiang Fu and colleagues' research has significant implications for the development of new vaccines against ASFV.
  • The research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China.
  • The study was published in the journal Vaccines, a peer-reviewed international journal.
  • The authors of the study include Qiang Fu, Shengmei Chen, Jing Lan, Zhanhao Lu, Jia Li, Caoyuan Ma, Rui Luo, Yuan Sun, Tao Wang, and Hua-Ji Qiu.
  • More information on this research can be obtained by contacting Qiang Fu at Foshan University.

Statistics:

  • The study was published in the journal Vaccines, Volume 13, Issue 9, in 2025.
  • The research used a co-culture system comprising target cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) to evaluate the ability of anti-pE120R antibodies to induce ADCC.
  • The authors demonstrated that pE120R is highly conserved among different ASFV genotypes and contains multiple B-cell and T-cell epitopes.
  • The study showed that the ability of anti-pE120R antibodies to trigger NK cell-mediated ADCC was a significant finding.

Sources:

  • Antibody-Dependent Cellular Cytotoxicity Elicited by the Antibodies Against the E120R Protein of African Swine Fever Virus. Vaccines, 2025,13(9):934. (Vaccines - http://www.mdpi.com/journal/vaccines)
  • National Natural Science Foundation of China
  • Foshan University
  • MDPI AG (publisher of Vaccines journal)