IIT Guwahati completes technology transfer for first ever India-made swine fever vaccine
IIT Guwahati, this vaccine for pigs harnesses a reverse genetic platform. Although the swine fever does not affect humans, it is a highly contagious disease among pigs, and poses a severe threat with a very high mortality rate. North-eastern Indian states along will Punjab, Haryana, Bihar, Gujarat, and Kerala are among the states with frequently observed instances of swine fever.
Beginning 2018-19, the vaccine is a collaborative efforts between researchers from the Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering at IIT Guwahati, and Assam Agricultural University in Guwahati. This vaccine is being created and produced for the first time in India. “Transferring the vaccine technology to one of the leaders in the veterinary vaccine sector marks a remarkable achievement," the release said.
At present, the vaccine is under the process of filing test and analysis license, it added. Widely used to develop vaccines against influenza, the reverse genetics stands as a potent method and tool for the development of vaccines targeting both animal and human diseases. The researchers have utilised the Newcastle disease virus (NDV) as a carrier for the essential proteins of the classical swine fever virus.
The NDV is traditionally studied for its pathogenicity in chickens. According to the release, this innovative method facilitates the development of immunity in the body and is characterised by its speed and cost-effectiveness. (With agency inputs)Milestone Alert!
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