BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Talks.cam//talks.cam.ac.uk//
X-WR-CALNAME:Talks.cam
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Burning bridges. Transgenic approaches to eliminate the intermedia
 te hosts of pandemic influenza. - Dr Laurence Tiley\, Dept of Veterinary M
 edicine\, University of Cambridge
DTSTART:20130515T113000Z
DTEND:20130515T123000Z
UID:TALK44585@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Sue Griffin
DESCRIPTION:Avian influenza (AIV) is a serious and on-going threat to huma
 n food security.  It is also the fundamental source of all new strains of 
 influenza virus that threaten to emerge in humans with pandemic consequenc
 es (such as H5N1 and H7N9).\n\nThe natural reservoir of AIV is in wild sho
 rebirds and waterfowl. Transmission to domesticated livestock species (e.g
  chickens\, ducks and pigs) has substantial economic impact. These hosts a
 lso act as intermediates that facilitate virus amplification and adaptatio
 n that can increase the likelihood of cross-species transmission to humans
 . The emergence of new pandemic strains of influenza is probably inevitabl
 e. The impact of such pandemics is largely down to luck\, despite our effo
 rts to increase our pandemic preparedness.  A great deal of effort over th
 e past 15 years has been directed at increasing global surveillance\, deve
 loping improved vaccines and antiviral drugs so that the next pandemic can
  be detected and responded to as rapidly and effectively as possible. The 
 failure to contain the 2009 H1N1 pandemic is a sobering benchmark of our s
 uccess so far.  \n\nThe central role of the intermediate "bridging hosts" 
 provides us with an opportunity to reduce the likelihood of a new pandemic
  strain emerging in the first place. Preventing contact between the AIV re
 servoir and large populations of susceptible hosts would achieve this. Not
 hing practical can be done about the natural reservoir. However\, there ar
 e a number of things that can be done about the bridges. One radical appro
 ach is to remove them from the equation by using a range of genetic modifi
 cation (GM) approaches to make them genetically resistant to AIV. We have 
 introduced a transgene that produces a short RNA hairpin "decoy" molecule 
 that binds specifically to the influenza virus polymerase and disrupts its
  activity. Chickens carrying the decoy were still susceptible to infection
  by AIV\, but were prevented from transmitting the infection on to sentine
 l chickens placed in direct contact with them (even if these sentinels wer
 e non-transgenic). The transgene is stably integrated into the chicken gen
 ome with no detrimental consequences and is active across multiple generat
 ions. This is a promising first step towards producing chickens that no lo
 nger act as bridging hosts for AIV. \n  \nWe hope that our work will raise
  public awareness in favour of the potential of GM for controlling serious
  infectious disease in livestock\, particularly where these infections pos
 e a major risk to public health and food security.\n
LOCATION:Lecture Theatre\, Department of Pathology\, Tennis Court Road
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR