Breaking Latent Infection: How ORF37/38-Deletion Mutants Offer New Hope against EHV-1 Neuropathogenicity.

ABSTRACT: Equid alphaherpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) has been linked to the emergence of neurological disorders, with the horse racing industry experiencing significant impacts from outbreaks of equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy (EHM). Building robust immune memory before pathogen exposure enables rapid recognition and elimination, preventing infection. This is crucial for effectively managing EHV-1. Removing neuropathogenic factors and immune evasion genes to develop live attenuated vaccines appears to be a successful strategy for EHV-1 vaccines. We created mutant viruses without ORF38 and ORF37/38 and validated their neuropathogenicity and immunogenicity in hamsters. The ∆ORF38 strain caused brain tissue damage at high doses, whereas the ∆ORF37/38 strain did not. Dexamethasone was used to confirm laten

SUBMITTER: Hu Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11437417 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature