Poultry health: second funding phase for DFG research group

Poultry is one of the main sources of protein worldwide today. At the same time, it is coming under massive pressure from infectious diseases, which not only cause considerable animal suffering, but also greatly impair animal welfare efforts. Furthermore, chickens are an important source of zoonotic pathogens, which can cross from animals to humans. Despite intensive research, we still know astonishingly little about the underlying mechanisms of pathogenesis, the immune system, and how exactly vaccine protection works in chickens.

The ImmunoChick research group, which is funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), is driving forward fundamental and applied research in this field. Now the DFG has approved a second funding period. Under the leadership of Professor Benedikt Kaufer (Free University of Berlin), ImmunoChick “Analysis of avian immune response in the context of infections” investigates how the immune system of chickens responds to various pathogens. To this end, the scientists use special chickens in which certain defense cells – so-called B and T cells – have been specifically silenced.

Using cutting-edge methods such as proteomic and genomic analyses, they research the defense responses against viruses behind the likes of bird flu, Marek’s disease, and infectious bursal disease and against the bacteria that cause salmonellosis. Their goal is to better understand the underlying mechanisms which influence the progress of disease and the severity of illness. This knowledge helps reduce animal suffering and improve vaccines in a more targeted fashion.

Two projects taking place at LMU’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine are investigating fundamental aspects of the antibody and T cell response in chickens, with a particular focus on the germinal center reaction and the characterization of virus-specific B and T cell receptors.

“ImmunoChick combines globally unique chicken models with state-of-the-art research – for better vaccines, stronger animal health, greater protection against zoonotic diseases, and global food security,” says PD Dr. Sonja Härtle from the Immunology research group at the LMU Department of Veterinary Sciences and leader of the “Towards a Better Understanding of the Antibody Response in Chickens by Characterizing Germinal Center and Antigen-Specific B Cells” subproject. “This ambitious, multidisciplinary project is a milestone on the way to finally gaining a comprehensive understanding of the immune system of the chicken, which will facilitate the development of more effective vaccines and yield decisive improvements in the protection against diseases,” adds veterinary immunologist Dr. Simon Früh, leader of the “Characterization of TFH Cells in Germinal Centers and Antigen-Specific T Cell Responses to Infectious Bursal Disease Virus in Chickens” subproject.