Featured publication
July 2026
This month’s featured paper comes from a collaboration between Dr Alexander Tarr and colleagues at the University of Luebeck and the Justus-Liebig-University in Germany, investigating the immune response to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), an important pathogen of pigs.
The study discovered exactly how a powerful antibody blocks PRRSV-2 infection and generated structural insights that could help guide the development of improved PRRSV vaccines in the future. The group at the Wolfson Centre for Global Virus Research performed high-resolution mapping of the epitope of this unique antibody. These investigations provide a detailed molecular picture of how a potent antibody neutralizes PRRSV-2 by targeting the GP4 protein. While the antibody is strain-specific, the structural information offers valuable clues for designing next-generation vaccines that may stimulate broader and more effective immune protection against the many different PRRSV strains circulating in pig populations.
The study discovered exactly how a powerful antibody blocks PRRSV-2 infection and generated structural insights that could help guide the development of improved PRRSV vaccines in the future. The group at the Wolfson Centre for Global Virus Research performed high-resolution mapping of the epitope of this unique antibody. These investigations provide a detailed molecular picture of how a potent antibody neutralizes PRRSV-2 by targeting the GP4 protein. While the antibody is strain-specific, the structural information offers valuable clues for designing next-generation vaccines that may stimulate broader and more effective immune protection against the many different PRRSV strains circulating in pig populations.