Roadmap for the development of candidate vaccines for FMD

What are we trying to achieve and why? What is the problem we are trying to solve?

The identity of the virus components (epitopes) that the host needs to respond to prevent and clear infection

What are the scientific and technological challenges (knowledge gaps needing to be addressed)?

• Determine what factors define broad protection and broad coverage, through identifying cross-protecting
  antigens/epitopes
• Enhance antigen production systems that preserve the integrity of the capsid and tertiary protein structures
• Validate statistical tools for the identification of protective epitopes
• Antigen drift within serotypes

What approaches could/should be taken to address the research question?

• The identity of the antigens that the host is generating Abs to and their role in protection (preventing and clearing infection)
• To identify the antigens that are responsible for protective cellular responses.
• Identifying possible protective antigens in the virus genome, their expression and trial in challenge experiments

What else needs to be done before we can solve this need?

• The genome sequence of various virus isolates
• Availability of genetic database and epidemiological information for knowing what strains the highest risks to a
  given country are in order to select a vaccine antigen
• Identity of virulence factors
• Identity of protective mechanisms operating in immune hosts – the role of neutralising Abs and CTCs
• Need to understand persistent infection and carriers, and their role in transmission

Existing knowledge including successes and failures