Moredun Scientific magazine
SPRING 2014
Veterinary Field Trials Moredun Scientific has been conducting efficacy and safety studies for livestock veterinary medicinal products using our validated experimental models of infection for over 25 years. We have now extended our services to offer field trials to veterinary good clinical practice standards (VICH-GCP). Field trials are required for veterinary product registration to verify that results under field conditions reflect those observed in experimental trials with the target animals. We now offer this service to animal health companies requiring UK field trial data from cattle or sheep studies.
Site selection and study set up Moredun Scientific are well placed to
selection and recruitment of trial sites for commercial studies.
rapidly select and enrol trial sites through a close connection with the 10,000 subscribing
Quality systems
members of our parent organisation
Our quality assurance department is experienced in VICH-GCP ensuring the provision of independent quality assurance at all phases of the study.
The Moredun Foundation. A large number of members are farmers and vets with an active interest in animal health and welfare. In addition we have established links with veterinary groups across the UK. We have particular expertise in parasitology, respiratory disease and mastitis. Scientists at the Moredun Research Institute regularly conduct studies on commercial farms across the UK to support their work in these fields (1,2) which contributes to the speed of
Experienced staff Our team of experienced study monitors and investigators in conjunction with an extended network of trained veterinary investigators at local veterinary practices ensures we can tailor our services to meet your study requirements.
Please contact us to explore how we can support your future studies. Our offering ranges from complete management and delivery of studies to provision of specific elements to meet client requirements including: ➢
Study design and set up
➢
Protocol development
➢
Site selection
➢
Study monitoring
➢
Study close out
References: 1.
Busin . V et al The Veterinary Journal 2014.
2.
Hotchkiss E.J et al Veterinary Microbiology 2011, vol 151 pp329-33
www.moredun-scientific.com
New Grant to Develop PRRSV Disease Model in Pigs Moredun Scientific has been awarded a grant from the Technology Strategy Board under the Agri-Tech Catalyst programme to develop an experimental model of Porcine Reproductive & Respiratory Syndrome Virus (PRRSV) infection in pigs. PRRSV is a major economic concern to the global pig industry.In pregnant animals the virus can cause abortion and have an impact on the viability of newborn piglets. In younger animals the virus can also cause respiratory disease resulting in significant welfare implications for the infected animals. A validated experimental model which mimics a natural infection would provide a platform to enable efficacy and safety testing of improved candidate vaccines to protect pigs against the infection. Once developed, the model will be available for use by the Animal Health industry on a contract research basis. David Reddick, Head of Animal Health at Moredun Scientific, said: “The availability of a model for PRRSV infection to defined quality standards will be a significant benefit to animal health companies to support their efforts to combat the effects of the pathogen on the pig industry.�
Mastitis Studies
Bovine Respiratory Disease Models
To support client mastitis studies in dairy
We have extensive experience in conducting client studies with our portfolio of bovine respiratory disease models and continue to extend our range of models to cover the major respiratory pathogens. A model of
cattle we now conduct Somatic Cell Counts from milk samples on-site at Moredun Scientific. The ability to conduct somatic cell counts in our own laboratory facilitates more rapid provision of data from milk samples collected during studies. This enables us to respond more rapidly as required to changes in cell count levels. We have validated models of Streptococcus uberis and Staphylococcus aureus infection which are used in GCPv client efficacy studies for candidate vaccines and therapeutic agents. To find out more about how we can support your mastitis projects please contact us: info@moredun-scientific.com
Moredun Scientific Magazine | Spring 2014
Histophilis somni infection is currently under development. H. somni is an opportunistic pathogen of cattle worldwide that complicates viral infection and increases the severity of infection with other bacterial agents.
Need to run Poultry Studies? Vaccination programmes and anti-microbials are extensively used in the poultry industry to maintain the health status of birds. The continued emergence of pathogen strains and ongoing pressure to reduce the use of anti-microbials drives a requirement for the animal health industry to develop novel products and establish new claims for existing products. To support our clients working in this field we conduct studies with experimental models of disease in poultry at our Moredun facilities supported by academic collaborators working in the field of avian infectious diseases. Our flexible containment facilities are suitable for work with pathogens up to Containment Level 3. Please contact us to learn more about our poultry capability and to further discuss your study requirements: info@moredun-scientific.com
Moredun Research News Major new grant to study cattle mastitis Professor David GE Smith, a scientist at the Moredun research Institute, is leading an international research consortium which has been successful in securing over 1.7 million Euros to try and improve the control of mastitis in dairy cows. Mastitis remains one of the main infectious diseases affecting dairy cows and causes significant financial losses to the dairy industry each year. Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a major causal agent of 'clinical' mastitis which frequently occurs after calving and in the early lactation period. Incidence of E. coli mastitis has been increasing relentlessly over recent years and usually presents with acute, severe clinical effects for which current management, prevention or treatment strategies are frequently insufficient or futile. E. coli is often found in the intestine
and Defra, will provide funding over 3 years. The project will focus on controlling the impact of E. coli mastitis by studying both the bacteria and how the cow’s immune system interacts with the different strains. Professor David Smith, who holds a joint position between Moredun and the University of Glasgow, will be working with colleagues at Glasgow as well as with the Royal Veterinary College in London, the University of Ghent, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, INRA and Zoetis to form a global research partnership. They will collaborate so that improved tools for diagnosis and disease prevention, including vaccines, may be developed in the future.
Liver fluke in cattle The liver fluke, Fasciola hepatica, is a highly pathogenic flatworm parasite of ruminants, mainly sheep and cattle. It causes severe liver damage and can result in the sudden death of previously healthy animals. The disease is also responsible for considerable economic losses due to direct production losses, poor reproductive performance and livers condemned at slaughter. The Moredun Research Institute, in collaboration with the University of Liverpool, the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology and Scotland’s Rural College, are a partner on a new cattle fluke project. This four year study
For further information contact david.g.e.smith@moredun.ac.uk
is funded by the BBSRC and UK livestock industry levy boards (QMS, EBLEX, HCC, AgriSearchNI and DairyCo). This new project aims to improve diagnosis in the live animal and discriminate between liver fluke and
however there are specific strains of E. coli
rumen fluke infections, to gain an
(called Mammary Pathogenic E. coli) that
understanding of cattle/snail/fluke interactions,
target the mammary tissue and lead to
to quantify on-farm fluke risk in beef cattle
mastitis. The emergence of bacterial
and to calculate the cost of fluke and the
resistance to current antibiotics presents
benefits of control to the UK cattle industry.
ongoing risks to control measures. This ANIHWA (Animal Health and Welfare ERA net) grant, funded in the UK by BBSRC
For further information contact philip.skuce@moredun.ac.uk
Moredun Scientific Magazine | Spring 2014
Dissecting the mechanism of disease in ovine pulmonary adenocarcinoma. Ovine pulmonary adenocarcinoma (OPA, also known as jaagsiekte) is a common sheep disease caused by a virus known as jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus (JSRV). JSRV infects the lungs of sheep and triggers the growth of large tumours, often leading to death of the animal. OPA is a significant animal welfare and economic problem for farmers but currently there are no reliable methods for controlling the spread of the disease. Researchers at Moredun and The Roslin Institute in Edinburgh have won significant
new funding from the BBSRC and the Scottish Government to study the pathogenesis of OPA using state of the art molecular tools. The project will determine how infected cells in the sheep lung respond to the virus and how the infection changes their behaviour as they become cancerous. The information collected will be used to create a computer model of the genetic events that occur as JSRV transforms normal lung cells into tumour cells. This model will then form the basis for additional studies of the mechanism of disease in cell culture, using cell lines and tissue biopsies from sheep lung.
The project is expected to provide a huge amount of information on the cellular processes underlying cancer growth in OPA. This will be of use to scientists investigating OPA and other lung diseases in sheep, but also to researchers studying lung cancer in humans. Significantly, the project will identify numerous tumour markers that can be evaluated for use in diagnosing OPA on farms. This is an important goal as, currently, the lack of a suitable diagnostic test for OPA is hampering efforts to control the disease. Dr David Griffiths, who leads the study, commented: “OPA is an important disease for farmers but also a fascinating model of infection for virologists. This new funding will enable us to understand the disease process in OPA in fine detail and to use that information to create better methods for controlling the disease, which will be of huge benefit to farmers.” For further information contact david.griffiths@moredun.ac.uk
Disease Models Our disease models and areas of expertise are shown below:
Respiratory Diseases Bovine Virus Diarrhoea Virus (BVDV) Bovine Herpesvirus-Type 1 (BHV-1) Parainfluenza Virus Type 3 (PI3) Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus (BRSV) Mannheimia (Pasteurella) haemolytica (bovine, ovine) Pasteurella multocida (bovine) Mycoplasma bovis Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (porcine) Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (porcine) – under development Histophilis somni (bovine) – under development
Mammary Gland Diseases Staphylococcus aureus mastitis (bovine) Streptococcus uberis mastitis (bovine)
Reproductive Diseases Bovine Virus Diarrhoea Virus (BVDV) Neospora caninum (bovine) Chlamydophila abortus (ovine) Toxoplasma gondii (ovine)
Diseases of the Gut Escherichia coli (bovine, ovine) Rotavirus G6 & G10 (bovine) Coronavirus (bovine) Salmonella spp. (porcine)
Parasitic Diseases Endo and ecto Parasitic Disease (Bovine, ovine, equine, avian natural and experimental infections)
Systemic Pasteurella trehalosi (ovine) Streptococcus suis (porcine)
Moredun Scientific is the commercial arm of the Moredun Group. To find out more about the Moredun group of companies including the Moredun Research Institute visit www.moredun.org Contact us: Moredun Scientific Pentlands Science Park Bush Loan Penicuik EH26 0PZ Scotland, UK Tel: +44 (0) 131 445 6206 Fax: +44 (0) 131 445 6205 Email: info@moredun-scientific.com www.moredun-scientific.com Follow us on Linked In to stay up to date with our news and activities
Moredun Scientific Magazine | Spring 2014
Copyright of Moredun Scientific © 2014. Moredun Scientific Ltd is a company registered in Scotland No:SC107439. Moredun is a trademark of the Moredun Foundation.