African swine fever virus (ASFV) is a highly virulent dsDNA virus affecting both domestic and wild pigs, causing significant mortality. Originating in sub-Saharan Africa, it circulates naturally among warthogs and soft ticks. Its rapid spread across Europe, Asia, Oceania, and the Caribbean highlights the urgent need for effective vaccines.
Currently, live attenuated vaccines (LAVs) are the most practical solution, featuring viruses with specific gene deletions to reduce virulence. However, in ASF-free regions, alternative approaches like vector, subunit, or replication-deficient vaccines may be more appropriate.
Advancing our understanding of ASFV's virulence mechanisms and their link to immune protection is critical for improving vaccine strategies. This involves studying responses at various biological levels, including how the virus controls IFN-I and modulates immune responses. Developing a stable cell line for LAV growth without genetic alteration is crucial, as these lines will also support future initiatives like disabled infectious single cycle (DISC) vaccines. Understanding viral protein dynamics and ASFV cell tropism is vital for these advancements.
Technological progress in ASFV genome manipulation and next-generation sequencing (NGS) analysis plays a key role in vaccine development. Identifying the ideal antigen combinations for a protective immune response remains a significant challenge, necessitating integrated immunological and bioinformatics research. Additionally, creating serological DIVA tests is crucial for next-generation LAVs.
We invite Original Research, Review, and Mini-Review articles addressing topics such as:
- Development of new ASFV vaccine prototypes
- Insights into existing vaccine candidates
- Vaccine safety and efficacy, including field studies
- Cellular and organismal studies of ASFV virulence
- Molecular studies of viral protein functions and host interactions
- ASFV mechanisms affecting innate and adaptive immune responses, including type I IFN
- Molecular mechanisms of ASFV hemadsorption and cellular interactions
- Factors influencing ASFV cellular tropism and host resistance
- Creation of new cell lines for ASFV and LAV growth and production
- Technological advancements for recombinant ASFV development and genomic characterization using NGS
Keywords: ASFV, vaccines, virulence factors, innate immunity, IFN-I, c-GAS/STING, JAK/STAT, HAD, virus-host interaction, ASFV protein function, tropism, cell line, recombinant ASFV, NGS
Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
