Giulia Franzoni

Title : Targeting Toll Like Receptor 2: porcine macrophages primed for enhanced cytokine responses and increased susceptibility to African swine fever infection

Abstract:

Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) ligands are attracting significant attention as prophylactic and immunopotentiator agents against several viruses. We investigated the impact of a synthetic diacylated lipopeptide (Mag-Pam2Cys_P48) on porcine monocyte-derived macrophages (moM?) and we observed that it induced up-regulation of activation markers and release of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Then, we investigated its role in modulating macrophages responses against African swine fever virus (ASFV), the aetiological agent of a great threat to the global pig industry. The impact of Mag-Pam2Cys_P48 on moM? responses to two ASFV isolates of diverse virulence (the attenuated NH/P68 and the virulent 26544/OG10) was analyzed. Untreated and Mag-Pam2Cys_P48-treated moM? were infected using a multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 1, and we observed that Mag-Pam2Cys_P48 did not influence virus infection nor its modulation of surface markers expression 21 h post-infection. However, Mag-Pam2Cys_P48 treated moM? released higher levels of IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-1Ra, IL-18 in response to infection with the attenuated NH/P68 ASFV compared to mock-infected controls. The effect of this diacylated lipopeptide to influence ASFV ability to grow in moM? was also investigated. When infected using a MOI of 0.01, Mag-Pam2Cys_P48 enhanced the ability of both NH/P68 and 26544/OG10 strains to replicate in moM?. Although our data suggest caution in the use of TLR2 agonists as prophylactic or immunopotentiator agents against ASFV, we provided a better understating of how the virus eludes host defenses, hopefully aiding the rational design of therapeutic strategies against ASFV.

What will audience learn from your presentation?  

• Immunomodulatory impact of a TLR2 agonist on porcine macrophages
• Impact of a TLR2 agonist on porcine macrophages infection and responses to ASFV, one of the greatest threats to the swine industry
• Better understanding on how ASFV evades host defenses

Differences in macrophage responses to ASFV strains of diverse virulence

Biography:

Dr. Giulia Franzoni studied Veterinary Medicine at the University of Parma, Italy and graduated with honors in 2008. Soon after she joined the research group of Prof. Simon Paul Graham at Animal Health Plant Agency (formerly known as AHVLA), United Kingdom. She received her PhD degree in 2013 at the University of Surrey (UK). In 2014, she joined the Virology Laboratory of the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna, Italy, where she is currently employed as an Expert Veterinarian in several project on ASFV, including the EU Project ‘VACDIVA’. Her main research activities focused on ASFV immunology and porcine macrophage polarization.