December 9, 2024
University of Calgary, Canada team develops vaccine to combat bacterial livestock disease
Researchers at the University of Calgary, Canada, have developed a new vaccine targeting hemorrhagic septicemia, a deadly bacterial disease that devastates livestock in low- and middle-income countries.
The initiative responds to a call by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Global Affairs Canada, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for solutions to neglected livestock diseases.
Led by Dr Anthony Schryvers, a professor at the Cumming School of Medicine (CSM), the team leveraged existing partnerships in Canada, Africa, and South Asia to address the challenge. Hemorrhagic septicemia can eliminate the cattle or buffalo on which families rely for their livelihood. Schryvers emphasised the need for a single-shot vaccine offering long-lasting immunity, crediting collaboration across veterinary and human medicine for advancing the project.
The vaccine development was supported by a grant from the Livestock Vaccine Innovation Fund. Schryvers collaborated with University of Toronto researchers Dr Scott Gray-Owen and Dr Trevor Moraes, whose expertise in antigen selection and testing played a key role in creating the vaccine.
"This vaccine development builds on foundational research we were already conducting," said Dr Guido van Marle, a fellow CSM professor and director of international partnerships at the Indigenous, Local, and Global Health Office. Van Marle noted Schryvers' ability to leverage partnerships to drive impactful projects.
The project benefited from longstanding international collaborations initiated by UCalgary faculty years ago. Dr Lashitew Gedamu of the Faculty of Science began building relationships in Ethiopia over 25 years ago, which evolved into the Bachelor of Health Sciences and Global Health programs involving Schryvers and van Marle.
These partnerships enabled rapid mobilisation when the Gates Foundation issued a call to action. Scientists from Ethiopia and Bhutan joined the project, with exchanges of methods for infection diagnosis and training in vaccine evaluation techniques. This collaboration aimed to develop local capacities for vaccine production in Ethiopia or Bhutan.
The team's work culminated in a patent filing for the new vaccine, with findings published in PLOS Pathogens. Schryvers highlighted the importance of scaling the vaccine for production near the farms most in need, noting that commercialization is the next step.
Schryvers, who has engaged in commercialisation efforts since 1990, credited UCalgary's collaborative environment for the project's success. "The unique, highly collaborative environment at the University of Calgary was instrumental in achieving our goal," he said.
Through global partnerships, UCalgary continues to advance sustainable and equitable research in global health, strengthening engagement across undergraduate, graduate, and faculty levels. The vaccine represents a significant step in addressing livestock diseases and improving the livelihoods of farmers in developing regions.
- University of Calgary