Production of Viral Vaccines and Diagnostic Tools
The Unit's objectives include the development of safe and effective vaccines to counter emerging exotic diseases, as well as the study, validation, and production of diagnostic tools to monitor the spread of endemic and exotic diseases present in, or at risk of being introduced into, our country. These goals align with the EU Animal Health Strategy and the One Health principle, as outlined in Regulation (EU) 2016/429.
The Unit is engaged in the production of vaccines, reagents, and diagnostic tools, which are distributed nationally and internationally. Specifically, the unit focuses on the following activities:
- Production of viral and protozoan antigens, monoclonal antibodies, and other types of reagents used in research and diagnostic activities related to infectious diseases.
- Preparation of reference materials, such as sera and antigens, which are essential for organising interlaboratory proficiency testing schemes coordinated by the National Reference Centres and WOAH Reference Laboratories at IZSAM.
- Production of the Bluetongue Antibody Test Kit c_ELISA rec VP7, used for the serological diagnosis of bluetongue within the framework of the national surveillance plan, under the mandate of the Ministry of Health, and distributed across the national network of Istituti Zooprofilattici Sperimentali.
- Development of experimental vaccines, both conventional and next-generation, targeting viral diseases, with a specific focus on exotic diseases. Research efforts also involve the development of diagnostic tools based on recombinant proteins and monoclonal antibodies. These activities are primarily carried out through participation in national and international research projects, either as coordinating institution or partner.
- + - Our Research
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- + - Head
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Maria Teresa Mercante
Head
She holds a Master’s degree in Biological Sciences from the University of L’Aquila (1988). Since 1993, she has been working at the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise, where she currently serves as Head of the Viral Vaccine and Diagnostic Products Production Department and, ad interim, as Head of the Laboratory for the Production of Diagnostics, Reagents and Vaccines.
She holds a Master’s degree in Biological Sciences from the University of L’Aquila (1988). Since 1993, she has been working at the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise, where she currently serves as Head of the Viral Vaccine and Diagnostic Products Production Department and, ad interim, as Head of the Laboratory for the Production of Diagnostics, Reagents and Vaccines.
Between 1993 and 1999, at the Serum and Vaccine Management Laboratory, she gained experience in the preparation of dossiers for vaccine registration (marketing authorisation granted by the Ministry of Health).
From 1999 to 2003, she worked in the Quality Assurance and Control Department, acquiring experience in laboratory accreditation according to ISO 17025.
From 2009 to 2018, she worked in the Sample Reception and Control Department, which she headed from 2019 to 2021. During this period, she gained experience as LIMS administrator. As administrator and contact person for the Laboratory Information System (SILAB), she was part of the working group for the SILAB for Africa project and, at national level, participated in the working groups for the SILAB_Sicilia and SILAB_PB projects.
The activities of the Department she currently leads focus on the development of experimental vaccines against viral diseases, with particular attention to exotic diseases, and on the production of viral and protozoan diagnostic tools for research and for the serological diagnosis of infectious diseases using monoclonal antibodies and recombinant proteins.
A large part of her work is dedicated to participation in national and international research projects aimed at the development and validation of new immunising products, monoclonal antibodies, recombinant proteins, and diagnostic tools for the diagnosis of infectious animal diseases.
She has participated in numerous conferences and training courses, both as a participant and as a lecturer. Author of 32 publications in national and international journals.
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- + - Selected papers
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The Safety and Efficacy of New DIVA Inactivated Vaccines Against Lumpy Skin Disease in Calves
Ronchi, G. F., Iorio, M., Serroni, A., Caporale, M., Testa, L., Palucci, C., Antonucci, D., Capista, S., Traini, S., Pinoni, C., Di Matteo, I., Laguardia, C., Armillotta, G., Profeta, F., Valleriani, F., Di Felice, E., Di Teodoro, G., Sacchini, F., Luciani, M., Di Pancrazio, C., … Di Ventura, M. (2024). Vaccines, 12(12), 1302.
Efficacy of an inactivated EHDV-8 vaccine in preventing viraemia and clinical signs in experimentally infected cattle
Spedicato, M., Ronchi, G. F., Profeta, F., Traini, S., Capista, S., Leone, A., Iorio, M., Portanti, O., Palucci, C., Pulsoni, S., Testa, L., Serroni, A., Rossi, E., Armillotta, G., Laguardia, C., D'Alterio, N., Savini, G., Di Ventura, M., Lorusso, A., & Mercante, M. T. (2024). Virus research, 347, 199416.
Correlates of disease severity in bluetongue as a model of acute arbovirus infection
Herder, V., Caporale, M., MacLean, O. A., Pintus, D., Huang, X., Nomikou, K., Palmalux, N., Nichols, J., Scivoli, R., Boutell, C., Taggart, A., Allan, J., Malik, H., Ilia, G., Gu, Q., Ronchi, G. F., Furnon, W., Zientara, S., Bréard, E., Antonucci, D., … Palmarini, M. (2024). PLoS pathogens, 20(8), e1012466.
Analysis of Trypanosoma equiperdum Recombinant Proteins for the Serological Diagnosis of Dourine
Luciani, M., Armillotta, G., Di Febo, T., Krasteva, I., Ulisse, S., Di Pancrazio, C., Laguardia, C., Perletta, F., Serroni, A., Maggetti, M., Testa, L., Sacchini, F., Iorio, M., Rodomonti, D., Tittarelli, M., & Mercante, M. T. (2024). Veterinary sciences, 11(3), 127.
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