Self-amplifying RNA technology: a breakthrough in veterinary medicine for livestock and wildlife

Abstract

Disease prevention in animals is of paramount importance not only for animal welfare but also within a One Health framework, as most emerging and zoonotic pathogens originate from wildlife reservoirs. Preventing disease also delivers economic benefits for livestock production. Vaccination has always been a cornerstone of animal health, with a wide range of vaccines and vaccination technologies successfully introduced to the market, among them inactivated vaccines, live attenuated vaccines, vector-based vaccines, immune complex vaccines and subunit vaccines. Continuous research has brought major improvements, enabling better immune protection, improved tolerance, simplified vaccination programmes, easier manufacturing processes and faster antigen design. The Covid-19 pandemic highlighted the potential of RNA vaccines. Compared to conventional messenger RNA vaccines, self-amplifying RNA (saRNA) vaccines offer significant advantages, including enhanced immunogenicity at lower doses and more efficient and versatile antigen expression. This article reviews i) the key features of saRNA vaccine technology in comparison with other RNA/DNA platforms, ii) the principles of saRNA design and manufacturing for animal health applications and iii) the advantages of saRNA vaccines for immunisation of livestock and wildlife, with a focus on wild bird species. Practical examples are presented to illustrate the application of saRNA vaccines in animals. Finally, future perspectives are discussed, highlighting the promise of saRNA technology.

Keywords

Immunisation, RNA, Self-amplifying, Wildlife.