Saturday, May 4, 2024     8:00 AM – 10:00 AM ET     Room W186

Technologies that Enhance the Application of Non-traditional Animal Models for Improved Translational Research

Sponsored by the AAI Veterinary Immunology Committee (VIC)
Generously supported by the American Association of Veterinary Immunologists (AAVI)

Chairs
Maisie Dawes, Western Univ. of Hlth. Sci. Col. of Vet. Med., USA, AAI VIC Chair
Jodi L. McGill, Iowa State Univ. Col. of Vet. Med., USA, AAVI Past President

Speakers
Crystal Loving, USDA, ARS, Natl. Animal Dis. Ctr., USA, Connecting the dots: single-cell and spatial transcriptomics highlight B cell states and interactions with macrophages in the Peyer’s patch
Wesley C. Warren, Univ. of Missouri, Columbia, USA, Gaining molecular insight toward understanding resilience to viral disease in the chicken
Greg A. Kirchenbaum, Cellular Technol., ImmunoSpot permits in-depth assessment of the B cell response elicited by infection or vaccination
Laura C. Miller, Kansas State Univ. Col. of Vet. Med., USA, Transcriptomics and 3D models for biomarker discovery

Over the years, advances in immunological research, which have predominantly relied on rodent models, have led to landmark successes such as the discovery of the cellular and molecular components of the immune system and the determination of the coordinated and functional capacities of each. However, in addition to an obvious lag in the transfer of basic research findings to clinical application, there has been a growing appreciation for the greater relevance of non-traditional large animal species models and their demonstration of susceptibilities to pathogens that are genetically like those that inflict human illnesses.  Additionally, their immune responses often mimic that observed in human patients—the most commonly intended therapeutic target. While the use of these natural disease models affords scientists the opportunity to investigate host-pathogen interactions in outbred populations that have an immune system with shared physiology, it has become increasingly apparent that the translatable nature of research findings is heavily reliant on scaffolds that provide an integrated view of the crosstalk that exists between the pathogen and host organs, tissues, cells, and molecules.  In his 2008 commentary, Steven Wolfe correctly states that translational research means “different things to different people.” This symposium shares the view that it is bidirectional and benefits both the individual and populations through the development of novel therapeutics which prevent, diagnose, or treat disease. This “process of turning research observations into health solutions” is facilitated by enormous advances in bioinformatics and high-throughput multi-omics technologies, which provide massive data constructs that reflect the multi-layered molecular network of the immune response in the face of physiologic and pathologic conditions. Eager to improve access to translational research and inspire the development of cross-disciplinary, boundary-crossing partnerships that stimulate innovative, creative, bold, rigorous, inclusive, and diverse investigative approaches that address unmet needs with efficiency and speed, this symposium will highlight the work of four scientists who utilize ‘big data’ techniques: transcriptomics, three-Dimensional biomarker imaging, high-throughput epitope mapping, to enhance the clinical applicability of their research.