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Vaccines
Special Issues
African Swine Fever Virus Vaccine Development
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African Swine Fever Virus Vaccine Development

A special issue of Vaccines (ISSN 2076-393X). This special issue belongs to the section "Veterinary Vaccines".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2026 | Viewed by 6061

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Faming Miao

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Guest Editor
Changchun Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun, China
Interests: African swine fever virus; immune; immunotherapy; vaccine
Dr. Hong Jia

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Guest Editor
Beijing Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
Interests: African swine fever virus; ASFV vaccine; live vector vaccine
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Lian-Feng Li

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Guest Editor
Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, China
Interests: animal vaccines; molecular immunology; innate immunity
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

African Swine Fever Virus (ASFV) is a large, enveloped double-stranded DNA virus. ASFV is a highly infectious and severe hemorrhagic disease that affects pigs, causing a wide range of clinical signs. ASFV has a case fatality rate of up to 100% in domestic pigs and wild boars. This outbreak has led to the deaths and culling of millions of pigs, posing a significant threat to the global pig industry. Fortunately, vaccines with good safety and efficacy have been developed and are being licensed for use in some countries. Although a vaccine that involves the deletion of virulent genes has been licensed in Vietnam and is used in specific local areas and limited farms, there are concerns about its biosafety. Issues such as homologous recombination, delayed onset, and the potential for secondary infections pose significant risks, and the performance of the gene-deleted live vaccine still requires further study. While inactivated vaccines, subunit vaccines, and vector-based ASF vaccines are generally considered safer, their efficacy is not enough to protect against higher doses of virulent viruses in inoculated infections.

We must investigate the changes that occur during viral infection and the resulting pathogenesis, while also focusing on vaccine research to provide a solid foundation for preventing and controlling ASF.

This Special Issue will explore the pathogenicity of and vaccines related to ASFV infection. We welcome original research articles and reviews on topics including (but not limited to) the following areas:

  1. Virus infection and dissemination;
  2. Pathogenicity, migratory patterns, tissue tropism, and distribution in pigs;
  3. Research on immune responses and the protective effects of various types of ASF vaccines.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Faming Miao
Dr. Hong Jia
Dr. Lian-Feng Li
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Vaccines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • African swine fever virus
  • infection and damage
  • immune response
  • vaccine

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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23 pages, 5245 KB  
Article
Virus-like and Virus Replicon Particles Targeting Multiple B-Cell Antigens Do Not Protect Against African Swine Fever Virus
by Kirill Lotonin, Obdulio García-Nicolás, Normann Kilb, Stefan Krämer, Xinyue Chang, Paul Engeroff, Kemal Mehinagic, Noelle Donzé, Francisco Brito, Matthias Liniger, Ilva Lieknina, Darja Cernova, Ieva Balta, Gabriela González-García, Paloma Rueda, Gert Zimmer, Charaf Benarafa, Nicolas Ruggli, Günter Roth, Kaspars Tars, Martin Bachmann and Artur Summerfieldadd Show full author list remove Hide full author list
Vaccines 2026, 14(3), 285; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines14030285 - 23 Mar 2026
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Abstract
Background: African swine fever virus (ASFV) causes a fatal hemorrhagic disease in domestic pigs and wild boars. While live attenuated vaccines (LAVs) provide protection, their use raises safety concerns. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to identify viral B-cell antigens [...] Read more.
Background: African swine fever virus (ASFV) causes a fatal hemorrhagic disease in domestic pigs and wild boars. While live attenuated vaccines (LAVs) provide protection, their use raises safety concerns. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to identify viral B-cell antigens associated with protection and to test their potential using highly immunogenic vaccine delivery platforms. Methods: We employed a microarray of 169 ASFV proteins expressed in a cell-free prokaryotic system to identify immunodominant antigens using sera from immune pigs. Six structural proteins were selected and formulated into AP205 virus-like particles (VLPs). Additionally, replication-defective vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV)-based vaccine candidates expressing glycosylated CD2v and EP153R proteins were generated. Three groups of specific pathogen-free pigs were immunized with either VLP- or VSV-based vaccines and challenged with the virulent ASFV Georgia 2007 strain. Control groups included pigs immunized with the attenuated ASFV Estonia 2014 strain and a naïve group. Results: Most vaccine candidates induced detectable antibody responses against target ASFV proteins. However, neither VLP- nor VSV-based vaccines provided protection, as clinical scores, hematology, cytokine responses, and viremia levels were similar to those in the negative control group. In contrast, only the ASFV Estonia 2014 strain elicited a robust T-cell response and protective immunity. Conclusions: These findings highlight the challenges in identifying protective B-cell antigens of ASFV and emphasize the pivotal role of cellular immunity in mediating protection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue African Swine Fever Virus Vaccine Development)
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24 pages, 3742 KB  
Article
Evaluation of a Cell-Adapted Live Attenuated African Swine Fever Virus Thai-Strain Vaccine Candidate: Highlighting Enhanced Virulence Risk in Co-Infected Pigs
by Challika Kaewborisuth, Theeradej Thaweerattanasinp, Nanchaya Wanasen, Apidsada Chorpunkul, Payuda Hansoongnern, Nathiphat Tanwattana, Kanjana Srisutthisamphan, Janya Saenboonrueng, Asawin Wanitchang, Suphot Wattanaphansak, Rachod Tantilertcharoen, Nattachai Suksawat, Jarin Kramyu, Benjamas Liwnaree, Papon Muangsanit, Kriangkrai Chaikhum, Tapanut Songkasupa, Thitawat Chanthaworn and Anan Jongkaewwattana
Vaccines 2025, 13(12), 1189; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines13121189 - 24 Nov 2025
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Abstract
Background/Objectives: African swine fever (ASF) is a devastating disease affecting the swine industry globally. Development of safe and effective vaccines is an urgent need. This study aimed to evaluate, caASFV001-MA52, a cell-adapted ASFV strain derived from serial passaging in MA-104 cells, as a [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: African swine fever (ASF) is a devastating disease affecting the swine industry globally. Development of safe and effective vaccines is an urgent need. This study aimed to evaluate, caASFV001-MA52, a cell-adapted ASFV strain derived from serial passaging in MA-104 cells, as a promising live-attenuated vaccine (LAV) candidate against virulent ASFV infection. Methods: Seven-week-old, crossbred pigs were immunized with caASFV001-MA52 (at a dose of 105 TCID50) and subsequently challenged with a lethal dose of virulent ASFV. Vaccine efficacy was measured through clinical monitoring, immunological and virological analyses, and pathological assessments of tissue protection and viral load reduction. Safety was critically assessed, particularly regarding its profile in animals with concurrent endemic porcine infections, including PCV, PRRSV and S. suis. Results: caASFV001-MA52 exhibits partial protection (70–80%) against the lethal challenge. Vaccinated and challenged survivors exhibited reduced viral loads and significantly alleviated pathological lesions compared to controls. Safety evaluations revealed that the vaccine’s profile is susceptible to concurrent infection. Pigs co-infected with endemic porcine pathogens showed increased virulence and mortality following vaccination. Although vaccination temporarily reactivated latent viral infections (PCV2, PCV3, and PRRSV), most surviving pigs effectively controlled and eliminated these co-infections. Conclusions: The caASFV001-MA52 strain demonstrates promising immunogenicity and protection against lethal challenges, supporting its continued development as an LAV candidate. However, the observed safety concerns regarding concurrent infections emphasize the critical need for veterinary health surveillance during its future practical application. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue African Swine Fever Virus Vaccine Development)
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Review

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24 pages, 1890 KB  
Review
Identification of T-Cell Epitopes and Vaccine Development for African Swine Fever Virus
by Wanyi Ni, Hanchun Yang and Nianzhi Zhang
Vaccines 2025, 13(9), 955; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines13090955 - 7 Sep 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2577
Abstract
African swine fever virus (ASFV) has inflicted severe devastation on the global pig industry, yet a globally approved vaccine remains unavailable. Given that cellular immunity is critical for ASFV prevention, the development of vaccines based on T-cell epitopes emerges as a promising strategy [...] Read more.
African swine fever virus (ASFV) has inflicted severe devastation on the global pig industry, yet a globally approved vaccine remains unavailable. Given that cellular immunity is critical for ASFV prevention, the development of vaccines based on T-cell epitopes emerges as a promising strategy to control this virus. This review synthesizes the recent advancements and challenges in the research on ASFV T-cell epitopes, while offering insights into the potential impact of novel T-cell epitope-based vaccines. Notably, only a limited number of ASFV T-cell epitopes have been experimentally identified to date, covering fewer than 20 ASFV proteins. This bottleneck is attributed to challenges such as high swine leukocyte antigen (SLA) polymorphism, suboptimal accuracy of predicting tools, and complex experimental validation procedures. Although current studies on ASFV-specific T-cell immune responses and epitope identification are insufficient to meet vaccine development needs, continuous progress in T-cell immunology research in recent years has brought this goal closer to reality. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue African Swine Fever Virus Vaccine Development)
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