Human beings are on serious risk of vector-borne viral diseases like Japanese encephalitis which are caused and transmitted by mosquito to human beings from natural reservoir like pig, horses etc. Japanese encephalitis (JE) is commonly known as Brain Fever. JE can cause disability and even death in young children. The prevalence of JE virus has been reported in pig population of Punjab which may put human life at risk. The current strategy to save humans is through vaccination prepared in tissue culture or from mouse brain. However, vaccine is not in much uses due to high cost of production, lack of long immunity and adverse allergic reactions.
Keeping in view the above facts, School of Animal Biotechnology of Guru Angad Dev Veterinary And Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana made efforts to initiate research on this core issue. Dr. S.N.S. Randhawa, Director of Research –cum-Dean Postgraduate Studies informed that the school has been able to garner a research project from Department of Biotechnology, New Delhi to the tone of Rs 45.16 lacs. The project has been sanctioned to Dr Niraj K Singh, Assistant Scientist who informed that the research project entitled “Development of virus-like particle (VLP) of Japanese encephalitis virus as a potential vaccine candidate”. Dr Niraj will focus on generation of established cell line by recombinant lentiviral vector having pre-membrane and envelope gene of JE virus to serve as a continuous source of virus like particles (VLP).
Dr. S.N.S. Randhawa and Dr G S Brah, Director, School of Animal Biotechnology congratulated Dr Niraj and his team for bringing laurel to GADVASU and School of Animal Biotechnology. Dr Brah informed that the proposed study may help in large scale and cost effective production of vaccine against JE. He mentioned that Dr Niraj is the youngest faculty member of GADVASU to get such a large quantum of extramural research funding under a single project and with this project the number of extramural funded research projects in the school rises to 17. Currently every faculty of the School has at least one and up to 2 extramural funded projects and five more research projects from the school are under consideration of various national level funding agencies.
Dr S.N.S. Randhawa, appreciated the efforts of Dr Niraj and School of Animal Biotechnology and informed that the research work is very novel as the use of live viral vaccine has the inevitable risk of reversion to virulence whereas virus-like particle as developed under this project can provide protective immunity without the risk of reversion. Further, Dr Randhawa asked other young faculty members to emulate the line of Dr Niraj.
