Protection of Transgenic Poultry from Marek's Disease Virus by RNAi

MDV is a herpesvirus which causes a lymphoproliferative disorder of domestic chickens. Yearly economic losses from Marek's disease (MD) total $1 billion worldwide and more than $100 million in the U.S. MDV vaccines are limited in their effectiveness since continued evolution of MDV field strains results in serotypes of greater virulence. A more economically feasible and effective way to inhibit MDV infection must be found. We propose to block MDV infection by generating transgenic chickens that are genetically resistant to MDV. With our expertise in molecular biology and avian transgenesis, AviGenics is uniquely suited to bring this new avian viral resistance technology to the poultry industry.