Immune complex vaccines against Infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) are formulated by mixing attenuated virus of a Infectious bursal disease and a solution of specific antibodies against the same virus (IgY) that will coat the vaccine virus. The complex formed (virus and antibodies) will protect the vaccine from its neutralization.
From the first immune complex vaccines developed in the 1990s until now, all of them have used specific IgY extracted from the serum of hyperimmunized animals as coating antibodies (Figure 1).
Figure 1. Basis of the immune complex IBDV vaccines formulation.
A newly formulated immune complex vaccine has now appeared on the market, GUMBOHATCH®, which uses specific IgY extracted from eggs instead of IgY from serum.
But what are the main advantages behind this new formulation?
Discover them in the following video:
A new procedure for extracting the IgY from eggs has been developed in order to improve the consistency and capacity for production of the highest quality antibodies.
The extraction of antibodies from egg yolks has many advantages compared to extraction from the serum. Since the antibodies are extracted from the yolks of laid eggs, the method of antibody production is non-invasive.
Besides, through appropriate immunization strategies, the concentration of antibodies in the egg yolk can be maintained at optimal levels over time.
This process, therefore, prevents the animals from bleeding and stress whilst it allows the harvest of large amounts of antibodies.
The possibility of obtaining large quantities of IgY through extraction from eggs has changed the way of formulating immune complex vaccines, giving the possibility of adding high proportions of IgY to ensure a complete coating of all the virus particles.