EC25F-340: Disrupting Neuronal Transport to Advance Safe and Effective Feline Herpesvirus Vaccine Design

Feline herpesvirus type 1 (FeHV-1) is one of the most common and contagious viruses affecting cats, especially in shelters and multi-cat homes. Once a cat is infected, the virus remains in nerve cells for life and occasionally reappears to cause respiratory illness, eye infections, and viral shedding that spreads infection to other cats. This lifelong cycle of infection makes FeHV-1 a major cause of illness and a persistent challenge for shelters working to keep cats healthy and ready for adoption.
Although FeHV-1 vaccines are available, they offer only partial protection against disease and do not prevent the virus from entering the nervous system and establishing lifelong infection. These limitations reflect a broader lack of innovation in vaccine development for FeHV-1 despite its widespread impact on feline health.
This project will develop a new FeHV-1 vaccine using an approach that is the culmination of over a decade of research. By removing a specific component of the virus that enables it to enter nerve cells, we aim to produce a vaccine that retains sufficient replication to generate strong immune responses while selectively attenuating its ability to establish lifelong infection in the nervous system and cause disease. This project will lead to a safer, more effective vaccine that improves protection against FeHV-1 and helps reduce transmission in high-risk environments.