Marek's Disease Virus Pathogenesis and Vaccination Strategies
Summary
Marek’s disease virus (MDV) is an oncogenic alphaherpesvirus that infects domestic chickens, leading to rapid-onset T-cell lymphomas, immunosuppression and substantial economic losses in the poultry industry. The virus undergoes a complex life cycle, including lytic replication in feather follicle epithelial cells, establishment of latency in lymphoid tissues and reactivation that enables viral dissemination. Key viral determinants such as the Meq oncoprotein drive transformation of CD4+ T cells, while additional factors modulate host cell signalling pathways and immune responses. Host genetic background and immune status influence disease outcome, and viral evolution under vaccine pressure has led to successive increases in virulence. Vaccination with live-attenuated strains of MDV or related herpesviruses (for example, HVT and CVI988) remains the cornerstone of disease control; these vaccines prevent tumour formation and clinical disease but do not confer sterile immunity or fully block viral transmission. As a result, field strains continue to circulate and adapt. Current research focuses on understanding molecular mechanisms of immune evasion, refining vaccine vectors and adjuvants, and exploring antiviral compounds to complement vaccination. Integrating viral genomics, host-pathogen interaction studies and novel immunomodulatory approaches offers a pathway to next-generation vaccines capable of halting transmission and limiting virulence evolution on a global scale.
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Marek's Disease Virus Pathogenesis and Vaccination Strategies publication trend
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Technical terms
Latency: A dormant state of the virus in host lymphoid cells during which viral genome persists without producing infectious particles.
Telomeric repeat arrays (TMRs): Tandem DNA repeats at the ends of the viral genome that facilitate integration into host chromosome telomeres and support latency.
γδ T cells: A subset of T lymphocytes bearing γδ T-cell receptors that contribute to innate-like immune responses and early control of viral infections in chickens.
Immunosuppression: A reduction in host immune function induced by viral factors or transformed cells, enabling persistent infection and tumour development.
References
- Immune escape of avian oncogenic Marek’s disease herpesvirus and antagonistic host immune responses. npj Vaccines (2024).
- Impact of viral telomeric repeat sequences on herpesvirus vector vaccine integration and persistence. PLOS Pathogens (2024).
- Unraveling the role of γδ T cells in the pathogenesis of an oncogenic avian herpesvirus. mBio (2024).
- Imperfect Vaccination Can Enhance the Transmission of Highly Virulent Pathogens. PLOS Biology (2015).
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