Dr. Frederico Zuckermann has developed an alternative to primary cells for African Swine Fever virus (ASFV) replication. The continuously growing, growth factor dependent ZMAC-4 porcine macrophage cell line is susceptible to infection with eight different field isolates of ASFV. The virus replicates to high titers and does not require adaptation steps to the cell line. Thus, there are no genomic changes in the virus and growth is not hampered. Better understanding of the virus interaction will provide information on mechanisms of virus immune evasion and pathogenesis, thus underpinning vaccine development.
Infection of ZMAC-4 cells with ASFV. Virus in green. DNA in blue.