New Research in The Journal of Poultry Science: Trained Immunity Offers Novel Poultry Disease Prevention Strategies

Researchers review current advances in trained immunity—a promising avenue for preventing infectious diseases in chickens

HIROSHIMA, Japan, Jan. 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Trained immunity, a modification of cells in the innate immune system, may represent a new way of protecting poultry from infectious diseases. In a recent review article, researchers from Japan highlight key findings in this field, focusing on how vaccines and dietary supplementation with β-glucans can enhance the innate immune system. Their efforts will pave the way towards more research in this unexplored area of avian immunology, leading to healthier and more productive chicken farms. 

In the ever-evolving world of poultry production, maintaining the health of chickens is vital not only for guaranteeing animal welfare but also for ensuring a safe and sustainable food supply. The immune system thus plays a crucial role in protecting chickens from a variety of diseases.

The adaptive immune system, which includes highly specific responses driven by cellular memory, has long been the focus of vaccination strategies. However, recent research has highlighted the potential of trained immunity as a promising approach to disease prevention in various animals. Trained immunity can enhance the innate immune system—a less specific line of defense—through epigenetic and metabolic reprogramming of immune cells. However, the concept of trained immunity in poultry remains underexplored.

Against this backdrop, a research team led by Professor Yukinori Yoshimura from Hiroshima University and The Open University of Japan recently published a review article in The Journal of Poultry Science in Volume 61 on March 13, 2024. This review highlights the effects of vaccination and β-glucan supplementation on trained immunity in chickens.

"One of the key findings of our review was that the Newcastle disease/infectious bronchitis vaccine, widely used in poultry farming, has been shown to increase the expression of certain toll-like receptors (TLR7 and TLR21)," says Prof. Yoshimura. These receptors enable innate immune cells to detect single-stranded ribonucleic acid viruses and unmethylated cytosine-phosphate-guanine-deoxyribonucleic acid of pathogens, even those unrelated to the vaccine's specific antigens. Therefore, vaccination may enhance the innate immune system's responses alongside its well-established effects on adaptive immunity, constituting a form of trained immunity.

Notably, the benefits of β-glucan supplementation are quite varied, as it enhances the activity of innate immune cells and modulates the balance of cytokines and chemokines in the intestine, supporting a healthier immune environment. 

However, further research is needed to fully understand the applicability of vaccines and dietary supplementation in achieving trained immunity. "The determination of markers of trained immunity, such as specific histone modifications and intracellular metabolic events, will support the exploration of more effective vaccines and feed additives in the future," says Prof. Yoshimura, "Nonetheless, the enhancement of both adaptive and innate immunity will likely provide chickens with better defense mechanisms, leading to healthier and more productive poultry."

Reference
Title of original paper: Innate Immune Training in Chickens for Improved Defense against Pathogens: A Review
Journal: The Journal of Poultry Science
DOI: 10.2141/jpsa.2024008

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SOURCE The Journal of Poultry Science