Optimization of African Swine Fever Vaccine Through Strategic Evaluation and Development Approach

African Swine Fever (ASF) is a viral disease that has severely impacted the global pig farming industry. To date, there is no effective commercial vaccine available to prevent ASF, making the development of a safe and effective inactivated vaccine a global research priority. In previous ASF vaccine studies, it was found that 2 out of 3 pigs (67%) survived the challenge test, despite the absence of detectable humoral antibodies. This suggests a strong possibility of cellular immunity (T cells), similar to the immune response observed in Jembrana disease in Bali cattle and other lentiviral infections. While these findings demonstrate partial success, there are still critical shortcomings that need to be addressed to improve vaccine efficacy. The weaknesses identified in the previous vaccine study include several technical aspects: 1).The concentration of spleen tissue in the vaccine formulation was relatively low (15%), which may have contributed to suboptimal efficacy. 2) No booster vaccination was administered, possibly leading to an inadequate adaptive immune response, 3) The vaccine formulation did not utilize Montanide Oil Adjuvant (MOA), which could enhance immunogenicity. The aim of this study is to optimize the ASF vaccine formulation and protocol to achieve higher levels of protection, through critical evaluation and technical innovations based on previous work. The methods to be implemented include:1) Increasing spleen concentration from 15% to 100% to maximize antigen content;2) Administering a single booster dose three weeks after the initial vaccination to strengthen the adaptive immune response;3) Incorporating MOA to enhance vaccine immunogenicity; and 3) Conducting challenge tests complemented with immunological analyses, including cellular immune response assessment to support antibody titer data. The expected outcomes of this research include: 1) A scientific publication in a reputable journal to disseminate research findings and innovations; 2) A more effective ASF vaccine prototype ready for advanced testing and commercial development; and 3) Technical recommendations for vaccine-based ASF control strategies in the field.