New Insights on Immunity and Disease Resistance in Farm Animals

Dear Colleagues,

Infectious diseases are the result of complex interactions between the host, the pathogen, and the environment. Pathogen infection does not always result in a disease; an infected animal does not necessarily turn into an affected animal, so we can assume that the different immune response of each individual is also related to the genetics of the host. To date, deepened insights into the genetic mechanisms that regulate the immunocompetence of animals and, therefore, their resistance/susceptibility to diseases include new strategies to counter and prevent infectious disease. In particular, immune-genetic traits are crucial markers in a wide range of diseases from viral to bacterial and parasitic origin. It also has to be considered that strong genetic variability exists intra-species and inter-species, making some animals and/or breeds more resistant and resilient than others in contrasting or controlling the pathogens themselves. Valorization and conservation of the genetic diversity, in particular between and within breeds, is an important goal. Genomic approaches (e.g., SNP genotyping, whole-genome sequencing, and epigenetic and gene expression profiling) can be applied to study in-depth immunogenetic pathways in relation to pathogens, also paying attention to the conservation of the genetic diversity of farm animals.

On this basis, the main objective of this Special Issue is to identify the immune and genetic mechanisms behind the resistance or susceptibility to specific disease. We invite scientific articles (such as original research, reviews and short communications) highlighting the sophisticated interactions between genetics and animals’ immune systems that make specific breeds or animals more or less resistant/susceptible to diseases of interest.

Dr. Linda Petrucci
Dr. Martina Torricelli
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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• SNP genotyping
• breeding
• resistance
• infectious diseases
• immunogenetic
• genetic markers
• genetic diversity