Our data clearly demonstrate that the inclusion of an IL-4/IL-13 antagonist has excellent potential to induce a more balanced immune outcome inducing elevated high quality mucosal and systemic CD8 T cell and also B cell immunity. This offers exciting prospects for a future HIV vaccine development as well as other chronic infections that which require efficacious Th1 mediated immunity for prevention and control. The authors would like to thank Dr. David Boyle for providing the parent vaccine constructs and Dr.

John Stambas for providing the influenza-HIV construct used in the challenge. Kerong Zhang at the ACRF BRF/JCSMR ANU for synthesising the HIV-specific peptides & tetramers. Lisa Pavlinovic, Megan Glidden and Annette Buchanan for their technical assistance with various aspects of the project. Dr Robert Center for providing advice with endpoint calculations. This work was find more supported by NHMRC project grant 525431 (CR), development grant awardAPP1000703, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation GCE Phase I grantOPP1015149 (CR)

and ACH2 (Australian Centre for Hepatitis and HIV Virology Research) EOI grant 2010 (CR) and 2011 (CR and RJ).Conflict of interest statement: The authors have no conflicts of interests. “
“Bluetongue virus (BTV) is the causative agent of the primarily vector-borne hemorrhagic bluetongue (BT) SAR405838 disease of ruminants. Since 1998 at least 8 of 26 serotypes have been detected within the European Union [1] and the introduction of new BTV serotypes is a permanent threat to the region. Typically, BT disease most severely clinically affects sheep [2]. However, the 2006 BTV-8 outbreak in central and northern Europe caused clinical signs in cattle including abortion and teratogenic effects STK38 [3] and [4]. The vaccination of cattle, BTV’s main amplifying host, along with small ruminants, is important to decrease virus spread [5]. Although modified live virus (MLVs) and inactivated vaccines have been suggested to be effective in controlling BTV in Europe [6], [7] and [8], MLVs are sometimes associated with viremia, clinical disease, and risk of gene segment

reassortment [9], [10] and [11], while safer inactivated vaccines presently cost more [8] or may be difficult to produce since some serotypes may not replicate well in vitro [12]. Neither vaccine type currently allows the differentiation of infected from vaccinated animals (DIVA) nor is easily adaptable to target multiple BTV serotypes. The use of DIVA-compliant vaccines could potentially help countries quickly return to BTV-free status [13], and enable surveillance of BTV epidemiology and vaccine efficacy. Vaccine adaptability to novel or multiple BTV serotypes is increasingly necessary given the recent co-circulation of different serotypes within Europe [14]. Many experimental BTV vaccines aim to possess these important qualities, while being as safe and effective as current vaccines (reviewed by [15]).