System immunology-based identification of blood transcriptional modules correlating to antibody responses in sheep

Inactivated vaccines lack immunogenicity and therefore require potent adjuvants. To adapt a rational approach to this aim, understanding the in vivo effects of adjuvants is essential. Here we compared non-adjuvanted and liposome-formulated foot-and-mouth disease virus antigen together with TLR4 and TLR7 ligands as immunostimulants. We used a system immunology-based analysis of ovine blood transcriptional modules (BTM) to dissect innate immune responses relating antibody or to haptoglobin.