Genetically edited pigs lacking CD163 show no resistance following infection with the African swine fever virus isolate, Georgia 2007/1

- CD163 has been proposed as the receptor for African swine fever virus.
- Gene-edited pigs lacking CD163 were infected with African swine fever virus.
- No differences in infection or disease were observed compared to wild type pigs.
- CD163 does not play a significant role in African swine fever virus infection.

African swine fever is a highly contagious, often fatal disease of swine for which there is no vaccine or other curative treatment. The macrophage marker, CD163, is a putative receptor for African swine fever virus (ASFV). Pigs possessing a complete knockout of CD163 on macrophages were inoculated with Georgia 2007/1, a genotype 2 isolate. Knockout and wild type pen mates became infected and showed no differences in clinical signs, mortality, pathology or viremia. There was also no difference following in vitro infection of macrophages. The results do not rule out the possibility that other ASFV strains utilize CD163, but demonstrate that CD163 is not necessary for infection with the Georgia 2007/1 isolate. This work rules out a significant role for CD163 in ASFV infection and creates opportunities to focus on alternative receptors and entry mechanisms.