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Saini I, Joshi J, Kaur S. Leishmania vaccine development: A comprehensive review. Cell Immunol 2024; 399-400:104826. [PMID: 38669897 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellimm.2024.104826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Infectious diseases like leishmaniasis, malaria, HIV, tuberculosis, leprosy and filariasis are responsible for an immense burden on public health systems. Among these, leishmaniasis is under the category I diseases as it is selected by WHO (World Health Organization) on the ground of diversity and complexity. High cost, resistance and toxic effects of Leishmania traditional drugs entail identification and development of therapeutic alternative. Since the natural infection elicits robust immunity, consistence efforts are going on to develop a successful vaccine. Clinical trials have been conducted on vaccines like Leish-F1, F2, and F3 formulated using specific Leishmania antigen epitopes. Current strategies utilize individual or combined antigens from the parasite or its insect vector's salivary gland extract, with or without adjuvant formulation for enhanced efficacy. Promising animal data supports multiple vaccine candidates (Lmcen-/-, LmexCen-/-), with some already in or heading for clinical trials. The crucial challenge in Leishmania vaccine development is to translate the research knowledge into affordable and accessible control tools that refines the outcome for those who are susceptible to infection. This review focuses on recent findings in Leishmania vaccines and highlights difficulties facing vaccine development and implementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isha Saini
- Parasitology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
| | - Jyoti Joshi
- Goswami Ganesh Dutta Sanatan Dharma College, Sector-32C, Chandigarh, India
| | - Sukhbir Kaur
- Parasitology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India.
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2
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Devender M, Sebastian P, Maurya VK, Kumar K, Anand A, Namdeo M, Maurya R. Immunogenicity and protective efficacy of tuzin protein as a vaccine candidate in Leishmania donovani-infected BALB/c mice. Front Immunol 2024; 14:1294397. [PMID: 38274802 PMCID: PMC10808571 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1294397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is referred to as the most severe and fatal type of leishmaniasis basically caused by Leishmania donovani and L. infantum. The most effective method for preventing the spread of the disease is vaccination. Till today, there is no promising licensed vaccination for human VL. Hence, investigation for vaccines is necessary to enrich the therapeutic repertoire against leishmaniasis. Tuzin is a rare trans-membrane protein that has been reported in Trypanosoma cruzi with unknown function. However, tuzin is not characterized in Leishmania parasites. In this study, we for the first time demonstrated that tuzin protein was expressed in both stages (promastigote and amastigote) of L. donovani parasites. In-silico studies revealed that tuzin has potent antigenic properties. Therefore, we analyzed the immunogenicity of tuzin protein and immune response in BALB/c mice challenged with the L. donovani parasite. We observed that tuzin-vaccinated mice have significantly reduced parasite burden in the spleen and liver compared with the control. The number of granulomas in the liver was also significantly decreased compared with the control groups. We further measured the IgG2a antibody level, a marker of Th1 immune response in VL, which was significantly higher in the serum of immunized mice when compared with the control. Splenocytes stimulated with soluble Leishmania antigen (SLA) displayed a significant increase in NO and ROS levels compared with the control groups. Tuzin-immunized and parasite-challenged mice exhibit a notable rise in the IFN-γ/IL-10 ratio by significantly suppressing IL-10 expression level, an immunosuppressive cytokine that inhibits leishmanicidal immune function and encourages disease progression. In conclusion, tuzin immunizations substantially increase the protective immune response in L. donovani-challenged mice groups compared with control.
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Clímaco MDC, de Figueiredo LA, Lucas RC, Pinheiro GRG, Dias Magalhães LM, Oliveira ALGD, Almeida RM, Barbosa FS, Castanheira Bartholomeu D, Bueno LL, Mendes TA, Zhan B, Jones KM, Hotez P, Bottazzi ME, Oliveira FMS, Fujiwara RT. Development of chimeric protein as a multivalent vaccine for human Kinetoplastid infections: Chagas disease and leishmaniasis. Vaccine 2023; 41:5400-5411. [PMID: 37479612 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2023.07.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2023]
Abstract
Leishmania spp. and Trypanosoma cruzi are parasitic kinetoplastids of great medical and epidemiological importance since they are responsible for thousands of deaths and disability-adjusted life-years annually, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Despite efforts to minimize their impact, current prevention measures have failed to fully control their spread. There are still no vaccines available. Taking into account the genetic similarity within the Class Kinetoplastida, we selected CD8+ T cell epitopes preserved among Leishmania spp. and T. cruzi to construct a multivalent and broad-spectrum chimeric polyprotein vaccine. In addition to inducing specific IgG production, immunization with the vaccine was able to significantly reduce parasite burden in the colon, liver and skin lesions from T. cruzi, L. infantum and L. mexicana challenged mice, respectively. These findings were supported by histopathological analysis, which revealed decreased inflammation in the colon, a reduced number of degenerated hepatocytes and an increased proliferation of connective tissue in the skin lesions of the corresponding T. cruzi, L. infantum and L. mexicana vaccinated and challenged mice. Collectively, our results support the protective effect of a polyprotein vaccine approach and further studies will elucidate the immune profile associated with this protection. Noteworthy, our results act as conceptual proof that a single multi-kinetoplastida vaccine can be used effectively to control different infectious etiologies, which in turn can have a profound impact on the development of a new generation of vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianna de Carvalho Clímaco
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Luiza Almeida de Figueiredo
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Rayane Cristina Lucas
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | | | - Luísa Mourão Dias Magalhães
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Ana Laura Grossi de Oliveira
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Raquel Martins Almeida
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | | | | | - Lilian Lacerda Bueno
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Tiago Antonio Mendes
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biotechnology Applied to Agropecuaria, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Bin Zhan
- National School of Tropical Medicine, Departments of Pediatrics and Molecular Virology & Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, USA; Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Kathryn Marie Jones
- National School of Tropical Medicine, Departments of Pediatrics and Molecular Virology & Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, USA; Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Peter Hotez
- National School of Tropical Medicine, Departments of Pediatrics and Molecular Virology & Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, USA; Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Maria Elena Bottazzi
- National School of Tropical Medicine, Departments of Pediatrics and Molecular Virology & Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, USA; Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Fabrício Marcus Silva Oliveira
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Ricardo Toshio Fujiwara
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
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Kumari P, Mamud A, Jha AN. Review on the Drug Intolerance and Vaccine Development for the Leishmaniasis. Curr Drug Targets 2023; 24:1023-1031. [PMID: 37823567 DOI: 10.2174/0113894501254585230927100440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is one of the Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), a zoonotic disease of vector-borne nature that is caused by a protozoan parasite Leishmania. This parasite is transmitted by the vector sandfly into the human via a bite. Visceral leishmaniasis (VL), also called kala-azar, is the most fatal among the types of leishmaniasis, with high mortality mostly spread in the East Africa and South Asia regions. WHO report stated that approximately 3.3 million disabilities occur every year due to the disease along with approximately 50,000 annual deaths. The real matter of concern is that there is no particular effective medicine/vaccine available against leishmaniasis to date except a few approved drugs and chemotherapy for the infected patient. The current selection of small compounds was constrained, and their growing drug resistance had been a major worry. Additionally, the serious side effects on humans of the available therapy or drugs have made it essential to discover efficient and low-cost methods to speed up the development of new drugs against leishmaniasis. Ideally, the vaccine could be a low risk and effective alternative for both CL and VL and elicit long-lasting immunity against the disease. There are a number of vaccine candidates at various stages of clinical development and preclinical stage. However, none has successfully passed all clinical trials. But, the successful development and approval of commercially available vaccines for dogs against canine leishmaniasis (CanL) provides evidence that it can be possible for humans in distant future. In the present article, the approaches used for the development of vaccines for leishmaniasis are discussed and the progress being made is briefly reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priya Kumari
- Centre of Sustainable Polymers, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, Assam, India
| | - Afrin Mamud
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Tezpur University, Tezpur, Assam, India
| | - Anupam Nath Jha
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Tezpur University, Tezpur, Assam, India
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5
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Romero-Ramirez A, Casas-Sánchez A, Autheman D, Duffy CW, Brandt C, Clare S, Harcourt K, André MR, de Almeida Castilho Neto KJG, Teixeira MMG, Machado RZ, Coombes J, Flynn RJ, Wright GJ, Jackson AP. Vivaxin genes encode highly immunogenic, non-variant antigens on the Trypanosoma vivax cell-surface. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2022; 16:e0010791. [PMID: 36129968 PMCID: PMC9529106 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Trypanosoma vivax is a unicellular hemoparasite, and a principal cause of animal African trypanosomiasis (AAT), a vector-borne and potentially fatal livestock disease across sub-Saharan Africa. Previously, we identified diverse T. vivax-specific genes that were predicted to encode cell surface proteins. Here, we examine the immune responses of naturally and experimentally infected hosts to these unique parasite antigens, to identify immunogens that could become vaccine candidates. Immunoprofiling of host serum shows that one particular family (Fam34) elicits a consistent IgG antibody response. This gene family, which we now call Vivaxin, encodes at least 124 transmembrane glycoproteins that display quite distinct expression profiles and patterns of genetic variation. We focused on one gene (viv-β8) that encodes one particularly immunogenic vivaxin protein and which is highly expressed during infections but displays minimal polymorphism across the parasite population. Vaccination of mice with VIVβ8 adjuvanted with Quil-A elicits a strong, balanced immune response and delays parasite proliferation in some animals but, ultimately, it does not prevent disease. Although VIVβ8 is localized across the cell body and flagellar membrane, live immunostaining indicates that VIVβ8 is largely inaccessible to antibody in vivo. However, our phylogenetic analysis shows that vivaxin includes other antigens shown recently to induce immunity against T. vivax. Thus, the introduction of vivaxin represents an important advance in our understanding of the T. vivax cell surface. Besides being a source of proven and promising vaccine antigens, the gene family is clearly an important component of the parasite glycocalyx, with potential to influence host-parasite interactions. Animal African trypanosomiasis (AAT) is an important livestock disease throughout sub-Saharan Africa and beyond. AAT is caused by Trypanosoma vivax, among other species, a unicellular parasite that is spread by biting tsetse flies and multiplies in the bloodstream and other tissues, leading to often fatal neurological conditions if untreated. Although concerted drug treatment and vector eradication programmes have succeeded in controlling Human African trypanosomiasis, AAT continues to adversely affect animal health and impede efficient food production and economic development in many less-developed countries. In this study, we attempted to identify parasite surface proteins that stimulated the strongest immune responses in naturally infected animals, as the basis for a vaccine. We describe the discovery of a new, species-specific protein family in T. vivax, which we call vivaxin. We show that one vivaxin protein (VIVβ8) is surface expressed and retards parasite proliferation when used to immunize mice, but does not prevent infection. Nevertheless, we also reveal that vivaxin includes another protein previously shown to induce protective immunity (IFX/VIVβ1). Besides its great potential for novel approaches to AAT control, the vivaxin family is revealed as a significant component of the T. vivax cell surface and may have important, species-specific roles in host interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Romero-Ramirez
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Aitor Casas-Sánchez
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Delphine Autheman
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, United Kingdom
- Department of Biology, Hull York Medical School, York Biomedical Research Institute, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Craig W. Duffy
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Cordelia Brandt
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, United Kingdom
| | - Simon Clare
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, United Kingdom
| | - Katherine Harcourt
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, United Kingdom
| | - Marcos Rogério André
- Department of Pathology, Reproduction and One Health, Faculty of Agrarian and Veterinary Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Jaboticabal, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Kayo José Garcia de Almeida Castilho Neto
- Department of Pathology, Reproduction and One Health, Faculty of Agrarian and Veterinary Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Jaboticabal, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marta M. G. Teixeira
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rosangela Zacharias Machado
- Department of Pathology, Reproduction and One Health, Faculty of Agrarian and Veterinary Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Jaboticabal, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Janine Coombes
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Robin J. Flynn
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- Waterford Institute of Technology, Waterford, Ireland
| | - Gavin J. Wright
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, United Kingdom
- Department of Biology, Hull York Medical School, York Biomedical Research Institute, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew P. Jackson
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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Gurjar D, Kumar Patra S, Bodhale N, Lenka N, Saha B. Leishmania intercepts IFN-γR signaling at multiple levels in macrophages. Cytokine 2022; 157:155956. [PMID: 35785668 DOI: 10.1016/j.cyto.2022.155956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
IFN-γ, a type 2 interferon and a cytokine, is critical for both innate and adaptive immunity. IFN-γ binds to the IFN-γRs on the cell membrane of macrophages, signals through JAK1-STAT-1 pathway and induces IFN-γ-stimulated genes (ISGs). As Leishmania amastigotes reside and replicate within macrophages, IFN-γ mediated macrophage activation eventuate in Leishmania elimination. As befits the principle of parasitism, the impaired IFN-γ responsiveness in macrophages ensures Leishmania survival. IFN-γ responsiveness is a function of integrated molecular events at multiple levels in the cells that express IFN-γ receptors. In Leishmania-infected macrophages, reduced IFN-γRα expression, impaired IFN-γRα and IFN-γRβ hetero-dimerization due to altered membrane lipid composition, reduced JAK-1 and STAT-1 phosphorylation but increased STAT-1 degradation and impaired ISGs induction collectively determine the IFN-γ responsiveness and the efficacy of IFN-γ induced antileishmanial function of macrophages. Therefore, parasite load is not only decided by the levels of IFN-γ produced but also by the IFN-γ responsiveness. Indeed, in Leishmania-infected patients, IFN-γ is produced but IFN-γ signalling is downregulated. However, the molecular mechanisms of IFN-γ responsiveness remain unclear. Therefore, we review the current understanding of IFN-γ responsiveness of Leishmania-infected macrophages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dhiraj Gurjar
- National Centre for Cell Science, Ganeshkhind, Pune 411007, India
| | | | - Neelam Bodhale
- National Centre for Cell Science, Ganeshkhind, Pune 411007, India
| | - Nibedita Lenka
- National Centre for Cell Science, Ganeshkhind, Pune 411007, India.
| | - Bhaskar Saha
- National Centre for Cell Science, Ganeshkhind, Pune 411007, India.
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Augusto Sanches Roque G, Esteves Zorgi N, Janaína Soares Rocha F, Flóro E Silva M, Fernanda Araújo T, Ruiz Abánades D, Giorgio S. Evaluation of prime and prime-boost immunization strategies in BALB/c mice inoculated with Leishmania infantum transfected with toxic plasmids. Vaccine 2022; 40:4105-4115. [PMID: 35660330 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2022.05.063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The etiologic agents of visceral leishmaniasis are Leishmania infantum and Leishmania donovani. Despite the variety of drugs available to treat leishmaniasis, most lead to serious adverse effects, and resistance to these drugs has been reported. Currently, no leishmaniasis vaccine is available for humans. That is why the group developed transgenic L. infantum promastigote lines, which express toxic proteins after differentiation into amastigotes. That is why group developed the pFL-AMA plasmid and transfected it into L. Infantum promastigotes. This plasmid was expressed only in the amastigote form of the parasite. Sequences encoding toxic proteins (active bovine trypsin and egg avidin) were inserted in this plasmid, and the transfected parasites died after the differentiation process. In this study, two immunization protocols were performed in BALB/c mice: prime and prime-boost immunization prior to challenge with the wild-type L. infantum (WT). The parasite burdens in the spleen, liver, and bone marrow were evaluated to verify immunological protection. Histopathological analysis of the spleen and liver and the humoral immune response were also performed. The data showed that the parasite burden was reduced in prime-boosted mice in the spleen, liver, and bone marrow, indicating that mice immunized with two doses of the transfected parasites were satisfactorily protected. High levels of IgG, IgG1, and IgG2a antibodies were observed, as well as the presence of anti-inflammatory cytokine Interleukine-10 and pro-inflammatory cytokine Tumor Necrosis Factor-α (TNF-α) and Interferon-γ (IFN - γ) suggesting a Th1/Th2 mix response, in addition to the presence of multinucleated giant cells in the spleen and lymphocyte infiltration in the liver. Therefore, L. infantum transfected with a toxic plasmid is an excellent vaccine candidate against visceral leishmaniasis and the application of a boost before the challenge promotes greater protection against WT L. infantum infection.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nahiara Esteves Zorgi
- Animal Biology Department, Institute of Biology, State University of Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Marina Flóro E Silva
- Animal Biology Department, Institute of Biology, State University of Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Thalita Fernanda Araújo
- Animal Biology Department, Institute of Biology, State University of Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Daniel Ruiz Abánades
- Animal Biology Department, Institute of Biology, State University of Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Selma Giorgio
- Animal Biology Department, Institute of Biology, State University of Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.
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Kumari D, Mahajan S, Kour P, Singh K. Virulence factors of Leishmania parasite: Their paramount importance in unraveling novel vaccine candidates and therapeutic targets. Life Sci 2022; 306:120829. [PMID: 35872004 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2022.120829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Revised: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease and remains a global concern for healthcare. It is caused by an opportunistic protozoan parasite belonging to the genus Leishmania and affects millions worldwide. This disease is mainly prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions and is associated with a high risk of public morbidity and mortality if left untreated. Transmission of this deadly disease is aggravated by the bite of female sand-fly vectors (Phlebotomus and Lutzomyia). With time, significant advancement in leishmaniasis-related research has been carried out to cope with the disease burden. Still, the Leishmania parasite has also co-evolved with its host and adapted successfully within the host's lethal milieu/environment. Thus, understanding and knowledge of various leishmanial virulence factors responsible for the parasitic infection are essential for exploring drug targets and vaccine candidates. The present review elucidates the importance of virulence factors in pathogenesis and summarizes the major leishmanial virulence molecules contributing to the parasitic infection during host-pathogen interaction. Furthermore, we have also elaborated on the potential contribution of leishmanial virulence proteins in developing vaccine candidates and exploring novel therapeutics against this parasitic disease. We aim to represent a clearer picture of parasite pathogenesis within the human host that can further aid in unraveling new strategies to fight against the deadly infection of leishmaniasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diksha Kumari
- Infectious Diseases Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu 180001, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Shavi Mahajan
- Infectious Diseases Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu 180001, India
| | - Parampreet Kour
- Infectious Diseases Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu 180001, India
| | - Kuljit Singh
- Infectious Diseases Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu 180001, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India.
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Al-Khalaifah HS. Major Molecular Factors Related to Leishmania Pathogenicity. Front Immunol 2022; 13:847797. [PMID: 35769465 PMCID: PMC9236557 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.847797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a major health problem with 600k - 1M new cases worldwide and 1 billion at risk. It involves a wide range of clinical forms ranging from self-healing cutaneous lesions to systemic diseases that are fatal if not treated, depending on the species of Leishmania. Leishmania sp. are digenetic parasites that have two different morphological stages. Leishmania parasites possess a number of invasive/evasive and pathoantigenic determinants that seem to have critical roles in Leishmania infection of macrophages which leads to successful intracellular parasitism in the parasitophorous vacuoles. These determinants are traditionally known as “virulence factors”, and are considered to be good targets for developing specific inhibitors to attenuate virulence of Leishmania by gene deletions or modifications, thus causing infective, but non-pathogenic mutants for vaccination. Pathway of biosynthesis is critical for keeping the parasite viable and is important for drug designing against these parasites. These drugs are aimed to target enzymes that control these pathways. Accordingly, maintaining low level of parasitic infection and in some cases as a weapon to eradicate infection completely. The current paper focuses on several virulence factors as determinants of Leishmania pathogenicity, as well as the metabolites produced by Leishmania to secure its survival in the host.
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10
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Machado AS, Lage DP, Vale DL, Freitas CS, Linhares FP, Cardoso JM, Pereira IA, Ramos FF, Tavares GS, Ludolf F, Oliveira-da-Silva JA, Bandeira RS, Simões AC, Duarte MC, Oliveira JS, Christodoulides M, Chávez-Fumagalli MA, Roatt BM, Martins VT, Coelho EA. A recombinant Leishmania amastigote-specific protein, rLiHyG, with adjuvants, protects against infection with Leishmania infantum. Acta Trop 2022; 230:106412. [PMID: 35305943 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2022.106412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Revised: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Vaccination against visceral leishmaniasis (VL) should be considered as a control measure to protect against disease, and amastigote-specific proteins could help to develop such vaccines, since this parasite form is in contact with the host immune system during the active disease. In this study, a Leishmania amastigote-specific protein, LiHyG, was evaluated as recombinant protein (rLiHyG) as vaccine candidate against Leishmania infantum infection in BALB/c mice. The protein was associated with saponin (rLiHyG/Sap) or Poloxamer 407-based polymeric micelles (rLiHyG/Mic) as adjuvants, and animals receiving saline, saponin or micelle as controls. Immunological and parasitological analyses were performed before (n = 8 per group; as primary endpoint) and after (n = 8 per group; as secondary endpoint) infection. Results showed that, in both endpoints, rLiHyG/Sap and rLiHyG/Mic induced higher levels of IFN-γ, IL-12 and GM-CSF in spleen cell cultures from vaccinated animals, besides elevated presence of IgG2a isotype antibodies. Decreased hepatotoxicity and 'positive lymphoproliferative response were also found after challenge. Such findings reflected in significantly lower levels of parasite load found in their spleens, livers, bone marrows and draining lymph nodes. In conclusion, rLiHyG associated with Th1-type adjuvant could be considered for future studies as vaccine candidate to protect against VL.
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11
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Gupta AK, Das S, Kamran M, Ejazi SA, Ali N. The Pathogenicity and Virulence of Leishmania - interplay of virulence factors with host defenses. Virulence 2022; 13:903-935. [PMID: 35531875 PMCID: PMC9154802 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2022.2074130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a group of disease caused by the intracellular protozoan parasite of the genus Leishmania. Infection by different species of Leishmania results in various host immune responses, which usually lead to parasite clearance and may also contribute to pathogenesis and, hence, increasing the complexity of the disease. Interestingly, the parasite tends to reside within the unfriendly environment of the macrophages and has evolved various survival strategies to evade or modulate host immune defense. This can be attributed to the array of virulence factors of the vicious parasite, which target important host functioning and machineries. This review encompasses a holistic overview of leishmanial virulence factors, their role in assisting parasite-mediated evasion of host defense weaponries, and modulating epigenetic landscapes of host immune regulatory genes. Furthermore, the review also discusses the diagnostic potential of various leishmanial virulence factors and the advent of immunomodulators as futuristic antileishmanial drug therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anand Kumar Gupta
- Infectious Diseases and Immunology Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata 700032, India
| | - Sonali Das
- Infectious Diseases and Immunology Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata 700032, India
| | - Mohd Kamran
- Infectious Diseases and Immunology Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata 700032, India
| | - Sarfaraz Ahmad Ejazi
- Infectious Diseases and Immunology Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata 700032, India
| | - Nahid Ali
- Infectious Diseases and Immunology Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata 700032, India
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12
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Dipeptidylcarboxypeptidase of Leishmania donovani: A potential vaccine molecule against experimental visceral leishmaniasis. Cell Immunol 2022; 375:104529. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cellimm.2022.104529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Revised: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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13
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Abstract
Leishmaniasis is caused by protozoan Leishmania parasites that are transmitted through female sandfly bites. The disease is predominantly endemic to the tropics and semi-tropics and has been reported in more than 98 countries. Due to the side effects of anti-Leishmania drugs and the emergence of drug-resistant isolates, there is currently no encouraging prospect of introducing an effective therapy for the disease. Hence, it seems that the key to disease control management is the introduction of an effective vaccine, particularly against its cutaneous form. Advances in understanding underlying immune mechanisms are feasibale using a variety of candidate antigens, including attenuated live parasites, crude antigens, pure or recombinant Leishmania proteins, Leishmania genes encoding protective proteins, as well as immune system activators from the saliva of parasite vectors. However, there is still no vaccine against different types of human leishmaniasis. In this study, we review the works conducted or being performed in this field.
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14
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Kumar S, Zutshi S, Jha MK, Chauhan P, Saha B. Development of the Antileishmanial Vaccine. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2410:433-461. [PMID: 34914062 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1884-4_23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Search for an efficacious antileishmanial vaccine has led to clinical trials of numerous vaccine candidates in the past few decades. As no promising candidate has emerged from these studies, novel vaccine modalities and vaccine assessment techniques are still emerging for antileishmanial vaccine development. Briefly, this chapter discusses: (a) history and timeline of antileishmanial vaccine development; (b) techniques utilized for developing whole-parasite and subunit-based antileishmanial vaccine formulations, and (c) immunogenicity and post-challenge protective efficacy assessment of vaccine candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunil Kumar
- National Centre for Cell Science, Ganeshkhind, Pune, Maharashtra, India
| | | | - Mukesh Kumar Jha
- National Centre for Cell Science, Ganeshkhind, Pune, Maharashtra, India
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Prashant Chauhan
- National Centre for Cell Science, Ganeshkhind, Pune, Maharashtra, India
| | - Bhaskar Saha
- National Centre for Cell Science, Ganeshkhind, Pune, Maharashtra, India.
- Trident Academy of Creative Technology, Bhubaneshwar, Odisha, India.
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15
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Goyal DK, Keshav P, Kaur S. Adjuvant effects of TLR agonist gardiquimod admixed with Leishmania vaccine in mice model of visceral leishmaniasis. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2021; 93:104947. [PMID: 34052416 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2021.104947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Revised: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Tropical and subtropical areas of the world are affected by leishmaniasis, which is caused by Leishmania spp. It has been categorized as an NTD (neglected tropical disease) because of its negligence. The sand fly of genus Phlebotomus acts as the vector for the transmission of the promastigote form of this protozoan parasite to the mammalian host where it converts to amastigote form in the macrophages. Visceral form of leishmaniasis (VL) is a deadly infection in the endothelial system of the human and other mammals. Only a few chemotherapeutic agents are available for the treatment of this infectious disease whereas no vaccine is available for the control of leishmanial infection. Therefore in the current study, we have tested the effects of gardiquimod (a TLR agonist) as an adjuvant in combination with the formalin-killed antigen of L. donovani as a vaccine. The mice were vaccinated thrice at an interval of 2 weeks and challenged with L. donovani promastigotes after 2 weeks of the last vaccination. We assessed the parasite load, delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) responses, humoral and cell-mediated immune response in BALB/c mice before and after challenge infection with L. donovani. Immunized mice were found to have the least parasite load, high DTH response, elevated levels of Th1 cytokines, IgG2a, and nitric oxide than non-immunized and infected control mice. The efficacy of the vaccine was boosted with the use of adjuvant gardiquimod that depicts its potential as an adjuvant in this study. Our study is reporting the adjuvant effects of gardiquimod for the first time. Further studies using other Leishmania species can be performed to signify its role.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepak Kumar Goyal
- Parasitology Laboratory, Department of Zoology (UGC-CAS), Panjab University, Chandigarh 160014, India
| | - Poonam Keshav
- Parasitology Laboratory, Department of Zoology (UGC-CAS), Panjab University, Chandigarh 160014, India
| | - Sukhbir Kaur
- Parasitology Laboratory, Department of Zoology (UGC-CAS), Panjab University, Chandigarh 160014, India.
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16
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Kamdem BP, Elizabeth FI. The Role of Nitro (NO 2-), Chloro (Cl), and Fluoro (F) Substitution in the Design of Antileishmanial and Antichagasic Compounds. Curr Drug Targets 2021; 22:379-398. [PMID: 33371845 DOI: 10.2174/1389450121666201228122239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Revised: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are responsible for over 500,000 deaths annually and are characterized by multiple disabilities. Leishmaniasis and Chagas diseases are among the most severe NTDs, and are caused by the Leishmania sp and Trypanosoma cruzi, respectively. Glucantime, pentamidine, and miltefosine are commonly used to treat leishmaniasis, whereas nifurtimox, benznidazole are current treatments for Chagas disease. However, these treatments are associated with drug resistance and severe side effects. Hence, the development of synthetic products, especially those containing N02, F, or Cl, are known to improve biological activity. The present work summarizes the information on the antileishmanial and antitrypanosomal activity of nitro-, chloro-, and fluorosynthetic derivatives. Scientific publications referring to halogenated derivatives in relation to antileishmanial and antitrypanosomal activities were hand-searched in databases such as SciFinder, Wiley, Science Direct, PubMed, ACS, Springer, Scielo, and so on. According to the literature information, more than 90 compounds were predicted as lead molecules with reference to their IC50/EC50 values in in vitro studies. It is worth mentioning that only active compounds with known cytotoxic effects against mammalian cells were considered in the present study. The observed activity was attributed to the presence of nitro-, fluoro-, and chloro-groups in the compound backbone. All in all, nitro and halogenated derivatives are active antileishmanial and antitrypanosomal compounds and can serve as the baseline for the development of new drugs against leishmaniasis and Chagas disease. However, efforts in in vitro and in vivo toxicity studies of the active synthetic compounds is still needed. Pharmacokinetic studies and the mechanism of action of the promising compounds need to be explored. The use of new catalysts and chemical transformation can afford unexplored halogenated compounds with improved antileishmanial and antitrypanosomal activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boniface P Kamdem
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ferreira I Elizabeth
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
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17
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A Canine-Directed Chimeric Multi-Epitope Vaccine Induced Protective Immune Responses in BALB/c Mice Infected with Leishmania infantum. Vaccines (Basel) 2020; 8:vaccines8030350. [PMID: 32629975 PMCID: PMC7563305 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines8030350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Revised: 06/26/2020] [Accepted: 06/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniases are complex vector-borne diseases caused by intracellular parasites of the genus Leishmania. The visceral form of the disease affects both humans and canids in tropical, subtropical, and Mediterranean regions. One health approach has suggested that controlling zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis (ZVL) could have an impact on the reduction of the human incidence of visceral leishmaniasis (VL). Despite the fact that a preventive vaccination could help with leishmaniasis elimination, effective vaccines that are able to elicit protective immune responses are currently lacking. In the present study, we designed a chimeric multi-epitope protein composed of multiple CD8+ and CD4+ T cell epitopes which were obtained from six highly immunogenic proteins previously identified by an immunoproteomics approach, and the N-termini of the heparin-binding hemagglutinin (HBHA) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis served as an adjuvant. A preclinical evaluation of the candidate vaccine in BALB/c mice showed that when it was given along with the adjuvant Addavax it was able to induce strong immune responses. Cellular responses were dominated by the presence of central and effector multifunctional CD4+ and CD8+ T memory cells. Importantly, the vaccination reduced the parasite burden in both short-term and long-term vaccinated mice challenged with Leishmania infantum. Protection was characterized by the continuing presence of IFN-γ+TNFα+-producing CD8+ and CD4+ T cells and increased NO levels. The depletion of CD8+ T cells in short-term vaccinated mice conferred a significant loss of protection in both target organs of the parasite, indicating a significant involvement of this population in the protection against L. infantum challenge. Thus, the overall data could be considered to be a proof-of-concept that the design of efficacious T cell vaccines with the help of reverse vaccinology approaches is possible.
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18
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Palatnik-de-Sousa CB, Nico D. The Delay in the Licensing of Protozoal Vaccines: A Comparative History. Front Immunol 2020; 11:204. [PMID: 32210953 PMCID: PMC7068796 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.00204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2019] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Although viruses and bacteria have been known as agents of diseases since 1546, 250 years went by until the first vaccines against these pathogens were developed (1796 and 1800s). In contrast, Malaria, which is a protozoan-neglected disease, has been known since the 5th century BCE and, despite 2,500 years having passed since then, no human vaccine has yet been licensed for Malaria. Additionally, no modern human vaccine is currently licensed against Visceral or Cutaneous leishmaniasis. Vaccination against Malaria evolved from the inoculation of irradiated sporozoites through the bite of Anopheles mosquitoes in 1930's, which failed to give protection, to the use of controlled human Malaria infection (CHMI) provoked by live sporozoites of Plasmodium falciparum and curtailed with specific chemotherapy since 1940's. Although the use of CHMI for vaccination was relatively efficacious, it has some ethical limitations and was substituted by the use of injected recombinant vaccines expressing the main antigens of the parasite cycle, starting in 1980. Pre-erythrocytic (PEV), Blood stage (BSV), transmission-blocking (TBV), antitoxic (AT), and pregnancy-associated Malaria vaccines are under development. Currently, the RTS,S-PEV vaccine, based on the circumsporozoite protein, is the only one that has arrived at the Phase III trial stage. The "R" stands for the central repeat region of Plasmodium (P.) falciparum circumsporozoite protein (CSP); the "T" for the T-cell epitopes of the CSP; and the "S" for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). In Africa, this latter vaccine achieved only 36.7% vaccine efficacy (VE) in 5-7 years old children and was associated with an increase in clinical cases in one assay. Therefore, in spite of 35 years of research, there is no currently licensed vaccine against Malaria. In contrast, more progress has been achieved regarding prevention of leishmaniasis by vaccine, which also started with the use of live vaccines. For ethical reasons, these were substituted by second-generation subunit or recombinant DNA and protein vaccines. Currently, there is one live vaccine for humans licensed in Uzbekistan, and four licensed veterinary vaccines against visceral leishmaniasis: Leishmune® (76-80% VE) and CaniLeish® (68.4% VE), which give protection against strong endpoints (severe disease and deaths under natural conditions), and, under less severe endpoints (parasitologically and PCR-positive cases), Leishtec® developed 71.4% VE in a low infective pressure area but only 35.7% VE and transient protection in a high infective pressure area, while Letifend® promoted 72% VE. A human recombinant vaccine based on the Nucleoside hydrolase NH36 of Leishmania (L.) donovani, the main antigen of the Leishmune® vaccine, and the sterol 24-c-methyltransferase (SMT) from L. (L.) infantum has reached the Phase I clinical trial phase but has not yet been licensed against the disease. This review describes the history of vaccine development and is focused on licensed formulations that have been used in preventive medicine. Special attention has been given to the delay in the development and licensing of human vaccines against Protozoan infections, which show high incidence worldwide and still remain severe threats to Public Health.
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MESH Headings
- Adult
- Animals
- Child
- Child, Preschool
- Female
- History, 17th Century
- History, 18th Century
- History, 19th Century
- History, 20th Century
- History, 21st Century
- Humans
- Leishmania donovani/immunology
- Leishmaniasis Vaccines/history
- Leishmaniasis Vaccines/immunology
- Leishmaniasis, Visceral/parasitology
- Leishmaniasis, Visceral/prevention & control
- Leishmaniasis, Visceral/veterinary
- Licensure/history
- Malaria Vaccines/history
- Malaria Vaccines/immunology
- Malaria, Falciparum/parasitology
- Malaria, Falciparum/prevention & control
- Mass Vaccination/history
- Mass Vaccination/methods
- Plasmodium falciparum/immunology
- Pregnancy
- Vaccines, Attenuated/history
- Vaccines, Attenuated/immunology
- Vaccines, Live, Unattenuated/history
- Vaccines, Live, Unattenuated/immunology
- Vaccines, Synthetic/history
- Vaccines, Synthetic/immunology
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Affiliation(s)
- Clarisa Beatriz Palatnik-de-Sousa
- Institute of Microbiology Paulo de Góes, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Institute for Research in Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Dirlei Nico
- Institute of Microbiology Paulo de Góes, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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19
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Velez R, Gállego M. Commercially approved vaccines for canine leishmaniosis: a review of available data on their safety and efficacy. Trop Med Int Health 2020; 25:540-557. [PMID: 32034985 DOI: 10.1111/tmi.13382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Canine leishmaniosis is an important vector-borne zoonosis caused mainly by Leishmania infantum. Diagnosis and treatment of affected individuals can be particularly complex, hindering infection control in endemic areas. Methods to prevent canine leishmaniosis include the use of topical insecticides, prophylactic immunotherapy and vaccination. Four vaccines against canine leishmaniosis have been licensed since 2004, two in Brazil (Leishmune®, the production and marketing licence of which was withdrawn in 2014, and Leish-Tec®) and two in Europe (CaniLeish® and LetiFend®). After several years of marketing, doubts remain regarding vaccine efficacy and effectiveness, potential infectiousness of vaccinated and infected animals or the interference of vaccine-induced antibodies in L. infantum serological diagnosis. This review summarises the scientific evidence for each of the vaccines commercially approved for canine leishmaniosis, while discussing possible weaknesses of these studies. Furthermore, it raises the need to address important questions related to vaccination impact in Leishmania-endemic countries and the importance of post-marketing pharmacological surveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita Velez
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Secció de Parasitologia, Departament de Biologia, Sanitat i Medi Ambient, Facultat de Farmàcia i Ciències de l'Alimentació, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Montserrat Gállego
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Secció de Parasitologia, Departament de Biologia, Sanitat i Medi Ambient, Facultat de Farmàcia i Ciències de l'Alimentació, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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20
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A new multi-epitope peptide vaccine induces immune responses and protection against Leishmania infantum in BALB/c mice. Med Microbiol Immunol 2019; 209:69-79. [PMID: 31696313 DOI: 10.1007/s00430-019-00640-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2019] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a tropical and subtropical disease which is endemic in more than eighty countries around the world. Leishmania infantum is one of the main causative agents of VL disease. Currently, there is no approved-to-market vaccine for VL therapy. In this study, we evaluated cellular and humoral immune responses induced by our newly designed multi-epitope vaccine in BALB/c mice. Four antigenic proteins, including histone H1, sterol 24-c-methyltransferase (SMT), Leishmania-specific hypothetical protein (LiHy), and Leishmania-specific antigenic protein (LSAP) were chosen for the prediction of potential immunodominant epitopes. Moreover, to enhance vaccine immunogenicity, two toll-like receptors 4 (TLR4) agonists, resuscitation-promoting factors of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (RpfE and RpfB), were employed as the built-in adjuvants. Immunization with the designed multi-epitope vaccine elicited a robust Th1-type immune response, compared to other groups, as shown by increased levels of IL-2, IFN-γ, TNF-α, and IgG2a. Furthermore, a significant decrease was observed in Th-2-type-related cytokines such as IL-4 in immunized mice. The designed construct also induced a significant reduction in parasite load (p < 0.0001), conferring protection against L. infantum challenge. This study could be promising in gaining insight towards the potential of peptide epitope-based vaccines as effective protective approaches against Leishmania species.
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21
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Zutshi S, Kumar S, Chauhan P, Bansode Y, Nair A, Roy S, Sarkar A, Saha B. Anti-Leishmanial Vaccines: Assumptions, Approaches, and Annulments. Vaccines (Basel) 2019; 7:vaccines7040156. [PMID: 31635276 PMCID: PMC6963565 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines7040156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2019] [Revised: 09/24/2019] [Accepted: 10/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a neglected protozoan parasitic disease that occurs in 88 countries but a vaccine is unavailable. Vaccination with live, killed, attenuated (physically or genetically) Leishmania have met with limited success, while peptide-, protein-, or DNA-based vaccines showed promise only in animal models. Here, we critically assess several technical issues in vaccination and expectation of a host-protective immune response. Several studies showed that antigen presentation during priming and triggering of the same cells in infected condition are not comparable. Altered proteolytic processing, antigen presentation, protease-susceptible sites, and intracellular expression of pathogenic proteins during Leishmania infection may vary dominant epitope selection, MHC-II/peptide affinity, and may deter the reactivation of desired antigen-specific T cells generated during priming. The robustness of the memory T cells and their functions remains a concern. Presentation of the antigens by Leishmania-infected macrophages to antigen-specific memory T cells may lead to change in the T cells' functional phenotype or anergy or apoptosis. Although cells may be activated, the peptides generated during infection may be different and cross-reactive to the priming peptides. Such altered peptide ligands may lead to suppression of otherwise active antigen-specific T cells. We critically assess these different immunological issues that led to the non-availability of a vaccine for human use.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sunil Kumar
- National Centre for Cell Science, Ganeshkhind, Pune 411007, India.
| | - Prashant Chauhan
- National Centre for Cell Science, Ganeshkhind, Pune 411007, India.
| | - Yashwant Bansode
- National Centre for Cell Science, Ganeshkhind, Pune 411007, India.
| | - Arathi Nair
- National Centre for Cell Science, Ganeshkhind, Pune 411007, India.
| | - Somenath Roy
- Department of Human Physiology with Community Health, Vidyasagar University, Midnapore 721102, India.
| | - Arup Sarkar
- Department of Biotechnology, Trident Academy of Creative Technology, Bhubaneswar 751024, India.
| | - Bhaskar Saha
- National Centre for Cell Science, Ganeshkhind, Pune 411007, India.
- Department of Biotechnology, Trident Academy of Creative Technology, Bhubaneswar 751024, India.
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22
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Ratnapriya S, Keerti, Sahasrabuddhe AA, Dube A. Visceral leishmaniasis: An overview of vaccine adjuvants and their applications. Vaccine 2019; 37:3505-3519. [PMID: 31103364 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2019.04.092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2018] [Revised: 03/08/2019] [Accepted: 04/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Although there has been an extensive research on vaccine development over the last decade and some vaccines have been commercialized for canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL), but as yet no effective vaccine is available for anthroponotic VL which may partly be due to the absence of an appropriate adjuvant system. Vaccines alone yield poor immunity hence requiring an adjuvant which can boost the immunosuppressed state of VL infected individuals by eliciting adaptive immune responses to achieve required immunological enhancement. Recent studies have documented the continuous efforts that are being made in the field of adjuvants research in an attempt to render vaccines more effective. This review article focuses on adjuvants, particularly particulate and non-particulate ones, which have been assessed with VL vaccine candidates in several preclinical and clinical trials outlining the induction of immune responses obtained from these studies. Moreover, we have emphasized the applicability of multiple adjuvants combination for an improvement in the potential of a VL vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sneha Ratnapriya
- Molecular and Structural Biology Division, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Sector-10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow 226031, India
| | - Keerti
- Molecular and Structural Biology Division, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Sector-10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow 226031, India
| | - Amogh A Sahasrabuddhe
- Molecular and Structural Biology Division, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Sector-10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow 226031, India
| | - Anuradha Dube
- Division of Parasitology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Sector-10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow 226031, India.
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23
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Palatnik-de-Sousa CB. Nucleoside Hydrolase NH 36: A Vital Enzyme for the Leishmania Genus in the Development of T-Cell Epitope Cross-Protective Vaccines. Front Immunol 2019; 10:813. [PMID: 31040850 PMCID: PMC6477039 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.00813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2018] [Accepted: 03/27/2019] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
NH36 is a vital enzyme of the DNA metabolism and a specific target for anti-Leishmania chemotherapy. We developed second-generation vaccines composed of the FML complex or its main native antigen, the NH36 nucleoside hydrolase of Leishmania (L.) donovani and saponin, and a DNA vaccine containing the NH36 gene. All these vaccines were effective in prophylaxis and treatment of mice and dog visceral leishmaniasis (VL). The FML-saponin vaccine became the first licensed veterinary vaccine against leishmaniasis (Leishmune®) which reduced the incidence of human and canine VL in endemic areas. The NH36, DNA or recombinant protein vaccines induced a Th1 CD4+IFN-γ+ mediated protection in mice. Efficacy against VL was mediated by a CD4+TNF-α T lymphocyte response against the NH36-F3 domain, while against tegumentary leishmaniasis (TL) a CD8+ T lymphocyte response to F1 was also required. These domains were 36-41 % more protective than NH36, and a recombinant F1F3 chimera was 21% stronger than the domains, promoting a 99.8% reduction of the parasite load. We also identified the most immunogenic NH36 domains and epitopes for PBMC of active human VL, cured or asymptomatic and DTH+ patients. Currently, the NH36 subunit recombinant vaccine is turning into a multi-epitope T cell synthetic vaccine against VL and TL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clarisa Beatriz Palatnik-de-Sousa
- Institute of Microbiology Paulo de Góes, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute for Research in Immunology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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24
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Growth arrested live-attenuated Leishmania infantum KHARON1 null mutants display cytokinesis defect and protective immunity in mice. Sci Rep 2018; 8:11627. [PMID: 30072701 PMCID: PMC6072785 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-30076-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2018] [Accepted: 07/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
There is no safe and efficacious vaccine against human leishmaniasis available and live attenuated vaccines have been used as a prophylactic alternative against the disease. In order to obtain an attenuated Leishmania parasite for vaccine purposes, we generated L. infantum KHARON1 (KH1) null mutants (ΔLikh1). This gene was previously associated with growth defects in L. mexicana. ΔLikh1 was obtained and confirmed by PCR, qPCR and Southern blot. We also generate a KH1 complemented line with the introduction of episomal copies of KH1. Although ΔLikh1 promastigote forms exhibited a growth pattern similar to the wild-type line, they differ in morphology without affecting parasite viability. L. infantum KH1-deficient amastigotes were unable to sustain experimental infection in macrophages, forming multinucleate cells which was confirmed by in vivo attenuation phenotype. The cell cycle analysis of ΔLikh1 amastigotes showed arrested cells at G2/M phase. ΔLikh1-immunized mice presented reduced parasite burden upon challenging with virulent L. infantum, when compared to naïve mice. An effect associated with increased Li SLA-specific IgG serum levels and IL-17 production. Thus, ΔLikh1 parasites present an infective-attenuated phenotype due to a cytokinesis defect, whereas it induces immunity against visceral leishmaniasis in mouse model, being a candidate for antileishmanial vaccine purposes.
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Singh MK, Jamal F, Dubey AK, Shivam P, Kumari S, Pushpanjali, Bordoloi C, Narayan S, Das VNR, Pandey K, Das P, Singh SK. Visceral leishmaniasis: A novel nuclear envelope protein 'nucleoporins-93 (NUP-93)' from Leishmania donovani prompts macrophage signaling for T-cell activation towards host protective immune response. Cytokine 2018; 113:200-215. [PMID: 30001865 DOI: 10.1016/j.cyto.2018.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2018] [Revised: 07/02/2018] [Accepted: 07/03/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The shift of macrophage and T-cell repertoires towards proinflammatory cytokine signalling ensures the generation of host-protective machinery that is otherwise compromised in cases of the intracellular Leishmania parasite. Different groups have attempted to restore host protective immunity. These vaccine candidates showed good responses and protective effects in murine models, but they generally failed during human trials. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of 97 kDa recombinant nucleoporin-93 of Leishmania donovani (rLd-NUP93) on mononuclear cells in healthy and treated visceral leishmaniasis (VL) patients and on THP-1 cell lines. rLd-NUP93 stimulation increased the expression of the early lymphocyte activation marker CD69 on CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. The expression of the host protective pro-inflammatory cytokines IFN-γ, IL-12 and TNF-α was increased, with a corresponding down-regulation of IL-10 and TGF-β upon rLd-NUP93 stimulation. This immune polarization resulted in the up-regulation of NF-κB p50 with scant expression of SMAD-4. Augmenting lymphocyte proliferation upon priming with rLd-NUP93 ensured its potential for activation and generation of strong T-cell mediated immune responses. This stimulation extended the leishmanicidal activity of macrophages by releasing high amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Further, the leishmanicidal activity of macrophages was intensified by the elevated production of nitric oxide (NO). The fact that this antigen was earlier reported in circulating immune complexes of VL patients highlights its antigenic importance. In addition, in silico analysis suggested the presence of MHC class I and II-restricted epitopes that proficiently trigger CD8+ and CD4+ T-cells, respectively. This study reported that rLd-NUP93 was an effective immunoprophylactic agent that can be explored in future vaccine design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manish K Singh
- Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna 800007, India
| | - Fauzia Jamal
- Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna 800007, India
| | - Amit K Dubey
- Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna 800007, India; National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Hajipur 844102, India
| | - Pushkar Shivam
- Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna 800007, India
| | - Sarita Kumari
- Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna 800007, India
| | - Pushpanjali
- Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna 800007, India
| | - Chayanika Bordoloi
- National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Hajipur 844102, India
| | - S Narayan
- Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna 800007, India
| | - V N R Das
- Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna 800007, India
| | - K Pandey
- Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna 800007, India
| | - P Das
- Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna 800007, India
| | - Shubhankar K Singh
- Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna 800007, India.
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Almeida APMM, Machado LFM, Doro D, Nascimento FC, Damasceno L, Gazzinelli RT, Fernandes AP, Junqueira C. New Vaccine Formulations Containing a Modified Version of the Amastigote 2 Antigen and the Non-Virulent Trypanosoma cruzi CL-14 Strain Are Highly Antigenic and Protective against Leishmania infantum Challenge. Front Immunol 2018; 9:465. [PMID: 29599776 PMCID: PMC5863692 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.00465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2017] [Accepted: 02/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a major public health issue reported as the second illness in mortality among all tropical diseases. Clinical trials have shown that protection against VL is associated with robust T cell responses, especially those producing IFN-γ. The Leishmania amastigote 2 (A2) protein has been repeatedly described as immunogenic and protective against VL in different animal models; it is recognized by human T cells, and it is also commercially available in a vaccine formulation containing saponin against canine VL. Moving toward a more appropriate formulation for human vaccination, here, we tested a new optimized version of the recombinant protein (rA2), designed for Escherichia coli expression, in combination with adjuvants that have been approved for human use. Moreover, aiming at improving the cellular immune response triggered by rA2, we generated a recombinant live vaccine vector using Trypanosoma cruzi CL-14 non-virulent strain, named CL-14 A2. Mice immunized with respective rA2, adsorbed in Alum/CpG B297, a TLR9 agonist recognized by mice and human homologs, or with the recombinant CL-14 A2 parasites through homologous prime-boost protocol, were evaluated for antigen-specific immune responses and protection against Leishmania infantum promastigote challenge. Immunization with the new rA2/Alum/CpG formulations and CL-14 A2 transgenic vectors elicited stronger cellular immune responses than control groups, as shown by increased levels of IFN-γ, conferring protection against L. infantum challenge. Interestingly, the use of the wild-type CL-14 alone was enough to boost immunity and confer protection, confirming the previously reported immunogenic potential of this strain. Together, these results support the success of both the newly designed rA2 antigen and the ability of T. cruzi CL-14 to induce strong T cell-mediated immune responses against VL in animal models when used as a live vaccine vector. In conclusion, the vaccination strategies explored here reveal promising alternatives for the development of new rA2 vaccine formulations to be translated human clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Paula M M Almeida
- Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Toxicológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Leopoldo F M Machado
- Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Toxicológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.,Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Daniel Doro
- Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Toxicológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.,Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Frederico C Nascimento
- Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Toxicológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | | | - Ricardo Tostes Gazzinelli
- Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.,Division of Infectious Disease, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Ana Paula Fernandes
- Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Toxicológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
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Co-factor-independent phosphoglycerate mutase of Leishmania donovani modulates macrophage signalling and promotes T-cell repertoires bearing epitopes for both MHC-I and MHC-II. Parasitology 2017; 145:292-306. [PMID: 29140228 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182017001494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Immunoactivation depends upon the antigen potential to modulate T-cell repertoires. The present study has enumerated the effect of 61 kDa recombinant Leishmania donovani co-factor-independent phosphoglycerate mutase (rLd-iPGAM) on mononuclear cells of healthy and treated visceral leishmaniasis subjects as well as on THP-1 cell line. rLd-iPGAM stimulation induced higher expression of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in the phagocytic cell, its receptor and CD69 on T-cell subsets. These cellular activations resulted in upregulation of host-protective cytokines IL-2, IL-12, IL-17, tumour necrosis factor-α and interferon-γ, and downregulation of IL-4, IL-10 and tumour growth factor-β. This immune polarization was also evidenced by upregulation of nuclear factor-κ light-chain enhancer of activated B cells p50 and regulated expression of suppressor of mother against decapentaplegic protein-4. rLd-iPGAM stimulation also promoted lymphocyte proliferation and boosted the leishmaniacidal activity of macrophages by upregulating reactive oxygen species. It also induced 1·8-fold higher release of nitric oxide (NO) by promoting the transcription of inducible nitric oxide synthase gene. Besides, in silico analysis suggested the presence of major histocompatibility complex class I and II restricted epitopes, which can proficiently trigger CD8+ and CD4+ cells, respectively. This study reports rLd-iPGAM as an effective immunoprophylactic agent, which can be used in future vaccine design.
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Grimaldi G, Teva A, dos-Santos CB, Santos FN, Pinto IDS, Fux B, Leite GR, Falqueto A. Field trial of efficacy of the Leish-tec® vaccine against canine leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania infantum in an endemic area with high transmission rates. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0185438. [PMID: 28953944 PMCID: PMC5617193 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0185438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2017] [Accepted: 09/12/2017] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Because domestic dogs are reservoir hosts for visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in Brazil, one of the approaches used to reduce human disease incidence is to cull infected dogs. However, the results of controlled intervention trials based on serological screening of dogs and killing of seropositive animals are equivocal. A prophylactic vaccine to protect dogs from being infectious to the sand fly vector could be an effective strategy to provide sustained control. Here, we investigated whether a currently licensed commercial subunit rA2 protein-saponin vaccine (Leish-tec®) had an additional effect to dog culling on reducing the canine infectious populations. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS This prospective study was conducted in an L. infantum highly endemic area of southeast Brazil. At the onset of the intervention, all of the eligible dogs received through subcutaneous route a three-dose vaccine course at 21-day intervals and a booster on month 12. For the purpose of comparison, newly recruited healthy dogs were included as the exposed control group. To ascertain vaccine-induced protection, dogs were screened on clinical and serological criteria every 6 months for a 2-year follow-up period. Antibody-based tests and histopathological examination of post-mortem tissue specimens from euthanized animals were used as a marker of infection. The standardized vaccine regime, apart from being safe, was immunogenic as immunized animals responded with a pronounced production of anti-A2-specific IgG antibodies. It should be noted the mean seroconversion time for infection obtained among immunized exposed dogs (~ 18 months), which was twice as high as that for unvaccinated ones (~ 9 months). After two transmission cycles completed, the cumulative incidence of infection did differ significantly (P = 0.016) between the vaccinated (27%) and unvaccinated (42%) dogs. However, the expected efficacy for the vaccine in inducing clinical protection was not evident since 43% of vaccine recipients developed disease over time. Our estimates also indicated that immunoprophylaxis by Leish-tec® vaccine in addition to dog culling might not have an impact on bringing down the incidence of canine infection with L. infantum in areas of high transmission rates. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE Leish-tec® as a prophylactic vaccine showed promise but needs to be further optimized to be effective in dogs under field conditions, and thereby positively impacts human incidence.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Antonio Teva
- Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Claudiney B. dos-Santos
- Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santos, Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil
| | | | - Israel de-Souza Pinto
- Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santos, Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil
| | - Blima Fux
- Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santos, Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil
| | - Gustavo Rocha Leite
- Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santos, Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil
| | - Aloísio Falqueto
- Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santos, Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil
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Margaroni M, Agallou M, Athanasiou E, Kammona O, Kiparissides C, Gaitanaki C, Karagouni E. Vaccination with poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) nanoparticles loaded with soluble Leishmania antigens and modified with a TNFα-mimicking peptide or monophosphoryl lipid A confers protection against experimental visceral leishmaniasis. Int J Nanomedicine 2017; 12:6169-6184. [PMID: 28883727 PMCID: PMC5574665 DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s141069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) persists as a major public health problem, and since the existing chemotherapy is far from satisfactory, development of an effective vaccine emerges as the most appropriate strategy for confronting VL. The development of an effective vaccine relies on the selection of the appropriate antigen and also the right adjuvant and/or delivery vehicle. In the present study, the protective efficacy of poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs), which were surface-modified with a TNFα-mimicking eight-amino-acid peptide (p8) and further functionalized by encapsulating soluble Leishmania infantum antigens (sLiAg) and monophosphoryl lipid A (MPLA), a TLR4 ligand, was evaluated against challenge with L. infantum parasites in BALB/c mice. Vaccination with these multifunctionalized PLGA nanoformulations conferred significant protection against parasite infection in vaccinated mice. In particular, vaccination with PLGA-sLiAg-MPLA or p8-PLGA-sLiAg NPs resulted in almost complete elimination of the parasite in the spleen for up to 4 months post-challenge. Parasite burden reduction was accompanied by antigen-specific humoral and cellular immune responses. Specifically, injection with PLGA-sLiAg-MPLA raised exclusively anti-sLiAg IgG1 antibodies post-vaccination, while in p8-PLGA-sLiAg-vaccinated mice, no antibody production was detected. However, 4 months post-challenge, in mice vaccinated with all the multifunctionalized NPs, antibody class switching towards IgG2a subtype was observed. The study of cellular immune responses revealed the increased proliferation capacity of spleen cells against sLiAg, consisting of IFNγ-producing CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Importantly, the activation of CD8+ T cells was exclusively attributed to vaccination with PLGA NPs surface-modified with the p8 peptide. Moreover, characterization of cytokine production in vaccinated-infected mice revealed that protection was accompanied by significant increase of IFNγ and lower levels of IL-4 and IL-10 in protected mice when compared to control infected group. Conclusively, the above nanoformulations hold promise for future vaccination strategies against VL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maritsa Margaroni
- Laboratory of Cellular Immunology, Department of Microbiology, Hellenic Pasteur Institute.,Department of Animal and Human Physiology, School of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens
| | - Maria Agallou
- Laboratory of Cellular Immunology, Department of Microbiology, Hellenic Pasteur Institute
| | - Evita Athanasiou
- Laboratory of Cellular Immunology, Department of Microbiology, Hellenic Pasteur Institute
| | - Olga Kammona
- Chemical Process & Energy Resources Institute, Centre for Research and Technology Hellas
| | - Costas Kiparissides
- Chemical Process & Energy Resources Institute, Centre for Research and Technology Hellas.,Department of Chemical Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Catherine Gaitanaki
- Department of Animal and Human Physiology, School of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens
| | - Evdokia Karagouni
- Laboratory of Cellular Immunology, Department of Microbiology, Hellenic Pasteur Institute
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30
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Bagirova M, Allahverdiyev AM, Abamor ES, Ullah I, Cosar G, Aydogdu M, Senturk H, Ergenoglu B. Overview of dendritic cell-based vaccine development for leishmaniasis. Parasite Immunol 2017; 38:651-662. [PMID: 27591404 DOI: 10.1111/pim.12360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2016] [Accepted: 07/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is one of the most serious vector-borne diseases in the world and is distributed over 98 countries. It is estimated that 350 million people are at risk for leishmaniasis. There are three different generation of vaccines that have been developed to provide immunity and protection against leishmaniasis. However, their use has been limited due to undesired side effects. These vaccines have also failed to provide effective and reliable protection and, as such, currently, there is no safe and effective vaccine for leishmaniasis. Dendritic cells (DCs) are a unique population of cells that come from bone marrow and become specialized to take up, process and present antigens to helper T cells in a mechanism similar to macrophages. By considering these significant features, DCs stimulated with different kinds of Leishmania antigens have been used in recent vaccine studies for leishmaniasis with promising results so far. In this review, we aim to review and combine the latest studies about this issue after defining potential problems in vaccine development for leishmaniasis and considering the importance of DCs in the immunopathogenesis of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Bagirova
- Bioengineering Department, Yildiz Technical University, Esenler, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - A M Allahverdiyev
- Bioengineering Department, Yildiz Technical University, Esenler, Istanbul, Turkey.
| | - E S Abamor
- Bioengineering Department, Yildiz Technical University, Esenler, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - I Ullah
- Department of Biotechnology, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - G Cosar
- Bioengineering Department, Yildiz Technical University, Esenler, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - M Aydogdu
- Bioengineering Department, Yildiz Technical University, Esenler, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - H Senturk
- Bioengineering Department, Yildiz Technical University, Esenler, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - B Ergenoglu
- Bioengineering Department, Yildiz Technical University, Esenler, Istanbul, Turkey
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Immunoinformatics Features Linked to Leishmania Vaccine Development: Data Integration of Experimental and In Silico Studies. Int J Mol Sci 2017; 18:ijms18020371. [PMID: 28208616 PMCID: PMC5343906 DOI: 10.3390/ijms18020371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2016] [Revised: 01/25/2017] [Accepted: 02/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a wide-spectrum disease caused by parasites from Leishmania genus. There is no human vaccine available and it is considered by many studies as apotential effective tool for disease control. To discover novel antigens, computational programs have been used in reverse vaccinology strategies. In this work, we developed a validation antigen approach that integrates prediction of B and T cell epitopes, analysis of Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) networks and metabolic pathways. We selected twenty candidate proteins from Leishmania tested in murine model, with experimental outcome published in the literature. The predictions for CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cell epitopes were correlated with protection in experimental outcomes. We also mapped immunogenic proteins on PPI networks in order to find Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways associated with them. Our results suggest that non-protective antigens have lowest frequency of predicted T CD4⁺ and T CD8⁺ epitopes, compared with protective ones. T CD4⁺ and T CD8⁺ cells are more related to leishmaniasis protection in experimental outcomes than B cell predicted epitopes. Considering KEGG analysis, the proteins considered protective are connected to nodes with few pathways, including those associated with ribosome biosynthesis and purine metabolism.
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Duarte MC, Lage DP, Martins VT, Chávez-Fumagalli MA, Roatt BM, Menezes-Souza D, Goulart LR, Soto M, Tavares CAP, Coelho EAF. Recent updates and perspectives on approaches for the development of vaccines against visceral leishmaniasis. Rev Soc Bras Med Trop 2017; 49:398-407. [PMID: 27598624 DOI: 10.1590/0037-8682-0120-2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2016] [Accepted: 06/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is one of the most important tropical diseases worldwide. Although chemotherapy has been widely used to treat this disease, problems related to the development of parasite resistance and side effects associated with the compounds used have been noted. Hence, alternative approaches for VL control are desirable. Some methods, such as vector control and culling of infected dogs, are insufficiently effective, with the latter not ethically recommended. The development of vaccines to prevent VL is a feasible and desirable measure for disease control; for example, some vaccines designed to protect dogs against VL have recently been brought to market. These vaccines are based on the combination of parasite fractions or recombinant proteins with adjuvants that are able to induce cellular immune responses; however, their partial efficacy and the absence of a vaccine to protect against human leishmaniasis underline the need for characterization of new vaccine candidates. This review presents recent advances in control measures for VL based on vaccine development, describing extensively studied antigens, as well as new antigenic proteins recently identified using immuno-proteomic techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Costa Duarte
- Departamento de Patologia Clínica, Colégio Técnico, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Daniela Pagliara Lage
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Vívian Tamietti Martins
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Miguel Angel Chávez-Fumagalli
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Bruno Mendes Roatt
- Departamento de Patologia Clínica, Colégio Técnico, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Daniel Menezes-Souza
- Departamento de Patologia Clínica, Colégio Técnico, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Luiz Ricardo Goulart
- Instituto de Genética e Bioquímica, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil.,Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Manuel Soto
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlos Alberto Pereira Tavares
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Antonio Ferraz Coelho
- Departamento de Patologia Clínica, Colégio Técnico, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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de Mendonça LZ, Resende LA, Lanna MF, Aguiar-Soares RDDO, Roatt BM, Castro RADOE, Batista MA, Silveira-Lemos D, Gomes JDAS, Fujiwara RT, Rezende SA, Martins-Filho OA, Corrêa-Oliveira R, Dutra WO, Reis AB, Giunchetti RC. Multicomponent LBSap vaccine displays immunological and parasitological profiles similar to those of Leish-Tec® and Leishmune® vaccines against visceral leishmaniasis. Parasit Vectors 2016; 9:472. [PMID: 27577735 PMCID: PMC5006379 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-016-1752-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2015] [Accepted: 08/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In past years, many researchers have sought canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL) prevention through the characterization of Leishmania antigens as vaccine candidates. Despite these efforts, there is still no efficient vaccine for CVL control. Methods In the present study, we performed a pre-clinical vaccine trial using BALB/c mice to compare the effects of the multicomponent LBSap vaccine with those of Leish-Tec® and Leishmune®. Blood was collected to determine the frequency of peripheral blood cells and to evaluate hematologic and immunophenotypic parameters. Liver and spleen samples were collected for parasitological quantification, and spleen samples were used to access the cytokine profile. Results When measuring total IgG and IgG1 anti-Leishmania levels after the third vaccination and L. infantum challenge, it was evident that all vaccines were able to induce humoral immune response. Regarding the innate immune response, increased levels of NK CD3-CD49+ cells were the hallmark of all vaccinated groups, whereas only the Leish-Tec® group displayed a high frequency of CD14+ monocytes after L. infantum challenge. Moreover, CD3+CD4+ T cells were the main circulating lymphocytes induced after L. infantum challenge with all evaluated vaccines. Importantly, after L. infantum challenge, splenocytes from the Leishmune® vaccine produced high levels of IL-2, whereas a prominent type 1 immune response was the hallmark of the LBSap vaccine, which presented high levels of IL-2, IL-6, TNF-α, and IFN-γ. The efficacy analysis using real-time polymerase chain reaction demonstrated a reduction in the parasitism in the spleen (Leishmune®: 64 %; LBSap: 42 %; and Leish-Tec®: 36 %) and liver (Leishmune®: 71 %; LBSap: 62 %; and Leish-Tec®: 48 %). Conclusions The dataset led to the conclusion that the LBSap vaccination was able to induce immune and efficacy profiles comparable with those of commercial vaccines, thus demonstrating its potential as a promising vaccine candidate for visceral leishmaniasis control. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13071-016-1752-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludmila Zanandreis de Mendonça
- Laboratório de Biologia das Interações Celulares, Departamento de Morfologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Lucilene Aparecida Resende
- Laboratório de Biologia das Interações Celulares, Departamento de Morfologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.,Laboratório de Imunopatologia, Núcleo de Pesquisas em Ciências Biológicas/NUPEB, Instituto de Ciências Exatas e Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Mariana Ferreira Lanna
- Laboratório de Biologia das Interações Celulares, Departamento de Morfologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.,Laboratório de Imunopatologia, Núcleo de Pesquisas em Ciências Biológicas/NUPEB, Instituto de Ciências Exatas e Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Dian de Oliveira Aguiar-Soares
- Laboratório de Imunopatologia, Núcleo de Pesquisas em Ciências Biológicas/NUPEB, Instituto de Ciências Exatas e Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Bruno Mendes Roatt
- Laboratório de Imunopatologia, Núcleo de Pesquisas em Ciências Biológicas/NUPEB, Instituto de Ciências Exatas e Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Renata Alves de Oliveira E Castro
- Laboratório de Pesquisas Clínicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Maurício Azevedo Batista
- Laboratório de Biologia das Interações Celulares, Departamento de Morfologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Denise Silveira-Lemos
- Laboratório de Biomarcadores de Diagnóstico e Monitoração, Centro de Pesquisa René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Juliana de Assis Silva Gomes
- Laboratório de Biologia das Interações Celulares, Departamento de Morfologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | | | - Simone Aparecida Rezende
- Laboratório de Pesquisas Clínicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Olindo Assis Martins-Filho
- Laboratório de Biomarcadores de Diagnóstico e Monitoração, Centro de Pesquisa René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Corrêa-Oliveira
- Laboratório de Imunologia Celular e Molecular, Centro de Pesquisa René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Walderez Ornelas Dutra
- Laboratório de Biologia das Interações Celulares, Departamento de Morfologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Alexandre Barbosa Reis
- Laboratório de Imunopatologia, Núcleo de Pesquisas em Ciências Biológicas/NUPEB, Instituto de Ciências Exatas e Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Rodolfo Cordeiro Giunchetti
- Laboratório de Biologia das Interações Celulares, Departamento de Morfologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
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Duthie MS, Favila M, Hofmeyer KA, Tutterrow YL, Reed SJ, Laurance JD, Picone A, Guderian J, Bailor HR, Vallur AC, Liang H, Mohamath R, Vergara J, Howard RF, Coler RN, Reed SG. Strategic evaluation of vaccine candidate antigens for the prevention of Visceral Leishmaniasis. Vaccine 2016; 34:2779-86. [PMID: 27142329 PMCID: PMC4889780 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2016.04.067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2016] [Revised: 04/18/2016] [Accepted: 04/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Infection with Leishmania parasites results in a range of clinical manifestations and outcomes, the most severe of which is visceral leishmaniasis (VL). Vaccination will likely provide the most effective long-term control strategy, as the large number of vectors and potential infectious reservoirs renders sustained interruption of Leishmania parasite transmission extremely difficult. Selection of the best vaccine is complicated because, although several vaccine antigen candidates have been proposed, they have emerged following production in different platforms. To consolidate the information that has been generated into a single vaccine platform, we expressed seven candidates as recombinant proteins in E. coli. After verifying that each recombinant protein could be recognized by VL patients, we evaluated their protective efficacy against experimental L. donovani infection of mice. Administration in formulation with the Th1-potentiating adjuvant GLA-SE indicated that each antigen could elicit antigen-specific Th1 responses that were protective. Considering the ability to reduce parasite burden along with additional factors such as sequence identity across Leishmania species, we then generated a chimeric fusion protein comprising a combination of the 8E, p21 and SMT proteins. This E. coli –expressed fusion protein was also demonstrated to protect against L. donovani infection. These data indicate a novel recombinant vaccine antigen with the potential for use in VL control programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malcolm S Duthie
- Infectious Disease Research Institute, 1616 Eastlake Avenue East, Suite 400, Seattle, WA 98102, USA.
| | - Michelle Favila
- Infectious Disease Research Institute, 1616 Eastlake Avenue East, Suite 400, Seattle, WA 98102, USA
| | - Kimberley A Hofmeyer
- Infectious Disease Research Institute, 1616 Eastlake Avenue East, Suite 400, Seattle, WA 98102, USA
| | - Yeung L Tutterrow
- Infectious Disease Research Institute, 1616 Eastlake Avenue East, Suite 400, Seattle, WA 98102, USA
| | - Steven J Reed
- Infectious Disease Research Institute, 1616 Eastlake Avenue East, Suite 400, Seattle, WA 98102, USA
| | - John D Laurance
- Infectious Disease Research Institute, 1616 Eastlake Avenue East, Suite 400, Seattle, WA 98102, USA
| | - Alessandro Picone
- Infectious Disease Research Institute, 1616 Eastlake Avenue East, Suite 400, Seattle, WA 98102, USA
| | - Jeffrey Guderian
- Infectious Disease Research Institute, 1616 Eastlake Avenue East, Suite 400, Seattle, WA 98102, USA
| | - H Remy Bailor
- Infectious Disease Research Institute, 1616 Eastlake Avenue East, Suite 400, Seattle, WA 98102, USA
| | - Aarthy C Vallur
- Infectious Disease Research Institute, 1616 Eastlake Avenue East, Suite 400, Seattle, WA 98102, USA
| | - Hong Liang
- Infectious Disease Research Institute, 1616 Eastlake Avenue East, Suite 400, Seattle, WA 98102, USA
| | - Raodoh Mohamath
- Infectious Disease Research Institute, 1616 Eastlake Avenue East, Suite 400, Seattle, WA 98102, USA
| | - Julie Vergara
- Infectious Disease Research Institute, 1616 Eastlake Avenue East, Suite 400, Seattle, WA 98102, USA
| | - Randall F Howard
- Infectious Disease Research Institute, 1616 Eastlake Avenue East, Suite 400, Seattle, WA 98102, USA
| | - Rhea N Coler
- Infectious Disease Research Institute, 1616 Eastlake Avenue East, Suite 400, Seattle, WA 98102, USA
| | - Steven G Reed
- Infectious Disease Research Institute, 1616 Eastlake Avenue East, Suite 400, Seattle, WA 98102, USA
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Regina-Silva S, Feres AMLT, França-Silva JC, Dias ES, Michalsky ÉM, de Andrade HM, Coelho EAF, Ribeiro GM, Fernandes AP, Machado-Coelho GLL. Field randomized trial to evaluate the efficacy of the Leish-Tec® vaccine against canine visceral leishmaniasis in an endemic area of Brazil. Vaccine 2016; 34:2233-9. [PMID: 26997002 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2016.03.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2015] [Revised: 03/01/2016] [Accepted: 03/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A canine vaccine remains a promising approach for effective control of visceral leishmaniasis (VL), given its complex epidemiology in areas where zoonotic VL is prevalent. Leish-Tec(®) is a recombinant vaccine, based on the Leishmania A2 antigen, against canine VL (CVL). It is, since 2014, the single commercial vaccine licensed in Brazil. Here, Leish-Tec(®) efficacy was estimated through a randomized field trial (RFT), in a highly VL endemic area. METHODS The RFT was conducted from 2008 to 2010 in an endemic area of southeastern Brazil, presenting a CVL seroprevalence of 41.9%. Eight hundred forty-seven seronegative dogs were randomly selected to receive Leish-Tec(®) (n=429) or placebo (n=418). Animals were followed up by clinical, serological, and parasitological exams for 18 months. The CVL incidence in both groups was compared through proportion analysis. RESULTS A significant reduction in the number of cases of CVL was observed in the vaccine group, as compared with the placebo group, whether efficacy was estimated according to parasitological results (71.4%; 95% CI: 34.9-87.3%; p=0.001; risk ratio=0.287), by adding results of xenodiagnosis and parasitological exams (58.1%; 95% CI: 26.0-76.3%; p=0.002; risk ratio=0.419). Among the animals that converted to a positive anti-A2 serology, efficacy reached 80.8% (95% CI: 37.6-94.1%, p=0.001; risk ratio=0.192). Xenodiagnosis has detected a reduction of 46.6% (p=0.05) in transmission to sand flies from vaccinated animals presenting anti-A2 positive serology. CONCLUSION The Leish-Tec(®) vaccine proved significantly effective for prophylaxis of CVL, after natural challenge assured by transmission of Leishmania parasites, in a highly endemic area. Noteworthy, this report has unveiled the complexity of performing a RFT for anti-CVL vaccines in Brazil, which may be helpful for designing of future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shara Regina-Silva
- Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, Fiocruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | | | - João Carlos França-Silva
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | | | | | - Hélida Monteiro de Andrade
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Antonio Ferraz Coelho
- Setor de Patologia Clínica, Colégio Técnico, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | | | - Ana Paula Fernandes
- Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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Fiuza JA, Dey R, Davenport D, Abdeladhim M, Meneses C, Oliveira F, Kamhawi S, Valenzuela JG, Gannavaram S, Nakhasi HL. Intradermal Immunization of Leishmania donovani Centrin Knock-Out Parasites in Combination with Salivary Protein LJM19 from Sand Fly Vector Induces a Durable Protective Immune Response in Hamsters. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2016; 10:e0004322. [PMID: 26752686 PMCID: PMC4708988 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0004322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2015] [Accepted: 12/02/2015] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a neglected tropical disease and is fatal if untreated. There is no vaccine available against leishmaniasis. The majority of patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) or VL develop a long-term protective immunity after cure from infection, which indicates that development of an effective vaccine against leishmaniasis is possible. Such protection may also be achieved by immunization with live attenuated parasites that do not cause disease. We have previously reported a protective response in mice, hamsters and dogs with Leishmania donovani centrin gene knock-out parasites (LdCen-/-), a live attenuated parasite with a cell division specific centrin1 gene deletion. In this study we have explored the effects of salivary protein LJM19 as an adjuvant and intradermal (ID) route of immunization on the efficacy of LdCen-/- parasites as a vaccine against virulent L. donovani. Methodology/Principal Findings To explore the potential of a combination of LdCen-/- parasites and salivary protein LJM19 as vaccine antigens, LdCen-/- ID immunization followed by ID challenge with virulent L. donovani were performed in hamsters in a 9-month follow up study. We determined parasite burden (serial dilution), antibody production (ELISA) and cytokine expression (qPCR) in these animals. Compared to controls, animals immunized with LdCen-/- + LJM19 induced a strong antibody response, a reduction in spleen and liver parasite burden and a higher expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines after immunization and one month post-challenge. Additionally, a low parasite load in lymph nodes, spleen and liver, and a non-inflamed spleen was observed in immunized animals 9 months after the challenge infection. Conclusions Our results demonstrate that an ID vaccination using LdCen-/-parasites in combination with sand fly salivary protein LJM19 has the capability to confer long lasting protection against visceral leishmaniasis that is comparable to intravenous or intracardial immunization. Leishmaniasis is a disease with a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations caused by different species of protozoa belonging to the Leishmania genus that are transmitted by sand fly vectors. Visceral infections of Leishmania cause significant mortality and morbidity and development of a vaccine to prevent leishmaniasis has become a high priority. We have previously reported that intravenous immunization with a live attenuated parasite vaccine comprised of Leishmania donovani parasites lacking the centrin gene conferred protection in mice, hamsters and dogs. In the current report, we describe the immunological response and associated protection to the ID immunization with attenuated parasites in combination with a sand fly salivary protein (LJM19). We observe that protection against experimental ID challenge with L. donovani resulting from ID immunization with live attenuated parasites in combination with LJM19 is comparable to intracardial immunization and offers improved protective immunity compared to immunization with salivary protein alone and non-immunized hamsters. This study supports the potential use of the genetically attenuated vaccine and a recombinant sand fly salivary protein for control of visceral leishmaniasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline Araújo Fiuza
- Laboratory of Emerging Pathogens, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States of America
- Laboratório de Imunologia Celular e Molecular, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou—Fiocruz Minas, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brasil
| | - Ranadhir Dey
- Laboratory of Emerging Pathogens, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Dwann Davenport
- Laboratory of Emerging Pathogens, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Maha Abdeladhim
- Vector Molecular Biology Section, Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Claudio Meneses
- Vector Molecular Biology Section, Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Fabiano Oliveira
- Vector Molecular Biology Section, Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Shaden Kamhawi
- Vector Molecular Biology Section, Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Jesus G. Valenzuela
- Vector Molecular Biology Section, Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Sreenivas Gannavaram
- Laboratory of Emerging Pathogens, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail: (SG); (HLN)
| | - Hira L. Nakhasi
- Laboratory of Emerging Pathogens, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail: (SG); (HLN)
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Domínguez-Bernal G, Horcajo P, Orden JA, Ruiz-Santa-Quiteria JA, De La Fuente R, Ordóñez-Gutiérrez L, Martínez-Rodrigo A, Mas A, Carrión J. HisAK70: progress towards a vaccine against different forms of leishmaniosis. Parasit Vectors 2015; 8:629. [PMID: 26653170 PMCID: PMC4675018 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-015-1246-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2015] [Accepted: 12/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Leishmania major and Leishmania infantum are among the main species that are responsible for cutaneous leishmaniosis (CL) and visceral leishmaniosis (VL), respectively. The leishmanioses represent the second-largest parasitic killer in the world after malaria. Recently, we succeeded in generating a plasmid DNA (pCMV-HISA70m2A) and demonstrated that immunized mice were protected against L. major challenge. The efficacy of the DNA-vaccine was further enhanced by the inclusion of KMP-11 antigen into the antibiotic-free plasmid pVAX1-asd. METHODS Here, we describe the use of a HisAK70 DNA-vaccine encoding seven Leishmania genes (H2A, H2B, H3, H4, A2, KMP11 and HSP70) for vaccination of mice to assess the induction of a resistant phenotype against VL and CL. RESULTS HisAK70 was successful in vaccinated mice, resulting in a high amount of efficient sterile hepatic granulomas associated with a hepatic parasite burden fully resolved in the VL model; and resulting in 100% inhibition of parasite visceralization in the CL model. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that immunization with the HisAK70 DNA-vaccine may provide a rapid, suitable, and efficient vaccination strategy to confer cross-protective immunity against VL and CL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gustavo Domínguez-Bernal
- INMIVET, Department of Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, 28040, Spain.
| | - Pilar Horcajo
- SALUVET, Department of Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, 28040, Spain.
| | - José A Orden
- INMIVET, Department of Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, 28040, Spain.
| | - José A Ruiz-Santa-Quiteria
- INMIVET, Department of Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, 28040, Spain.
| | - Ricardo De La Fuente
- INMIVET, Department of Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, 28040, Spain.
| | | | - Abel Martínez-Rodrigo
- INMIVET, Department of Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, 28040, Spain.
| | - Alicia Mas
- INMIVET, Department of Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, 28040, Spain.
| | - Javier Carrión
- INMIVET, Department of Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, 28040, Spain.
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Intranasal vaccination with killed Leishmania amazonensis promastigotes antigen (LaAg) associated with CAF01 adjuvant induces partial protection in BALB/c mice challenged with Leishmania (infantum) chagasi. Parasitology 2015; 142:1640-6. [DOI: 10.1017/s0031182015001250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
SUMMARYThe CAF01 adjuvant has previously been shown to be safe for human use and to be a potent adjuvant for several vaccine antigens. In the present work, we sought to optimize the Leishmania amazonensis antigens (LaAg) intranasal vaccine in an attempt to enhance the protective immune responses against Leishmania (infantum) chagasi by using the CAF01 association. LaAg/CAF01 vaccinated mice that were challenged 15 days after booster dose with L. (infantum) chagasi showed a significant reduction in their parasite burden in both the spleen and liver, which is associated with an increase in specific production of IFN-γ and nitrite, and a decrease in IL-4 production. In addition, LaAg/CAF01 intranasal delivery was able to increase lymphoproliferative immune responses after parasite antigen recall. These results suggest the feasibility of using the intranasal route for the delivery of crude antigens and of a human-compatible adjuvant against visceral leishmaniasis.
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Coler RN, Duthie MS, Hofmeyer KA, Guderian J, Jayashankar L, Vergara J, Rolf T, Misquith A, Laurance JD, Raman VS, Bailor HR, Cauwelaert ND, Reed SJ, Vallur A, Favila M, Orr MT, Ashman J, Ghosh P, Mondal D, Reed SG. From mouse to man: safety, immunogenicity and efficacy of a candidate leishmaniasis vaccine LEISH-F3+GLA-SE. Clin Transl Immunology 2015; 4:e35. [PMID: 26175894 PMCID: PMC4488838 DOI: 10.1038/cti.2015.6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2015] [Revised: 02/19/2015] [Accepted: 02/19/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Key antigens of Leishmania species identified in the context of host responses in Leishmania-exposed individuals from disease-endemic areas were prioritized for the development of a subunit vaccine against visceral leishmaniasis (VL), the most deadly form of leishmaniasis. Two Leishmania proteins-nucleoside hydrolase and a sterol 24-c-methyltransferase, each of which are protective in animal models of VL when properly adjuvanted- were produced as a single recombinant fusion protein NS (LEISH-F3) for ease of antigen production and broad coverage of a heterogeneous major histocompatibility complex population. When formulated with glucopyranosyl lipid A-stable oil-in-water nanoemulsion (GLA-SE), a Toll-like receptor 4 TH1 (T helper 1) promoting nanoemulsion adjuvant, the LEISH-F3 polyprotein induced potent protection against both L. donovani and L. infantum in mice, measured as significant reductions in liver parasite burdens. A robust immune response to each component of the vaccine with polyfunctional CD4 TH1 cell responses characterized by production of antigen-specific interferon-γ, tumor necrosis factor and interleukin-2 (IL-2), and low levels of IL-5 and IL-10 was induced in immunized mice. We also demonstrate that CD4 T cells, but not CD8 T cells, are sufficient for protection against L. donovani infection in immunized mice. Based on the sum of preclinical data, we prepared GMP materials and performed a phase 1 clinical study with LEISH-F3+GLA-SE in healthy, uninfected adults in the United States. The vaccine candidate was shown to be safe and induced a strong antigen-specific immune response, as evidenced by cytokine and immunoglobulin subclass data. These data provide a strong rationale for additional trials in Leishmania-endemic countries in populations vulnerable to VL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rhea N Coler
- Infectious Disease Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Julie Vergara
- Infectious Disease Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Tom Rolf
- Infectious Disease Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | | | | | - H Remy Bailor
- Infectious Disease Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Steven J Reed
- Infectious Disease Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Aarthy Vallur
- Infectious Disease Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Mark T Orr
- Infectious Disease Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jill Ashman
- Infectious Disease Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Prakash Ghosh
- International Center for Diarrhoeal Diseases Research, Centre for Nutrition and Food Security, Parasitology Laboratory, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Dinesh Mondal
- International Center for Diarrhoeal Diseases Research, Centre for Nutrition and Food Security, Parasitology Laboratory, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Steven G Reed
- Infectious Disease Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
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Kaur H, Thakur A, Kaur S. Studies on cocktails of 31-kDa, 36-kDa and 51-kDa antigens ofLeishmania donovanialong with saponin against murine visceral leishmaniasis. Parasite Immunol 2015; 37:192-203. [DOI: 10.1111/pim.12176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2014] [Accepted: 01/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- H. Kaur
- Parasitology Laboratory; Department of Zoology; Panjab University; Chandigarh India
| | - A. Thakur
- Parasitology Laboratory; Department of Zoology; Panjab University; Chandigarh India
| | - S. Kaur
- Parasitology Laboratory; Department of Zoology; Panjab University; Chandigarh India
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Das S, Freier A, Boussoffara T, Das S, Oswald D, Losch FO, Selka M, Sacerdoti-Sierra N, Schönian G, Wiesmüller KH, Seifert K, Schroff M, Juhls C, Jaffe CL, Roy S, Das P, Louzir H, Croft SL, Modabber F, Walden P. Modular multiantigen T cell epitope-enriched DNA vaccine against human leishmaniasis. Sci Transl Med 2014; 6:234ra56. [PMID: 24786324 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.3008222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
The leishmaniases are protozoal diseases that severely affect large populations in tropical and subtropical regions. There are only limited treatment options and preventative measures. Vaccines will be important for prevention, control and elimination of leishmaniasis, and could reduce the transmission and burden of disease in endemic populations. We report the development of a DNA vaccine against leishmaniasis that induced T cell-based immunity and is a candidate for clinical trials. The vaccine antigens were selected as conserved in various Leishmania species, different endemic regions, and over time. They were tested with T cells from individuals cured of leishmaniasis, and shown to be immunogenic and to induce CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cell responses in genetically diverse human populations of different endemic regions. The vaccine proved protective in a rodent model of infection. Thus, the immunogenicity of candidate vaccine antigens in human populations of endemic regions, as well as proof of principle for induction of specific immune responses and protection against Leishmania infection in mice, provides a viable strategy for T cell vaccine development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shantanabha Das
- Infectious Diseases and Immunology Division, Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research), 4 Raja S.C. Mullick Road, Kolkata 700032, India
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Immunological consequences of stress-related proteins – cytosolic tryparedoxin peroxidase and chaperonin TCP20 – identified in splenic amastigotes ofLeishmania donovanias Th1 stimulatory, in experimental visceral leishmaniasis. Parasitology 2014; 142:728-44. [DOI: 10.1017/s003118201400184x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
SUMMARYIn earlier studies, proteomic characterization of splenic amastigote fractions from clinical isolates ofLeishmania donovani, exhibiting significant cellular responses in curedLeishmaniasubjects, led to the identification of cytosolic tryparedoxin peroxidase (LdcTryP) and chaperonin-TCP20 (LdTCP20) as Th1-stimulatory proteins. Both the proteins, particularly LdTCP20 for the first time, were successfully cloned, overexpressed, purified and were found to be localized in the cytosol of purified splenic amastigotes. When evaluated against lymphocytes of curedLeishmania-infected hamsters, the purified recombinant proteins (rLdcTryP and rLdTCP20) induced their proliferations as well as nitric oxide production. Similarly, these proteins also generated Th1-type cytokines (IFN-γ/IL-12) from stimulated PBMCs of cured/endemicLeishmaniapatients. Further, vaccination with rLdcTryP elicited noticeable delayed-type hypersensitivity response and offered considerably good prophylactic efficacy (~78% inhibition) againstL. donovanichallenge in hamsters, which was well supported by the increased mRNA expression of Th1 and Th2 cytokines. However, animals vaccinated with rLdTCP20 exhibited comparatively lesser prophylactic efficacy (~55%) with inferior immunological response. The results indicate the potentiality of rLdcTryP protein, between the two, as a suitable anti-leishmanial vaccine. Since, rLdTCP20 is also an important target, for optimization, further attempts towards determination of immunodominant regions for designing fusion peptides may be taken up.
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Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease spread by an arthropod vector. It remains a significant health problem with an incidence of 0.2–0.4 million visceral leishmaniasis and 0.7–1.2 million cutaneous leishmaniasis cases each year. There are limitations associated with the current therapeutic regimens for leishmaniasis and the fact that after recovery from infection the host becomes immune to subsequent infection therefore, these factors force the feasibility of a vaccine for leishmaniasis. Publication of the genome sequence of Leishmania has paved a new way to understand the pathogenesis and host immunological status therefore providing a deep insight in the field of vaccine research. This review is an effort to study the antigenic targets in Leishmania to develop an anti-leishmanial vaccine.
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Duthie MS, Reed SG. The Emergence of Defined Subunit Vaccines for the Prevention of Leishmaniasis. CURRENT TROPICAL MEDICINE REPORTS 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s40475-014-0024-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Joshi S, Rawat K, Yadav NK, Kumar V, Siddiqi MI, Dube A. Visceral Leishmaniasis: Advancements in Vaccine Development via Classical and Molecular Approaches. Front Immunol 2014; 5:380. [PMID: 25202307 PMCID: PMC4141159 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2014.00380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2014] [Accepted: 07/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) or kala-azar, a vector-borne protozoan disease, shows endemicity in larger areas of the tropical, subtropical and the Mediterranean countries. WHO report suggested that an annual incidence of VL is nearly 200,000 to 400,000 cases, resulting in 20,000 to 30,000 deaths per year. Treatment with available anti-leishmanial drugs are not cost effective, with varied efficacies and higher relapse rate, which poses a major challenge to current kala-azar control program in Indian subcontinent. Therefore, a vaccine against VL is imperative and knowing the fact that recovered individuals developed lifelong immunity against re-infection, it is feasible. Vaccine development program, though time taking, has recently gained momentum with the emergence of omic era, i.e., from genomics to immunomics. Classical as well as molecular methodologies have been overtaken with alternative strategies wherein proteomics based knowledge combined with computational techniques (immunoinformatics) speed up the identification and detailed characterization of new antigens for potential vaccine candidates. This may eventually help in the designing of polyvalent synthetic and recombinant chimeric vaccines as an effective intervention measures to control the disease in endemic areas. This review focuses on such newer approaches being utilized for vaccine development against VL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sumit Joshi
- Division of Parasitology, Central Drug Research Institute , Lucknow , India
| | - Keerti Rawat
- Division of Parasitology, Central Drug Research Institute , Lucknow , India
| | | | - Vikash Kumar
- Division of Molecular and Structural Biology, Central Drug Research Institute , Lucknow , India
| | - Mohammad Imran Siddiqi
- Division of Molecular and Structural Biology, Central Drug Research Institute , Lucknow , India
| | - Anuradha Dube
- Division of Parasitology, Central Drug Research Institute , Lucknow , India
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Guha R, Gupta D, Rastogi R, Vikram R, Krishnamurthy G, Bimal S, Roy S, Mukhopadhyay A. Vaccination with leishmania hemoglobin receptor-encoding DNA protects against visceral leishmaniasis. Sci Transl Med 2014; 5:202ra121. [PMID: 24027025 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.3006406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a severe infectious disease. Drugs used for leishmaniasis are very toxic, and no vaccine is available. We found that the hemoglobin receptor (HbR) of Leishmania was conserved across various strains of Leishmania, and anti-HbR antibody could be detected in kala-azar patients' sera. Our results showed that immunization with HbR-DNA induces complete protection against virulent Leishmania donovani infection in both BALB/c mice and hamsters. Moreover, HbR-DNA immunization stimulated the production of protective cytokines like interferon-γ (IFN-γ), interleukin-12 (IL-12), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) with concomitant down-regulation of disease-promoting cytokines like IL-10 and IL-4. HbR-DNA vaccination also induced a protective response by generating multifunctional CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells. All HbR-DNA-vaccinated hamsters showed sterile protection and survived during an experimental period of 8 months. These findings demonstrate the potential of HbR as a vaccine candidate against visceral leishmaniasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajan Guha
- Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, 4 Raja S. C. Mullick Road, Kolkata 700 032, India
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Clinical and parasitological protection in a Leishmania infantum-macaque model vaccinated with adenovirus and the recombinant A2 antigen. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2014; 8:e2853. [PMID: 24945284 PMCID: PMC4063746 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0002853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2013] [Accepted: 03/28/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a severe vector-born disease of humans and dogs caused by Leishmania donovani complex parasites. Approximately 0.2 to 0.4 million new human VL cases occur annually worldwide. In the new world, these alarming numbers are primarily due to the impracticality of current control methods based on vector reduction and dog euthanasia. Thus, a prophylactic vaccine appears to be essential for VL control. The current efforts to develop an efficacious vaccine include the use of animal models that are as close to human VL. We have previously reported a L. infantum-macaque infection model that is reliable to determine which vaccine candidates are most worthy for further development. Among the few amastigote antigens tested so far, one of specific interest is the recombinant A2 (rA2) protein that protects against experimental L. infantum infections in mice and dogs. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Primates were vaccinated using three rA2-based prime-boost immunization regimes: three doses of rA2 plus recombinant human interleukin-12 (rhIL-12) adsorbed in alum (rA2/rhIL-12/alum); two doses of non-replicative adenovirus recombinant vector encoding A2 (Ad5-A2) followed by two boosts with rA2/rhIL-12/alum (Ad5-A2+rA2/rhIL12/alum); and plasmid DNA encoding A2 gene (DNA-A2) boosted with two doses of Ad5-A2 (DNA-A2+Ad5-A2). Primates received a subsequent infectious challenge with L. infantum. Vaccines, apart from being safe, were immunogenic as animals responded with increased pre-challenge production of anti-A2-specific IgG antibodies, though with some variability in the response, depending on the vaccine formulation/protocol. The relative parasite load in the liver was significantly lower in immunized macaques as compared to controls. Protection correlated with hepatic granuloma resolution, and reduction of clinical symptoms, particularly when primates were vaccinated with the Ad5-A2+rA2/rhIL12/alum protocol. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE The remarkable clinical protection induced by A2 in an animal model that is evolutionary close to humans qualifies this antigen as a suitable vaccine candidate against human VL.
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Lakshmi BS, Wang R, Madhubala R. Leishmania genome analysis and high-throughput immunological screening identifies tuzin as a novel vaccine candidate against visceral leishmaniasis. Vaccine 2014; 32:3816-22. [PMID: 24814525 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2014.04.088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2014] [Revised: 04/14/2014] [Accepted: 04/23/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by Leishmania species. It is a major health concern affecting 88 countries and threatening 350 million people globally. Unfortunately, there are no vaccines and there are limitations associated with the current therapeutic regimens for leishmaniasis. The emerging cases of drug-resistance further aggravate the situation, demanding rapid drug and vaccine development. The genome sequence of Leishmania, provides access to novel genes that hold potential as chemotherapeutic targets or vaccine candidates. In this study, we selected 19 antigenic genes from about 8000 common Leishmania genes based on the Leishmania major and Leishmania infantum genome information available in the pathogen databases. Potential vaccine candidates thus identified were screened using an in vitro high throughput immunological platform developed in the laboratory. Four candidate genes coding for tuzin, flagellar glycoprotein-like protein (FGP), phospholipase A1-like protein (PLA1) and potassium voltage-gated channel protein (K VOLT) showed a predominant protective Th1 response over disease exacerbating Th2. We report the immunogenic properties and protective efficacy of one of the four antigens, tuzin, as a DNA vaccine against Leishmania donovani challenge. Our results show that administration of tuzin DNA protected BALB/c mice against L. donovani challenge and that protective immunity was associated with higher levels of IFN-γ and IL-12 production in comparison to IL-4 and IL-10. Our study presents a simple approach to rapidly identify potential vaccine candidates using the exhaustive information stored in the genome and an in vitro high-throughput immunological platform.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Rentala Madhubala
- School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India.
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Testasicca MCDS, dos Santos MS, Machado LM, Serufo AV, Doro D, Avelar D, Tibúrcio AML, Abrantes CDF, Machado-Coelho GLL, Grimaldi G, Gazzinelli RT, Fernandes AP. Antibody responses induced by Leish-Tec®, an A2-based vaccine for visceral leishmaniasis, in a heterogeneous canine population. Vet Parasitol 2014; 204:169-76. [PMID: 24863572 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2014.04.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2014] [Revised: 04/15/2014] [Accepted: 04/22/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a widespread disease, and dogs are the main reservoirs for human parasite transmission. Hence, development of an effective vaccine that prevents disease and reduces the transmission of VL is required. As euthanasia of seropositive dogs is recommended in Brazil for VL epidemiological control, to include anti-VL canine vaccines as a mass control measure it is necessary to characterize the humoral responses induced by vaccination and if they interfere with the reactivity of vaccinated dogs in serological diagnostic tests. Leish-Tec(®) is an amastigote-specific A2 recombinant protein vaccine against canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL) that is commercially available in Brazil. Here, we tested the immunogenicity of Leish-Tec(®) in a heterogeneous dog population by measuring A2-specific antibody responses. Healthy dogs (n=140) of various breeds were allocated to two groups: one group received Leish-Tec(®) (n=70), and the other group received a placebo (n=70). Anti-A2 or anti-Leishmania promastigote antigen (LPA) antibody levels were measured by ELISA in serum samples collected before and after vaccination. An immunochromatographic test (DPP) based on the recombinant K28 antigen was also used for serodiagnosis of CVL. Vaccinated animals, except one, remained seronegative for anti-LPA total IgG and anti-K28 antibodies. Conversely, seropositivity for anti-A2 total IgG antibodies was found in 98% of animals after vaccination. This value decreased to 81.13% at 6 months before rising again (98%), after the vaccination boost. Anti-A2 IgG2 and IgG1 titers were also increased in vaccinated animals relative to control animals. These data indicate that Leish-Tec(®) is immunogenic for dogs of different genetic backgrounds and that humoral responses induced by vaccination can be detected by A2-ELISA, but do not interfere with the LPA-ELISA and DPP diagnostic tests for CVL.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Angela Vieira Serufo
- Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Daniel Doro
- Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Ricardo Tostes Gazzinelli
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil; Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou/Fiocruz, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil; University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Ana Paula Fernandes
- Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
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Strategies to overcome antileishmanial drugs unresponsiveness. J Trop Med 2014; 2014:646932. [PMID: 24876851 PMCID: PMC4021741 DOI: 10.1155/2014/646932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2014] [Revised: 03/30/2014] [Accepted: 04/13/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Abstract
In the absence of effective vector control measures and vaccines against leishmaniasis, effective chemotherapy remains the mainstay of treatment. As the armoury of antileishmanial drugs is limited, strategies should be made to target the emergence of drug resistance. The loss of efficacy of antimonials such as sodium stibogluconate in the Indian subcontinent which has been the mainstay of treatment for more than six decades has raised concern to save the other drugs. In the current review, we highlight various steps which could be implemented to halt the increasing unresponsiveness of drugs such as monitoring of therapy in the form of rational dosing and duration of treatment, understanding the mechanism of action of the drugs and drug resistance, identification of markers of resistance, distribution of drugs free of cost, evolution of effective combination therapy and immunotherapy, and proper management of HIV/VL coinfection and post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL). Strong support from governmental agencies and local communities in the form of education and orientation programmes for feasibility of implementing these strategies and affordability within the context of their health systems is needed in controlling and preventing leishmaniasis.
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