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Mendoza-Morales LF, Fiorani F, Morán KD, Hecker YP, Cirone KM, Sánchez-López EF, Ramos-Duarte VA, Corigliano MG, Bilbao MG, Clemente M, Moore DP, Sander VA. Immunogenicity, safety and dual DIVA-like character of a recombinant candidate vaccine against neosporosis in cattle. Acta Trop 2024; 257:107293. [PMID: 38901525 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2024.107293] [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: 03/27/2024] [Revised: 06/14/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024]
Abstract
Neosporosis is the major infectious cause of abortion and reproductive losses in cattle worldwide; however, there are no available vaccines or drugs to control this disease. Recently, a dual (positive and negative) DIVA-like (Differentiation of Infected from Vaccinated Animals) vaccine was evaluated in a pregnant mouse model of neosporosis, showing promising immunogenic and protective results. The current report aimed to study the safety, the dose-dependent immunogenicity and the dual DIVA-like character of a recombinant subunit vaccine composed of the major surface antigen from Neospora caninum (rNcSAG1) and the carrier/adjuvant Heat shock protein 81.2 from Arabidopsis thaliana (rAtHsp81.2) in cattle. Healthy heifers were separated and assigned to experimental groups A-F and subcutaneously immunized with 2 doses of vaccine formulations 30 days apart as follows: A (n = 4): 50 μg rNcSAG1 + 150 μg rAtHsp81.2; B (n = 4): 200 μg rNcSAG1 + 600 μg rAtHsp81.2; C (n = 4): 500 μg rNcSAG1 + 1,500 μg rAtHsp81.2; D (n = 3): 150 μg rAtHsp81.2; E (n = 3):1,500 μg rAtHsp81.2, and F (n = 3) 2 ml of sterile PBS. The immunization of heifers with the different vaccine or adjuvant doses (groups A-E) was demonstrated to be safe and did not modify the mean value of the evaluated serum biomarkers of metabolic function (GOT/ASP, GPT/ALT, UREA, Glucose and total proteins). The kinetics and magnitude of the immune responses were dose-dependent. The higher dose of the vaccine formulation (group C) stimulated a broad and potent humoral and cellular immune response, characterized by an IgG1/IgG2 isotype profile and IFN-γ secretion. In addition, this was the first time that dual DIVA-like character of a vaccine against neosporosis was demonstrated, allowing us to differentiate vaccinated from infected heifers by two different DIVA compliant test approaches. These results encourage us to evaluate its protective efficacy in infected pregnant cattle in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luisa Fernanda Mendoza-Morales
- Laboratorio de Biotecnologías en Bovinos y Ovinos, INTECH, CONICET-UNSAM, Intendente Marino Km 8,2; CC 164 (B7130IWA), Chascomús, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Escuela de Bio y Nanotecnologías (UNSAM), Chascomús, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Franco Fiorani
- Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Balcarce, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Instituto de Innovación para la Producción Agropecuaria y el Desarrollo Sostenible (IPADS Balcarce), Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce (CONICET-INTA), Balcarce, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Karen Daiana Morán
- Laboratorio de Reproducción, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), General Pico, La Pampa, Argentina; Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional de La Pampa, General Pico, La Pampa, Argentina
| | - Yanina Paola Hecker
- Instituto de Innovación para la Producción Agropecuaria y el Desarrollo Sostenible (IPADS Balcarce), Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce (CONICET-INTA), Balcarce, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Karina Mariela Cirone
- Instituto de Innovación para la Producción Agropecuaria y el Desarrollo Sostenible (IPADS Balcarce), Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce (CONICET-INTA), Balcarce, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Edwin Fernando Sánchez-López
- Escuela de Bio y Nanotecnologías (UNSAM), Chascomús, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Laboratorio de Molecular Farming y Vacunas, INTECH, CONICET-UNSAM, Chascomús, Argentina
| | - Victor Andrés Ramos-Duarte
- Escuela de Bio y Nanotecnologías (UNSAM), Chascomús, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Laboratorio de Molecular Farming y Vacunas, INTECH, CONICET-UNSAM, Chascomús, Argentina
| | - Mariana Georgina Corigliano
- Laboratorio de Biotecnologías en Bovinos y Ovinos, INTECH, CONICET-UNSAM, Intendente Marino Km 8,2; CC 164 (B7130IWA), Chascomús, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Escuela de Bio y Nanotecnologías (UNSAM), Chascomús, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - María Guillermina Bilbao
- Laboratorio de Reproducción, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), General Pico, La Pampa, Argentina; Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional de La Pampa, General Pico, La Pampa, Argentina
| | - Marina Clemente
- Escuela de Bio y Nanotecnologías (UNSAM), Chascomús, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Laboratorio de Molecular Farming y Vacunas, INTECH, CONICET-UNSAM, Chascomús, Argentina
| | - Dadín Prando Moore
- Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Balcarce, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Instituto de Innovación para la Producción Agropecuaria y el Desarrollo Sostenible (IPADS Balcarce), Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce (CONICET-INTA), Balcarce, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Valeria Analía Sander
- Laboratorio de Biotecnologías en Bovinos y Ovinos, INTECH, CONICET-UNSAM, Intendente Marino Km 8,2; CC 164 (B7130IWA), Chascomús, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Escuela de Bio y Nanotecnologías (UNSAM), Chascomús, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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Imhof D, Hänggeli KPA, De Sousa MCF, Vigneswaran A, Hofmann L, Amdouni Y, Boubaker G, Müller J, Hemphill A. Working towards the development of vaccines and chemotherapeutics against neosporosis-With all of its ups and downs-Looking ahead. ADVANCES IN PARASITOLOGY 2024; 124:91-154. [PMID: 38754928 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apar.2024.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
Neospora caninum is an apicomplexan and obligatory intracellular parasite, which is the leading cause of reproductive failure in cattle and affects other farm and domestic animals, but also induces neuromuscular disease in dogs of all ages. In cattle, neosporosis is an important health problem, and has a considerable economic impact. To date there is no protective vaccine or chemotherapeutic treatment on the market. Immuno-prophylaxis has long been considered as the best control measure. Proteins involved in host cell interaction and invasion, as well as antigens mediating inflammatory responses have been the most frequently assessed vaccine targets. However, despite considerable efforts no effective vaccine has been introduced to the market to date. The development of effective compounds to limit the effects of vertical transmission of N. caninum tachyzoites has emerged as an alternative or addition to vaccination, provided suitable targets and safe and efficacious drugs can be identified. Additionally, the combination of both treatment strategies might be interesting to further increase protectivity against N. caninum infections and to decrease the duration of treatment and the risk of potential drug resistance. Well-established and standardized animal infection models are key factors for the evaluation of promising vaccine and compound candidates. The vast majority of experimental animal experiments concerning neosporosis have been performed in mice, although in recent years the numbers of experimental studies in cattle and sheep have increased. In this review, we discuss the recent findings concerning the progress in drug and vaccine development against N. caninum infections in mice and ruminants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis Imhof
- Institute of Parasitology, Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Kai Pascal Alexander Hänggeli
- Institute of Parasitology, Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Graduate School for Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Maria Cristina Ferreira De Sousa
- Institute of Parasitology, Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Graduate School for Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Anitha Vigneswaran
- Institute of Parasitology, Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Larissa Hofmann
- Institute of Parasitology, Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Yosra Amdouni
- Institute of Parasitology, Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Ghalia Boubaker
- Institute of Parasitology, Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Joachim Müller
- Institute of Parasitology, Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Andrew Hemphill
- Institute of Parasitology, Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
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Immunization with a Multivalent Listeria monocytogenes Vaccine Leads to a Strong Reduction in Vertical Transmission and Cerebral Parasite Burden in Pregnant and Non-Pregnant Mice Infected with Neospora caninum. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:vaccines11010156. [PMID: 36680001 PMCID: PMC9863997 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11010156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Neospora caninum is an apicomplexan parasite that causes abortion and stillbirth in cattle. We employed the pregnant neosporosis mouse model to investigate the efficacy of a modified version of the attenuated Listeria monocytogenes vaccine vector Lm3Dx_NcSAG1, which expresses the major N. caninum surface antigen SAG1. Multivalent vaccines were generated by the insertion of gra7 and/or rop2 genes into Lm3Dx_NcSAG1, resulting in the double mutants, Lm3Dx_NcSAG1_NcGRA7 and Lm3Dx_NcSAG1_NcROP2, and the triple mutant, Lm3Dx_NcSAG1_NcGRA7_NcROP2. Six experimental groups of female BALB/c mice were inoculated intramuscularly three times at two-week intervals with 1 × 107 CFU of the respective vaccine strains. Seven days post-mating, mice were challenged by the subcutaneous injection of 1 × 105N. caninum NcSpain-7 tachyzoites. Non-pregnant mice, dams and their offspring were observed daily until day 25 post-partum. Immunization with Lm3Dx_NcSAG1 and Lm3Dx_NcSAG1_NcGRA7_NcROP2 resulted in 70% postnatal pup survival, whereas only 50% and 58% of pups survived in the double mutant-vaccinated groups. Almost all pups had died at the end of the experiment in the infection control. The triple mutant was the most promising vaccine candidate, providing the highest rate of protection against vertical transmission (65%) and CNS infection. Overall, integrating multiple antigens into Lm3Dx_SAG1 resulted in lower vertical transmission and enhanced protection against cerebral infection in dams and in non-pregnant mice.
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Imhof D, Pownall WR, Schlange C, Monney C, Ortega-Mora LM, Ojo KK, Van Voorhis WC, Oevermann A, Hemphill A. Vaccine-Linked Chemotherapy Approach: Additive Effects of Combining the Listeria monocytogenes-Based Vaccine Lm3Dx_NcSAG1 With the Bumped Kinase Inhibitor BKI-1748 Against Neospora caninum Infection in Mice. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:901056. [PMID: 35832325 PMCID: PMC9272043 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.901056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The apicomplexan parasite Neospora (N.) caninum causes neosporosis in numerous host species. There is no marketed vaccine and no licensed drug for the prevention and/or treatment of neosporosis. Vaccine development against this parasite has encountered significant obstacles, probably due to pregnancy-induced immunomodulation hampering efficacy, which has stimulated the search for potential drug therapies that could be applied to limit the effects of neosporosis in dams as well as in offspring. We here investigated, in a pregnant neosporosis mouse model, the safety and efficacy of a combined vaccination-drug treatment approach. Mice were vaccinated intramuscularly with 1 × 107 CFU of our recently generated Listeria (L.) monocytogenes vaccine vector expressing the major N. caninum tachyzoite surface antigen NcSAG1 (Lm3Dx_SAG1). Following mating and experimental subcutaneous infection with 1 × 105 N. caninum (NcSpain-7) tachyzoites on day 7 of pregnancy, drug treatments were initiated using the bumped kinase inhibitor BKI-1748 at 20 mg/kg/day for 5 days. In parallel, other experimental groups were either just vaccinated or only treated. Dams and offspring were followed-up until day 25 post-partum, after which all mice were euthanized. None of the treatments induced adverse effects and neither of the treatments affected fertility or litter sizes. Cerebral infection in dams as assessed by real-time PCR was significantly reduced in the vaccinated and BKI-1748 treated groups, but was not reduced significantly in the group receiving the combination. However, in non-pregnant mice, all three treatment groups exhibited significantly reduced parasite burdens. Both, vaccination as well BKI-1748 as single treatment increased pup survival to 44 and 48%, respectively, while the combination treatment led to survival of 86% of all pups. Vertical transmission in the combination group was 23% compared to 46 and 50% in the groups receiving only BKI-treatment or the vaccine, respectively. In the dams, IgG titers were significantly reduced in all treatment groups compared to the untreated control, while in non-pregnant mice, IgG titers were reduced only in the group receiving the vaccine. Overall, vaccine-linked chemotherapy was more efficacious than vaccination or drug treatment alone and should be considered for further evaluation in a more relevant experimental model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis Imhof
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, Institute of Parasitology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Graduate School for Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - William Robert Pownall
- Graduate School for Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Division of Small Animal Surgery, Department of Clinical Veterinary Science, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Carling Schlange
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, Institute of Parasitology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Camille Monney
- Department of Clinical Research and Veterinary Public Health, Division of Neurological Sciences, DCR-VPH, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Luis-Miguel Ortega-Mora
- SALUVET, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Kayode K. Ojo
- Center for Emerging and Re-Emerging Infectious Diseases (CERID), Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Wesley C. Van Voorhis
- Center for Emerging and Re-Emerging Infectious Diseases (CERID), Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Anna Oevermann
- Department of Clinical Research and Veterinary Public Health, Division of Neurological Sciences, DCR-VPH, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Andrew Hemphill
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, Institute of Parasitology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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