Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:
https://www.arca.fiocruz.br/handle/icict/11416
Type
ArticleCopyright
Restricted access
Sustainable Development Goals
03 Saúde e Bem-EstarCollections
Metadata
Show full item record
MAKING AN ANTI-AMASTIGOTE VACCINE FOR VISCERAL LEISHMANIASIS: RATIONAL, UPDATE AND PERSPECTIVES
Author
Affilliation
Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Faculdade de Farmácia. Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Colégio Técnico. Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto. Departamento de Ciências Médicas. Ouro Preto, MG, Brazil
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Centro de Pesquisa Gonçalo Moniz. Salvador, BA, Brazil
Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Instituto de Ciências Biológicas. Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia. Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil/Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou. Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil/ University of Massachusetts Medical School. Worcester, MA, USA
Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Colégio Técnico. Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto. Departamento de Ciências Médicas. Ouro Preto, MG, Brazil
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Centro de Pesquisa Gonçalo Moniz. Salvador, BA, Brazil
Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Instituto de Ciências Biológicas. Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia. Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil/Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou. Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil/ University of Massachusetts Medical School. Worcester, MA, USA
Abstract
Visceral leishmaniasis is a major health problem in Latina America, as well as the Mediterranean region of Europe and Asia. We aimed to develop a vaccine against visceral leishmaniasis targeting the intracellular amastigotes, which is the parasite stage that persists throughout infections with Leishmania parasites. With this in mind, we identified an amastigote specific antigen (A2) that contains an immunogenic epitope for CD4+ T helper (Th) cells and multiple repetitive units encoding CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) epitopes. Vaccine formulations containing the recombinant A2 associated with saponin, alum and IL-12 or expressed by attenuated adenovirus were shown to be protective in mice, dogs and nonhuman-primates. We are currently identifying novel amastigote specific immunogenic proteins that could be aggregated to A2 to further improve the level of vaccineinduced cell-mediated immunity and protection against visceral leishmaniasis
Share