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PLoS Pathogens Sep 2018
Review
Topics: Animals; Diarrhea; Giardia lamblia; Giardiasis; Humans; Protozoan Vaccines; Vacuoles
PubMed: 30261050
DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1007250 -
Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology &... 2018is the responsible parasite of amoebiasis and remains one of the top three parasitic causes of mortality worldwide. With increased travel and emigration to developed... (Review)
Review
is the responsible parasite of amoebiasis and remains one of the top three parasitic causes of mortality worldwide. With increased travel and emigration to developed countries, infection is becoming more common in nonendemic areas. Although the majority of individuals infected with remain asymptomatic, some present with amoebic colitis and disseminated disease. As more is learned about its pathogenesis and the host's immune response, the potential for developing a vaccine holds promise. This narrative review outlines the current knowledge regarding and and insight in the development of a vaccine.
Topics: Antiprotozoal Agents; Dysentery, Amebic; Entamoeba histolytica; Entamoebiasis; Humans; Protozoan Vaccines; Travel
PubMed: 30631758
DOI: 10.1155/2018/4601420 -
The Lancet. Infectious Diseases Jan 2015Cryptosporidium spp are well recognised as causes of diarrhoeal disease during waterborne epidemics and in immunocompromised hosts. Studies have also drawn attention to... (Review)
Review
Cryptosporidium spp are well recognised as causes of diarrhoeal disease during waterborne epidemics and in immunocompromised hosts. Studies have also drawn attention to an underestimated global burden and suggest major gaps in optimum diagnosis, treatment, and immunisation. Cryptosporidiosis is increasingly identified as an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Studies in low-resource settings and high-income countries have confirmed the importance of cryptosporidium as a cause of diarrhoea and childhood malnutrition. Diagnostic tests for cryptosporidium infection are suboptimum, necessitating specialised tests that are often insensitive. Antigen-detection and PCR improve sensitivity, and multiplexed antigen detection and molecular assays are underused. Therapy has some effect in healthy hosts and no proven efficacy in patients with AIDS. Use of cryptosporidium genomes has helped to identify promising therapeutic targets, and drugs are in development, but methods to assess the efficacy in vitro and in animals are not well standardised. Partial immunity after exposure suggests the potential for successful vaccines, and several are in development; however, surrogates of protection are not well defined. Improved methods for propagation and genetic manipulation of the organism would be significant advances.
Topics: Antiprotozoal Agents; Cryptosporidiosis; Diagnostic Tests, Routine; Diarrhea; Global Health; Humans; Protozoan Vaccines
PubMed: 25278220
DOI: 10.1016/S1473-3099(14)70772-8 -
Frontiers in Cellular and Infection... 2017Vaccination is an efficient means of combating infectious disease burden globally. However, routine vaccines for the world's major human parasitic diseases do not yet... (Review)
Review
Vaccination is an efficient means of combating infectious disease burden globally. However, routine vaccines for the world's major human parasitic diseases do not yet exist. Vaccines based on carbohydrate antigens are a viable option for parasite vaccine development, given the proven success of carbohydrate vaccines to combat bacterial infections. We will review the key components of carbohydrate vaccines that have remained largely consistent since their inception, and the success of bacterial carbohydrate vaccines. We will then explore the latest developments for both traditional and non-traditional carbohydrate vaccine approaches for three of the world's major protozoan parasitic diseases-malaria, toxoplasmosis, and leishmaniasis. The traditional prophylactic carbohydrate vaccine strategy is being explored for malaria. However, given that parasite disease biology is complex and often arises from host immune responses to parasite antigens, carbohydrate vaccines against deleterious immune responses in host-parasite interactions are also being explored. In particular, the highly abundant glycosylphosphatidylinositol molecules specific for , and spp. are considered exploitable antigens for this non-traditional vaccine approach. Discussion will revolve around the application of these protozoan carbohydrate antigens for vaccines currently in preclinical development.
Topics: Adjuvants, Immunologic; Animals; Antigens, Protozoan; Bacterial Vaccines; Carbohydrates; Glycosylphosphatidylinositols; Host-Parasite Interactions; Humans; Leishmania; Leishmaniasis; Malaria; Malaria Vaccines; Parasites; Parasitic Diseases; Plasmodium; Protozoan Vaccines; Toxoplasma; Toxoplasmosis; Vaccination
PubMed: 28660174
DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2017.00248 -
Frontiers in Immunology 2021
Topics: Animals; Female; Host-Parasite Interactions; Humans; Parasites; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic; Protozoan Vaccines
PubMed: 34975925
DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.813446 -
Clinical Microbiology Reviews Jul 2000Babesiosis is an emerging, tick-transmitted, zoonotic disease caused by hematotropic parasites of the genus Babesia. Babesial parasites (and those of the closely related... (Review)
Review
Babesiosis is an emerging, tick-transmitted, zoonotic disease caused by hematotropic parasites of the genus Babesia. Babesial parasites (and those of the closely related genus Theileria) are some of the most ubiquitous and widespread blood parasites in the world, second only to the trypanosomes, and consequently have considerable worldwide economic, medical, and veterinary impact. The parasites are intraerythrocytic and are commonly called piroplasms due to the pear-shaped forms found within infected red blood cells. The piroplasms are transmitted by ixodid ticks and are capable of infecting a wide variety of vertebrate hosts which are competent in maintaining the transmission cycle. Studies involving animal hosts other than humans have contributed significantly to our understanding of the disease process, including possible pathogenic mechanisms of the parasite and immunological responses of the host. To date, there are several species of Babesia that can infect humans, Babesia microti being the most prevalent. Infections with Babesia species generally follow regional distributions; cases in the United States are caused primarily by B. microti, whereas cases in Europe are usually caused by Babesia divergens. The spectrum of disease manifestation is broad, ranging from a silent infection to a fulminant, malaria-like disease, resulting in severe hemolysis and occasionally in death. Recent advances have resulted in the development of several diagnostic tests which have increased the level of sensitivity in detection, thereby facilitating diagnosis, expediting appropriate patient management, and resulting in a more accurate epidemiological description.
Topics: Animals; Babesia; Babesiosis; Disease Susceptibility; Humans; Phylogeny; Protozoan Vaccines; Vaccines, Synthetic
PubMed: 10885987
DOI: 10.1128/CMR.13.3.451 -
Frontiers in Immunology 2018Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are small membrane-surrounded structures released by different kinds of cells (normal, diseased, and transformed cells) and that contain... (Review)
Review
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are small membrane-surrounded structures released by different kinds of cells (normal, diseased, and transformed cells) and that contain large amounts of important substances (such as lipids, proteins, metabolites, DNA, RNA, and non-coding RNA (ncRNA), including miRNA, lncRNA, tRNA, rRNA, snoRNA, and scaRNA) in an evolutionarily conserved manner. EVs, including exosomes, play a role in the transmission of information, and substances between cells that is increasingly being recognized as important. In some infectious diseases such as parasitic diseases, EVs have emerged as a ubiquitous mechanism for mediating communication during host-parasite interactions. EVs can enable multiple modes to transfer virulence factors and effector molecules from parasites to hosts, thereby regulating host gene expression, and immune responses and, consequently, mediating the pathogenic process, which has made us rethink our understanding of the host-parasite interface. Thus, here, we review the present findings regarding EVs (especially exosomes) and recognize the role of EVs in host-parasite interactions. We hope that a better understanding of the mechanisms of parasite-derived EVs may provide new insights for further diagnostic biomarker, vaccine, and therapeutic development.
Topics: Animals; Antiprotozoal Agents; Biomarkers; Exosomes; Host-Parasite Interactions; Humans; Parasites; Parasitic Diseases; Protozoan Vaccines; Virulence Factors
PubMed: 30697211
DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.03066 -
Parasites & Vectors Feb 2015Chagas disease is a zoonosis caused by Trypanosoma cruzi in which the most affected organ is the heart. Conventional chemotherapy has a very low effectiveness; despite... (Review)
Review
Chagas disease is a zoonosis caused by Trypanosoma cruzi in which the most affected organ is the heart. Conventional chemotherapy has a very low effectiveness; despite recent efforts, there is currently no better or more effective treatment available. DNA vaccines provide a new alternative for both prevention and treatment of a variety of infectious disorders, including Chagas disease. Recombinant DNA technology has allowed some vaccines to be developed using recombinant proteins or virus-like particles capable of inducing both a humoral and cellular specific immune response. This type of immunization has been successfully used in preclinical studies and there are diverse models for viral, bacterial and/or parasitic diseases, allergies, tumors and other diseases. Therefore, several research groups have been given the task of designing a DNA vaccine against experimental infection with T. cruzi. In this review we explain what DNA vaccines are and the most recent studies that have been done to develop them with prophylactic or therapeutic purposes against Chagas disease.
Topics: Animals; Chagas Disease; Drug Discovery; Humans; Protozoan Vaccines; Vaccination; Vaccines, DNA
PubMed: 25885641
DOI: 10.1186/s13071-015-0738-0 -
Trends in Parasitology Mar 2017Eimeria pose a risk to all livestock species as a cause of coccidiosis, reducing productivity and compromising animal welfare. Pressure to reduce drug use in the food... (Review)
Review
Eimeria pose a risk to all livestock species as a cause of coccidiosis, reducing productivity and compromising animal welfare. Pressure to reduce drug use in the food chain makes the development of cost-effective vaccines against Eimeria essential. For novel vaccines to be successful, understanding genetic and antigenic diversity in field populations is key. Eimeria species that infect chickens are most significant, with Eimeria tenella among the best studied and most economically important. Genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based haplotyping has been used to determine population structure, genotype distribution, and potential for cross-fertilization between E. tenella strains. Here, we discuss recent developments in our understanding of diversity for Eimeria in relation to its specialized life cycle, distribution across the globe, and the challenges posed to vaccine development.
Topics: Animals; Eimeria; Genetic Variation; Genotype; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; Protozoan Vaccines
PubMed: 27593338
DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2016.08.007 -
Frontiers in Immunology 2020Congenital toxoplasmosis has a high impact on human disease worldwide, inducing serious consequences from fetus to adulthood. Despite this, there are currently no human... (Review)
Review
Congenital toxoplasmosis has a high impact on human disease worldwide, inducing serious consequences from fetus to adulthood. Despite this, there are currently no human vaccines available to prevent this infection. Most vaccination studies against infection used animal models in which the infection was established by exogenous inoculation. Here, we review recent research on potential vaccines using animal models in which infection was congenitally established. Endeavors in this field have so far revealed that live or subunit vaccines previously found to confer protection against extrinsically established infections can also protect, at least partially, from vertically transmitted infection. Nevertheless, there is no consensus on the more adequate immune response to protect the host and the fetus in congenital infection. Most of the vaccination studies rely on the assessment of maternal systemic immune responses, quantification of parasitic loads in the fetuses, and survival indexes and/or brain parasitic burden in the neonates. More research must be carried out not only to explore new vaccines but also to further study the nature of the elicited immune protection at the maternal-fetal interface. Particularly, the cellular and molecular effector mechanisms at the maternal-fetal interface induced by immunization remain poorly characterized. Deeper knowledge on the immune response at this specific location will certainly help to refine the vaccine-induced immunity and, consequently, to provide the most effective and safest protection against vertical infection.
Topics: Animals; Antibodies, Protozoan; Humans; Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; Protozoan Proteins; Protozoan Vaccines; Toxoplasma; Toxoplasmosis, Congenital
PubMed: 33658997
DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.621997