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Vaccination challenges and strategies against long-lived Toxoplasma gondii

Loh FK, Nathan S, Chow SC, Fang CM

Vaccine, 2019 07 09;37(30):3989-4000.
PMID: 31186188 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2019.05.083

Since the discovery of Toxoplasma gondii in 1908, it is estimated that one-third of the global population has been exposed to this ubiquitous intracellular protozoan. The complex life cycle of T. gondii has enabled itself to overcome stress and transmit easily within a broad host range thus achieving a high seroprevalence worldwide. To date, toxoplasmosis remains one of the most prevalent HIV-associated opportunistic central nervous system infections. This review presents a comprehensive overview of different vaccination approaches ranging from traditional inactivated whole-T. gondii vaccines to the popular DNA vaccines. Extensive discussions are made to highlight the challenges in constructing these vaccines, selecting adjuvants as well as delivery methods, immunisation approaches and developing study models. Herein we also deliberate over the latest and promising enhancement strategies that can address the limitations in developing an effective T. gondii prophylactic vaccine.

Matched MeSH terms: Vaccines, DNA/therapeutic use
Targeting Legumain As a Novel Therapeutic Strategy in Cancers

Mai CW, Chung FF, Leong CO

Curr Drug Targets, 2017;18(11):1259-1268.
PMID: 27993111 DOI: 10.2174/1389450117666161216125344

BACKGROUND: Recent reports indicate that the tumor microenvironment plays a pivotal role in cancer development and progression, leading to a paradigm shift in the way cancer is studied and targeted. In contrast to traditional approaches, where only tumor cells are targeted for the treatment, an emerging approach is to develop therapeutics which target the tumor microenvironment while complementing or enhancing current treatments. Legumain (LGMN) is a newly identified target which is highly expressed in the tumor microenvironment and in tumor cells, and holds potential both as a biomarker and as a therapeutic target.
CONCLUSION: This review will be the first to summarize the expression of LGMN in common cancers, as well as its roles in tumorigenesis and metastasis. This review also discusses the current developments and future prospects of targeting LGMN through the development of DNA vaccines, azopeptides, small molecule inhibitors and LGMN activated prodrugs, highlighting the potential of LGMN as a target for cancer therapeutics.

Matched MeSH terms: Vaccines, DNA/therapeutic use
The use of transgenic parasites in malaria vaccine research

Othman AS, Marin-Mogollon C, Salman AM, Franke-Fayard BM, Janse CJ, Khan SM

Expert Rev Vaccines, 2017 Jul;16(7):1-13.
PMID: 28525963 DOI: 10.1080/14760584.2017.1333426

INTRODUCTION: Transgenic malaria parasites expressing foreign genes, for example fluorescent and luminescent proteins, are used extensively to interrogate parasite biology and host-parasite interactions associated with malaria pathology. Increasingly transgenic parasites are also exploited to advance malaria vaccine development. Areas covered: We review how transgenic malaria parasites are used, in vitro and in vivo, to determine protective efficacy of different antigens and vaccination strategies and to determine immunological correlates of protection. We describe how chimeric rodent parasites expressing P. falciparum or P. vivax antigens are being used to directly evaluate and rank order human malaria vaccines before their advancement to clinical testing. In addition, we describe how transgenic human and rodent parasites are used to develop and evaluate live (genetically) attenuated vaccines. Expert commentary: Transgenic rodent and human malaria parasites are being used to both identify vaccine candidate antigens and to evaluate both sub-unit and whole organism vaccines before they are advanced into clinical testing. Transgenic parasites combined with in vivo pre-clinical testing models (e.g. mice) are used to evaluate vaccine safety, potency and the durability of protection as well as to uncover critical protective immune responses and to refine vaccination strategies.

Matched MeSH terms: Vaccines, DNA/therapeutic use
Antibody and T cell responses induced in chickens immunized with avian influenza virus N1 and NP DNA vaccine with chicken IL-15 and IL-18

Lim KL, Jazayeri SD, Yeap SK, Mohamed Alitheen NB, Bejo MH, Ideris A, et al.

Res Vet Sci, 2013 Dec;95(3):1224-34.
PMID: 23948357 DOI: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2013.07.013

We had examined the immunogenicity of a series of plasmid DNAs which include neuraminidase (NA) and nucleoprotein (NP) genes from avian influenza virus (AIV). The interleukin-15 (IL-15) and interleukin-18 (IL-18) as genetic adjuvants were used for immunization in combination with the N1 and NP AIV genes. In the first trial, 8 groups of chickens were established with 10 specific-pathogen-free (SPF) chickens per group while, in the second trial 7 SPF chickens per group were used. The overall N1 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) titer in chickens immunized with the pDis/N1+pDis/IL-15 was higher compared to the chickens immunized with the pDis/N1 and this suggesting that chicken IL-15 could play a role in enhancing the humoral immune response. Besides that, the chickens that were immunized at 14-day-old (Trial 2) showed a higher N1 antibody titer compared to the chickens that were immunized at 1-day-old (Trial 1). Despite the delayed in NP antibody responses, the chickens co-administrated with IL-15 were able to induce earlier and higher antibody response compared to the pDis/NP and pDis/NP+pDis/IL-18 inoculated groups. The pDis/N1+pDis/IL-15 inoculated chickens also induced higher CD8+ T cells increase than the pDis/N1 group in both trials (P<0.05). The flow cytometry results from both trials demonstrated that the pDis/N1+pDis/IL-18 groups were able to induce CD4+ T cells higher than the pDis/N1 group (P<0.05). Meanwhile, pDis/N1+pDis/IL-18 group was able to induce CD8+ T cells higher than the pDis/N1 group (P<0.05) in Trial 2 only. In the present study, pDis/NP was not significant (P>0.05) in inducing CD4+ and CD8+ T cells when co-administered with the pDis/IL-18 in both trials in comparison to the pDis/NP. Our data suggest that the pDis/N1+pDis/IL-15 combination has the potential to be used as a DNA vaccine against AIV in chickens.

Matched MeSH terms: Vaccines, DNA/therapeutic use