Trypanosomiasis vaccine explained

A Trypanosomiasis vaccine is a vaccine against trypanosomiasis. No effective vaccine currently exists, but development of a vaccine is the subject of current research.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has been involved in funding research conducted by the Sabin Vaccine Institute and others.^[1]

There are many obstacles to development of such a vaccine. One obstacle is variant surface glycoprotein which makes it difficult for the immune system to recognize the infectious organism.^[2] Also, Trypanosoma brucei has a direct inhibitory effect upon B cells.^[3]

It has been suggested that these challenges could be overcome by a vaccine against the initial antigens,^[4] or generating an immune response against the cysteine protease (for example, cruzipain).^{[5] [6]}

An effective vaccine was achieved in 2021 using a mouse model of infection with Trypanosoma vivax.^[7]

See also

• • Trypanocidal agent

Notes and References

1. Web site: US Fraunhofer Center receives Grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation-Intellectual Property . 2009-01-15.
2. Dagenais TR, Demick KP, Bangs JD, Forest KT, Paulnock DM, Mansfield JM . T-Cell Responses to the Trypanosome Variant Surface Glycoprotein Are Not Limited to Hypervariable Subregions . Infect. Immun. . 77 . 1 . 141–51 . January 2009 . 18936180 . 10.1128/IAI.00729-08 . 2612290.
3. Radwanska M, Guirnalda P, De Trez C, Ryffel B, Black S, Magez S . Trypanosomiasis-Induced B Cell Apoptosis Results in Loss of Protective Anti-Parasite Antibody Responses and Abolishment of Vaccine-Induced Memory Responses . PLOS Pathog. . 4 . 5 . e1000078 . May 2008 . 18516300 . 2386555 . 10.1371/journal.ppat.1000078 . Riley . Eleanor M . free .
4. Web site: Trypanosomiasis . 2009-01-15.
5. Lalmanach G, Boulangé A, Serveau C, etal . Congopain from Trypanosoma congolense: drug target and vaccine candidate . Biol. Chem. . 383 . 5 . 739–49 . May 2002 . 12108538 . 10.1515/BC.2002.077 . 22315392 .
6. Authié E, Boulangé A, Muteti D, Lalmanach G, Gauthier F, Musoke AJ . Immunisation of cattle with cysteine proteinases of Trypanosoma congolense: targeting the disease rather than the parasite . Int. J. Parasitol. . 31 . 13 . 1429–33 . November 2001 . 11595229 . 10.1016/S0020-7519(01)00266-1.
7. Autheman. Delphine. Crosnier. Cécile. Clare. Simon. Goulding. David A.. Brandt. Cordelia. Harcourt. Katherine. Tolley. Charlotte. Galaway. Francis. Khushu. Malhar. Ong. Han. Romero-Ramirez. Alessandra. July 2021. An invariant Trypanosoma vivax vaccine antigen induces protective immunity. Nature. en. 595. 7865. 96–100. 10.1038/s41586-021-03597-x. 34040257. 2021Natur.595...96A . 1476-4687. free.