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Mahor H, Mukherjee A, Sarkar A, Saha B. Anti-leishmanial therapy: Caught between drugs and immune targets. Exp Parasitol 2023; 245:108441. [PMID: 36572088 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2022.108441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Revised: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is an enigmatic disease that has very restricted options for chemotherapy and none for prophylaxis. As a result, deriving therapeutic principles for curing the disease has been a major objective in Leishmania research for a long time. Leishmania is a protozoan parasite that lives within macrophages by subverting or switching cell signaling to the pathways that ensure its intracellular survival. Therefore, three groups of molecules aimed at blocking or eliminating the parasite, at least, in principle, include blockers of macrophage receptor- Leishmania ligand interaction, macrophage-activating small molecules, peptides and cytokines, and signaling inhibitors or activators. Macrophages also act as an antigen-presenting cell, presenting antigen to the antigen-specific T cells to induce activation and differentiation of the effector T cell subsets that either execute or suppress anti-leishmanial functions. Three groups of therapeutic principles targeting this sphere of Leishmania-macrophage interaction include antibodies that block pro-leishmanial response of T cells, ligands that activate anti-leishmanial T cells and the antigens for therapeutic vaccines. Besides these, prophylactic vaccines have been in clinical trials but none has succeeded so far. Herein, we have attempted to encompass all these principles and compose a comprehensive review to analyze the feasibility and adoptability of different therapeutics for leishmaniasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hima Mahor
- National Centre for Cell Science, Ganeshkhind, Pune, 411007, India
| | - Arka Mukherjee
- Trident Academy of Creative Technology, Bhubaneswar, 751024, Odisha, India
| | - Arup Sarkar
- Trident Academy of Creative Technology, Bhubaneswar, 751024, Odisha, India
| | - Bhaskar Saha
- National Centre for Cell Science, Ganeshkhind, Pune, 411007, India; Trident Academy of Creative Technology, Bhubaneswar, 751024, Odisha, India.
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2
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Tavalaei Z, Zeinalian M, Khanahmad H, Hejazi H. Anti-leishmaniasis Effect of Staphylococcus Aureus Protein A on the Size of the Lesion and Parasitic Load. Adv Biomed Res 2023; 12:61. [PMID: 37200745 PMCID: PMC10186034 DOI: 10.4103/abr.abr_291_20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2021] [Revised: 08/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 05/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Many studies in the past have evaluated the role of immune system boosters in the treatment of leishmania major infection. Protein A (PA) is one of the structural components in peptidoglycan cell wall of gram-negative bacteria such as staphylococcus aurous which functions as a stimulator in the cellular immune system. The present study aims to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of PA on the recovery of leishmania major infection. Materials and Methods This study was conducted on 24 female Balb/c-infected mice. The experimental group received PA at a dose of 60 mg/kg for four weeks. There was no intervention for the negative control group; the third group received the solvent of PA and sterile H2O; and the positive control group received Amphotericin B at a dose of 1 mg/kg body weight. At the end of the treatment period, a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was performed to determine parasitic burden, and the size of the lesions was measured by caliper with an accuracy of 0.01 mm. Results Results showed that PA did slightly decrease the wound spread and growth but not to an extent that can be considered statistically significant. Also, differences in cycle threshold (Ct) values between the treated group and the untreated group was not impressive. Conclusions Although findings showed that PA isn't such a good candidate for leishmania treatment, it may still be suitable for therapies that use multiple drugs in combination to speed up the healing of leishmaniosis, an issue that merits evaluation in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Tavalaei
- Department of Genetic and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Mehrdad Zeinalian
- Department of Genetic and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
- Address for correspondence: Dr. Mehrdad Zeinalian, Department of Genetic and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran. E-mail:
| | - Hossein Khanahmad
- Department of Genetic and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Hossein Hejazi
- Department of Genetic and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
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3
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Fayaz S, Bahrami F, Parvizi P, Fard-Esfahani P, Ajdary S. An overview of the sand fly salivary proteins in vaccine development against leishmaniases. Iran J Microbiol 2022; 14:792-801. [PMID: 36721440 PMCID: PMC9867623 DOI: 10.18502/ijm.v14i6.11253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Leishmaniases are a group of vector-borne parasitic diseases transmitted through the infected sand flies. Leishmania parasites are inoculated into the host skin along with sand fly saliva. The sand fly saliva consists of biologically active molecules with anticoagulant, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory properties. Such properties help the parasite circumvent the host's immune responses. The salivary compounds support the survival and multiplication of the parasite and facilitate the disease progression. It is documented that frequent exposure to uninfected sand fly bites produces neutralizing antibodies against specific salivary proteins and further activates the cellular mechanisms to prevent the establishment of the disease. The immune responses due to sand fly saliva are highly specific and depend on the composition of the salivary molecules. Hence, thorough knowledge of these compounds in different sand fly species and information about their antigenicity are paramount to designing an effective vaccine. Herein, we review the composition of the sand fly saliva, immunomodulatory properties of some of its components, immune responses to its proteins, and potential vaccine candidates against leishmaniases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shima Fayaz
- Department of Immunology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran,Department of Biochemistry, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fariborz Bahrami
- Department of Immunology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Parviz Parvizi
- Department of Parasitology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Soheila Ajdary
- Department of Immunology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran,Corresponding author: Soheila Ajdary, Ph.D, Department of Immunology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran. Tel: +98-2166968857 Fax: +98-2166968857 ;
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4
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Lajevardi MS, Taheri T, Gholami E, Seyed N, Rafati S. Structural analysis of PpSP15 and PsSP9 sand fly salivary proteins designed with a self-cleavable linker as a live vaccine candidate against cutaneous leishmaniasis. Parasit Vectors 2022; 15:377. [PMID: 36261836 PMCID: PMC9580450 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-022-05437-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Leishmania parasites are deposited in the host through sand fly bites along with sand fly saliva. Therefore, salivary proteins are promising vaccine candidates for controlling leishmaniasis. Herein, two immunogenic salivary proteins, PpSP15 from Phlebotomus papatasi and PsSP9 from Phlebotomus sergenti, were selected as vaccine candidates to be delivered by live Leishmania tarentolae as vector. The stepwise in silico protocol advantaged in this study for multi-protein design in L. tarentolae is then described in detail. Methods All possible combinations of two salivary proteins, PpSP15 and PsSP9, with or without T2A peptide were designed at the mRNA and protein levels. Then, the best combination for the vaccine candidate was selected based on mRNA and protein stability along with peptide analysis. Results At the mRNA level, the most favored secondary structure was PpSP15-T2A-PsSP9. At the protein level, the refined three-dimensional models of all combinations were structurally valid; however, local quality estimation showed that the PpSp15-T2A-PsSP9 fusion had higher stability for each amino acid position, with low root-mean-square deviation (RMSD), compared with the original proteins. In silico evaluation confirmed the PpSP15-T2A-PsSP9 combination as a good Th1-polarizing candidate in terms of high IFN-γ production and low IL-10/TGF-β ratio in response to three consecutive immunizations. Potential protein expression was then confirmed by Western blotting. Conclusions The approach presented herein is among the first studies to have privileged protein homology modeling along with mRNA analysis for logical live vaccine design-coding multi-proteins. ![]()
Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13071-022-05437-x.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahya Sadat Lajevardi
- Department of Immunotherapy and Leishmania Vaccine Research, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.,Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
| | - Tahereh Taheri
- Department of Immunotherapy and Leishmania Vaccine Research, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Elham Gholami
- Department of Immunotherapy and Leishmania Vaccine Research, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Negar Seyed
- Department of Immunotherapy and Leishmania Vaccine Research, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Sima Rafati
- Department of Immunotherapy and Leishmania Vaccine Research, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
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Lajevardi MS, Gholami E, Taheri T, Sarvnaz H, Habibzadeh S, Seyed N, Mortazavi Y, Rafati S. Leishmania tarentolae as Potential Live Vaccine Co-Expressing Distinct Salivary Gland Proteins Against Experimental Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in BALB/c Mice Model. Front Immunol 2022; 13:895234. [PMID: 35757692 PMCID: PMC9226313 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.895234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a neglected vector-borne disease caused by Leishmania parasites transmitted through the infected sand flies bite. Current treatments are limited, partly due to their high cost and significant adverse effects, and no human vaccine is yet available. Sand flies saliva has been examined for their potential application as an anti-Leishmania vaccine. The salivary protein, PpSP15, was the first protective vaccine candidate against L. major. Additionally, PsSP9 was already introduced as a highly immunogenic salivary protein against L. tropica. Herein, we aimed to develop an effective multivalent live vaccine to control Cutaneous Leishmaniasis induced by two main species, L. major and L. tropica. Hence, the two above-mentioned salivary proteins using T2A linker were incorporated inside the L. tarentolae genome as a safe live vector. Then, the immunogenicity and protective effects of recombinant L. tarentolae co-expressing PpSP15 and PsSP9 were evaluated in pre-treated BALB/c mice with CpG against L. major and L. tropica. Following the cytokine assays, parasite burden and antibody assessment at different time-points at pre and post-infection, promising protective Th1 immunity was obtained in vaccinated mice with recombinant L. tarentolae co-expressing PpSP15 and PsSP9. This is the first study demonstrating the potency of a safe live vaccine based on the combination of different salivary proteins against the infectious challenge with two different species of Leishmania.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahya Sadat Lajevardi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran.,Department of Immunotherapy and Leishmania Vaccine Research, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Elham Gholami
- Department of Immunotherapy and Leishmania Vaccine Research, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Tahereh Taheri
- Department of Immunotherapy and Leishmania Vaccine Research, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hamzeh Sarvnaz
- Department of Immunotherapy and Leishmania Vaccine Research, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sima Habibzadeh
- Department of Immunotherapy and Leishmania Vaccine Research, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Negar Seyed
- Department of Immunotherapy and Leishmania Vaccine Research, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Yousef Mortazavi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
| | - Sima Rafati
- Department of Immunotherapy and Leishmania Vaccine Research, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
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Aoki V, Abdeladhim M, Li N, Cecilio P, Prisayanh P, Diaz LA, Valenzuela JG. Some Good and Some Bad: Sand Fly Salivary Proteins in the Control of Leishmaniasis and in Autoimmunity. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:839932. [PMID: 35281450 PMCID: PMC8913536 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.839932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Sand flies are hematophagous insects responsible for the transmission of vector-borne diseases to humans. Prominent among these diseases is Leishmaniasis that affects the skin and mucous surfaces and organs such as liver and spleen. Importantly, the function of blood-sucking arthropods goes beyond merely transporting pathogens. The saliva of vectors of disease contains pharmacologically active components that facilitate blood feeding and often pathogen establishment. Transcriptomic and proteomic studies have enumerated the repertoire of sand fly salivary proteins and their potential use for the control of Leishmaniasis, either as biomarkers of vector exposure or as anti-Leishmania vaccines. However, a group of specific sand fly salivary proteins triggers formation of cross-reactive antibodies that bind the ectodomain of human desmoglein 1, a member of the epidermal desmosomal cadherins. These cross-reactive antibodies are associated with skin autoimmune blistering diseases, such as pemphigus, in certain immunogenetically predisposed individuals. In this review, we focus on two different aspects of sand fly salivary proteins in the context of human disease: The good, which refers to salivary proteins functioning as biomarkers of exposure or as anti-Leishmania vaccines, and the bad, which refers to salivary proteins as environmental triggers of autoimmune skin diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Aoki
- Department of Dermatology, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (FMUSP), Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
- *Correspondence: Valeria Aoki,
| | - Maha Abdeladhim
- Vector Molecular Biology Section, Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, United States
| | - Ning Li
- Department of Dermatology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Pedro Cecilio
- Vector Biology Section, Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, United States
| | - Phillip Prisayanh
- Department of Dermatology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Luis A. Diaz
- Department of Dermatology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Jesus G. Valenzuela
- Vector Molecular Biology Section, Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, United States
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Habibzadeh S, Doroud D, Taheri T, Seyed N, Rafati S. Leishmania Parasite: the Impact of New Serum-Free Medium as an Alternative for Fetal Bovine Serum. Iran Biomed J 2021; 25:349-58. [PMID: 34481426 PMCID: PMC8487682 DOI: 10.52547/ibj.25.5.349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Background Flagellated protozoan of the genus Leishmania is the causative agent of vector-borne parasitic diseases of leishmaniasis. Since the production of recombinant pharmaceutical proteins requires the cultivation of host cells in a serum-free medium, the elimination of FBS can improve the possibility of large-scale culture of Leishmania parasite. In the current study, we aimed at evaluating a new serum-free medium in Leishmania parasite culture for future live Leishmania vaccine purposes. Methods Recombinant L. tarentolae secreting PpSP15-EGFP and wild type L. major were cultured in serum-free (complete serum-free medium [CSFM]) and serum-supplemented medium. The growth rate, protein expression, and infectivity of cultured parasites in both conditions was then evaluated and compared. Results Diff-Quick staining and epi-fluores¬cence microscopy examination displayed the typical morphology of L. major and L. tarentolae-PpSP15-EGFP promastigote grown in CSFM medium. The amount of EGFP expression was similar in CSMF medium compared to M199 supplemented with 5% FBS in flow cytometry analysis of L. tarentolae-PpSP15-EGFP parasite. Also, a similar profile of PpSP15-EGFP proteins was recognized in Western blot analysis of L. tarentolae-PpSP15-EGFP cultured in CSMF and the serum-supplemented medium. Footpad swelling and parasite load measurements showed the ability of CSFM medium to support the L. major infectivity in BALB/C mice. Conclusion This study demonstrated that CSFM can be a promising substitute for FBS supplemented medium in parasite culture for live vaccination purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sima Habibzadeh
- Department of Immunotherapy and Leishmania Vaccine Research, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Science and Technology, Tehran Medical Science, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Delaram Doroud
- Quality Control Department, Production and Research Complex, Pasteur institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Tahereh Taheri
- Department of Immunotherapy and Leishmania Vaccine Research, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Negar Seyed
- Department of Immunotherapy and Leishmania Vaccine Research, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sima Rafati
- Department of Immunotherapy and Leishmania Vaccine Research, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
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8
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Karmakar S, Nath S, Sarkar B, Chakraborty S, Paul S, Karan M, Pal C. Insect vectors' saliva and gut microbiota as a blessing in disguise: probability versus possibility. Future Microbiol 2021; 16:657-670. [PMID: 34100305 DOI: 10.2217/fmb-2020-0239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Drawing of host blood is a natural phenomenon during the bite of blood-probing insect vectors. Along with the blood meal, the vectors introduce salivary components and a trail of microbiota. In the case of infected vectors, the related pathogen accompanies the aforementioned biological components. In addition to Anopheles gambiae or Anopheles stephensi, the bites of other nonmalarial vectors cannot be ignored in malaria-endemic regions. Similarly, the bite incidence of Phlebotomus papatasi cannot be ignored in visceral leishmaniasis-endemic regions. Even the chances of getting bitten by uninfected vectors are higher than the infected vectors. We have discussed the probability or possibility of uninfected, infected, and/or nonvector's saliva and gut microbiota as a therapeutic option leading to the initial deterrent to pathogen establishment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suman Karmakar
- Cellular Immunology & Experimental Therapeutics Laboratory, Department of Zoology, West Bengal State University, Barasat, North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, 700126, India.,Vector Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, West Bengal State University, Barasat, North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, 700126, India
| | - Supriya Nath
- Cellular Immunology & Experimental Therapeutics Laboratory, Department of Zoology, West Bengal State University, Barasat, North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, 700126, India.,Vector Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, West Bengal State University, Barasat, North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, 700126, India
| | - Biswajyoti Sarkar
- Cellular Immunology & Experimental Therapeutics Laboratory, Department of Zoology, West Bengal State University, Barasat, North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, 700126, India.,Vector Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, West Bengal State University, Barasat, North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, 700126, India
| | - Sondipon Chakraborty
- Vector Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, West Bengal State University, Barasat, North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, 700126, India
| | - Sharmistha Paul
- Vector Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, West Bengal State University, Barasat, North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, 700126, India
| | - Mintu Karan
- Vector Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, West Bengal State University, Barasat, North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, 700126, India
| | - Chiranjib Pal
- Cellular Immunology & Experimental Therapeutics Laboratory, Department of Zoology, West Bengal State University, Barasat, North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, 700126, India.,Vector Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, West Bengal State University, Barasat, North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, 700126, India
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Cecílio P, Oristian J, Meneses C, Serafim TD, Valenzuela JG, Cordeiro da Silva A, Oliveira F. Engineering a vector-based pan-Leishmania vaccine for humans: proof of principle. Sci Rep 2020; 10:18653. [PMID: 33122717 PMCID: PMC7596519 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-75410-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a spectrum of diseases transmitted by sand fly vectors that deposit Leishmania spp. parasites in the host skin during blood feeding. Currently, available treatment options are limited, associated with high toxicity and emerging resistance. Even though a vaccine for human leishmaniasis is considered an achievable goal, to date we still do not have one available, a consequence (amongst other factors) of a lack of pre-clinical to clinical translatability. Pre-exposure to uninfected sand fly bites or immunization with defined sand fly salivary proteins was shown to negatively impact infection. Still, cross-protection reports are rare and dependent on the phylogenetic proximity of the sand fly species, meaning that the applicability of a sand fly saliva-based vaccine will be limited to a defined geography, one parasite species and one form of leishmaniasis. As a proof of principle of a future vector saliva-based pan-Leishmania vaccine, we engineered through a reverse vaccinology approach that maximizes translation to humans, a fusion protein consisting of immunogenic portions of PdSP15 and LJL143, sand fly salivary proteins demonstrated as potential vaccine candidates against cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis, respectively. The in silico analysis was validated ex vivo, through T cell proliferation experiments, proving that the fusion protein (administered as a DNA vaccine) maintained the immunogenicity of both PdSP15 and LJL143. Additionally, while no significant effect was detected in the context of L. major transmission by P. duboscqi, this DNA vaccine was defined as partially protective, in the context of L. major transmission by L. longipalpis sand flies. Importantly, a high IFNγ response alone was not enough to confer protection, that mainly correlated with low T cell mediated Leishmania-specific IL-4 and IL-10 responses, and consequently with high pro/anti-inflammatory cytokine ratios. Overall our immunogenicity data suggests that to design a potentially safe vector-based pan-Leishmania vaccine, without geographic restrictions and against all forms of leishmaniasis is an achievable goal. This is why we propose our approach as a proof-of principle, perhaps not only applicable to the anti-Leishmania vector-based vaccines’ field, but also to other branches of knowledge that require the design of multi-epitope T cell vaccines with a higher potential for translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Cecílio
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Parasite Disease Group, IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen, 208, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal.,Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia da Universidade do Porto (FFUP), Porto, Portugal.,Vector Molecular Biology Section, Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 12735 Twinbrook Parkway, Rockville, MD, 20852, USA
| | - James Oristian
- Vector Molecular Biology Section, Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 12735 Twinbrook Parkway, Rockville, MD, 20852, USA
| | - Claudio Meneses
- Vector Molecular Biology Section, Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 12735 Twinbrook Parkway, Rockville, MD, 20852, USA
| | - Tiago D Serafim
- Vector Molecular Biology Section, Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 12735 Twinbrook Parkway, Rockville, MD, 20852, USA
| | - Jesus G Valenzuela
- Vector Molecular Biology Section, Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 12735 Twinbrook Parkway, Rockville, MD, 20852, USA
| | - Anabela Cordeiro da Silva
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal. .,Parasite Disease Group, IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen, 208, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal. .,Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia da Universidade do Porto (FFUP), Porto, Portugal.
| | - Fabiano Oliveira
- Vector Molecular Biology Section, Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 12735 Twinbrook Parkway, Rockville, MD, 20852, USA.
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10
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Vernal S, Oliveira F, Oliveira WHC, Goulart TM, Oristian J, Calvo E, Pinto MC, Roselino AM, Ribeiro JMC. RNA-sequencing of the Nyssomyia neivai sialome: a sand fly-vector from a Brazilian endemic area for tegumentary leishmaniasis and pemphigus foliaceus. Sci Rep 2020; 10:17664. [PMID: 33077743 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-74343-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniasis encompasses a spectrum of diseases caused by a protozoan belonging to the genus Leishmania. The parasite is transmitted by the bite of sand flies, which inoculate the promastigote forms into the host’s skin while acquiring a blood meal. Nyssomyia neivai is one of the main vectors of tegumentary leishmaniasis (TL) in Brazil. Southeastern Brazil is an endemic region for TL but also overlaps with an endemic focus for pemphigus foliaceus (PF), also known as Fogo Selvagem. Salivary proteins of sand flies, specifically maxadilan and LJM11, have been related to pemphigus etiopathogenesis in the New World, being proposed as an environmental trigger for autoimmunity. We present a comprehensive description of the salivary transcriptome of the N. neivai, using deep sequencing achieved by the Illumina protocol. In addition, we highlight the abundances of several N. neivai salivary proteins and use phylogenetic analysis to compare with Old- and New-World sand fly salivary proteins. The collection of protein sequences associated with the salivary glands of N. neivai can be useful for monitoring vector control strategies as biomarkers of N. neivai, as well as driving vector-vaccine design for leishmaniasis. Additionally, this catalog will serve as reference to screen for possible antigenic peptide candidates triggering anti-Desmoglein-1 autoantibodies.
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Seyed N, Rafati S. Th1 concomitant immune response mediated by IFN-γ protects against sand fly delivered Leishmania infection: Implications for vaccine design. Cytokine 2021; 147:155247. [PMID: 32873468 DOI: 10.1016/j.cyto.2020.155247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Revised: 07/26/2020] [Accepted: 08/08/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is an unresolved global health problem with a high socio-economic impact. Data generated in mouse models has revealed that the Th1 response, with IL-12, IFN-γ, TNF-α, and IL-2 as prominent cytokines, predominantly controls the disease progression. Premised on these findings, all examined vaccine formulations have been aimed at generating a long-lived memory Th1 response. However, all vaccine formulations with the exception of live Leishmania inoculation (leishmanization) have failed to sufficiently protect against sand fly delivered infection. It has been recently unraveled that sand fly dependent factors may compromise pre-existing Th1 memory. Further scrutinizing the immune response after leishmanization has uncovered the prominent role of early (within hours) and robust IFN-γ production (Th1 concomitant immunity) in controlling the sand fly delivered secondary infection. The response is dependent upon parasite persistence and subclinical ongoing primary infection. The immune correlates of concomitant immunity (Resident Memory T cells and Effector T subsets) mitigate the early effects of sand fly delivered infection and help to control the disease. In this review, we have described the early events after sand fly challenge and the role of Th1 concomitant immunity in the protective immune response in leishmanized resistant mouse model, although leishmanization is under debate for human use. Undoubtedly, the lessons we learn from leishmanization must be further implemented in alternative vaccine approaches.
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Sumova P, Polanska N, Lestinova T, Spitzova T, Kalouskova B, Vanek O, Volf P, Rohousova I. Phlebotomus perniciosus Recombinant Salivary Proteins Polarize Murine Macrophages Toward the Anti-Inflammatory Phenotype. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:427. [PMID: 32984064 PMCID: PMC7476311 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.00427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Phlebotomus perniciosus (Diptera: Phlebotominae) is a medically and veterinary important insect vector. It transmits the unicellular parasite Leishmania infantum that multiplies intracellularly in macrophages causing life-threatening visceral diseases. Leishmania establishment in the vertebrate host is substantially influenced by immunomodulatory properties of vector saliva that are obligatorily co-injected into the feeding site. The repertoire of P. perniciosus salivary molecules has already been revealed and, subsequently, several salivary proteins have been expressed. However, their immunogenic properties have never been studied. In our study, we tested three P. perniciosus recombinant salivary proteins-an apyrase rSP01 and yellow-related proteins rSP03 and rSP03B-and showed their anti-inflammatory nature on the murine bone-marrow derived macrophages. Even in the presence of pro-inflammatory stimuli (IFN-γ and bacterial lipopolysaccharide, LPS), all three recombinant proteins inhibited nitric oxide production. Moreover, rSP03 seems to have a very strong anti-inflammatory effect since it enhanced arginase activity, increased the production of IL-10, and inhibited the production of TNF-α even in macrophages stimulated with IFN-γ and LPS. These results suggest that P. perniciosus apyrase and yellow-related proteins may serve as enhancing factors in sand fly saliva, facilitating the development of Leishmania infection along with their anti-haemostatic properties. Additionally, rSP03 and rSP03B did not elicit the delayed-type hypersensitivity response in mice pre-exposed to P. perniciosus bites (measured as visible skin reaction). The results of our study may help to understand the potential function of recombinant's native counterparts and their role in Leishmania transmission and establishment within the host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petra Sumova
- Laboratory of Vector Biology, Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Nikola Polanska
- Laboratory of Vector Biology, Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Tereza Lestinova
- Laboratory of Vector Biology, Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Tatiana Spitzova
- Laboratory of Vector Biology, Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Barbora Kalouskova
- Laboratory of Structural Biochemistry of Immune Recognition, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Ondrej Vanek
- Laboratory of Structural Biochemistry of Immune Recognition, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Petr Volf
- Laboratory of Vector Biology, Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Iva Rohousova
- Laboratory of Vector Biology, Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
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Hu W, Ma L, Yang G, Zeng X, Liu J, Cheng B, Hu T, Zhao H, Liu Z. Der p2‑A20 DNA vaccine attenuates allergic inflammation in mice with allergic rhinitis. Mol Med Rep 2019; 20:4925-4932. [PMID: 31638224 PMCID: PMC6854600 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2019.10760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2019] [Accepted: 08/30/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a common disease that requires more convenient, safe and effective antigen-specific immunotherapies. The present study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effect of intranasal administration of a eukaryotic expression vector co-expressing Der p2 and A20 protein (pVAX1-Der p2-A20) on mice with allergic rhinitis. The pVAX1-Der p2-A20 vaccine was prepared and encapsulated into poly(L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanoparticles. An allergic rhinitis Balb/c mouse model was established through intraperitoneal sensitization with recombinant Der p2 and cholera toxin followed by intranasal challenge with recombinant Der p2. The treatment effect of the DNA vaccine on nasal allergic inflammation was evaluated, and serum IgE, sIgE, IgG and cytokine levels were determined by ELISA. The percentage of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+Tregs in the spleen was detected by flow cytometry. The DNA vaccine co-expressing Der p2 and A20 was successfully constructed and encapsulated into PLGA nanoparticles. Der p2-A20 DNA vaccine intranasal administration markedly ameliorated Der p2-induced nasal allergic inflammation. The serum Der p2-specific IgE, IL-4 and IL-13 expression levels were inhibited, while the Der p2-specific IgG1, IgG2a and IFN-γ expression levels in the serum and splenic CD4+CD25+Foxp3+Treg population were significantly increased after Der p2-A20 DNA vaccine treatment. These results indicated that the Der p2-A20 DNA vaccine alleviates nasal allergic inflammation and promotes splenic Treg population in mice with allergic rhinitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenhui Hu
- Department of Otolaryngology, Longgang ENT Hospital and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of ENT, Institute of ENT, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518172, P.R. China
| | - Li Ma
- Department of Otolaryngology, Longgang ENT Hospital and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of ENT, Institute of ENT, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518172, P.R. China
| | - Gui Yang
- Department of Otolaryngology, Longgang ENT Hospital and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of ENT, Institute of ENT, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518172, P.R. China
| | - Xianhai Zeng
- Department of Otolaryngology, Longgang ENT Hospital and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of ENT, Institute of ENT, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518172, P.R. China
| | - Jiangqi Liu
- Department of Otolaryngology, Longgang ENT Hospital and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of ENT, Institute of ENT, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518172, P.R. China
| | - Baohui Cheng
- Department of Otolaryngology, Longgang ENT Hospital and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of ENT, Institute of ENT, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518172, P.R. China
| | - Tianyong Hu
- Department of Otolaryngology, Longgang ENT Hospital and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of ENT, Institute of ENT, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518172, P.R. China
| | - Hailiang Zhao
- Department of Otolaryngology, Longgang ENT Hospital and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of ENT, Institute of ENT, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518172, P.R. China
| | - Zhiqiang Liu
- Department of Otolaryngology, Longgang ENT Hospital and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of ENT, Institute of ENT, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518172, P.R. China
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Gholami E, Oliveira F, Taheri T, Seyed N, Gharibzadeh S, Gholami N, Mizbani A, Zali F, Habibzadeh S, Bakhadj DO, Meneses C, Kamyab-Hesari K, Sadeghipour A, Taslimi Y, Khadir F, Kamhawi S, Mazlomi MA, Valenzuela JG, Rafati S. Correction: DNA plasmid coding for Phlebotomus sergenti salivary protein PsSP9, a member of the SP15 family of proteins, protects against Leishmania tropica. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019; 13:e0007585. [PMID: 31306429 PMCID: PMC6629063 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
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