Development of a recombinant vaccine against human onchocerciasis



Abraham, David, Graham-Brown, John ORCID: 0000-0001-7305-5262, Carter, Darrick, Gray, Sean A, Hess, Jessica A, Makepeace, Benjamin L ORCID: 0000-0002-6100-6727 and Lustigman, Sara
(2021) Development of a recombinant vaccine against human onchocerciasis. EXPERT REVIEW OF VACCINES, 20 (11). pp. 1459-1470.

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Abstract

<h4>Introduction</h4>Human onchocerciasis caused by the filarial nematode parasite <i>Onchocerca volvulus</i> remains a major cause of debilitating disease infecting millions primarily in Sub-Saharan Africa. The development of a prophylactic vaccine, along with mass drug administration, would facilitate meeting the goal of onchocerciasis elimination by 2030.<h4>Areas covered</h4>Models used to study immunity to <i>Onchocerca</i> include natural infection of cattle with <i>Onchocerca ochengi</i> and <i>O. volvulus</i> infective third-stage larvae implanted within diffusion chambers in mice. A vaccine, comprised of two adjuvanted recombinant antigens, induced protective immunity in genetically diverse mice suggesting that it will function similarly in diverse human populations. These antigens were recognized by immune humans and also induced protective immunity against <i>Brugia malayi</i>. We describe the development of a fusion protein composed of the two vaccine antigens with the plan to test the vaccine in cows and non-human primates as a prelude to the initiation of phase 1 clinical trials.<h4>Expert opinion</h4>The adjuvanted <i>O. volvulus</i> vaccine composed of two antigens <i>Ov</i>-103 and <i>Ov</i>-RAL-2 was shown to be consistently effective at inducing protective immunity using multiple immune mechanisms. The vaccine is ready for further evaluation in other animal models before moving to clinical trials in humans.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: Onchocerca volvulus, Onchocerca ochengi, fusion protein, recombinant vaccine antigens, onchocerciasis, TOVA, vaccine against onchocerciasis
Divisions: Faculty of Health and Life Sciences
Faculty of Health and Life Sciences > Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences
Depositing User: Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited: 22 Sep 2021 09:53
Last Modified: 18 Jan 2023 21:28
DOI: 10.1080/14760584.2021.1977125
Related URLs:
URI: https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3137904