Chagas disease vaccine design: the search for an efficient Trypanosoma cruzi immune-mediated control.
Chagas disease is currently endemic to 21 Latin-American countries and has also become a global concern because of globalization and mass migration of chronically infected individuals. Prophylactic and therapeutic vaccination might contribute to control the infection and the pathology, as complement of other strategies such as vector control and chemotherapy. Ideal prophylactic vaccine would produce sterilizing immunity; however, a reduction of the parasite burden would prevent progression from Trypanosoma cruzi infection to Chagas disease. A therapeutic vaccine for Chagas disease may improve or even replace the treatment with current drugs which have several side effects and require long term treatment that frequently leads to therapeutic withdrawal. Here, we will review some aspects about sub-unit vaccines, the rationale behind the selection of the immunogen, the role of adjuvants, the advantages and limitations of DNA-based vaccines and the idea of therapeutic vaccines. One of the main limitations to advance vaccine development against Chagas disease is the high number of variables that must be considered and the lack of uniform criteria among research laboratories. To make possible comparisons, much of this review will be focused on experiments that kept many variables constant including antigen mass/doses, type of eukaryotic plasmid, DNA-delivery system, mice strain and sex, lethal and sublethal model of infection, and similar immunogenicity and efficacy assessments.
['Bivona|Augusto E|AE|', 'Alberti|Andrés Sánchez|AS|', 'Cerny|Natacha|N|', 'Trinitario|Sebastián N|SN|', 'Malchiodi|Emilio L|EL|']
D000818:Animals D000953:Antigens, Protozoan D002598:Chagas Cardiomyopathy D004195:Disease Models, Animal D005260:Female D006801:Humans D000071497:Immunogenicity, Vaccine D008297:Male D051379:Mice D016052:Protozoan Vaccines D012107:Research Design D012737:Sex Factors D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi D022223:Vaccines, Subunit
Chagas disease Vaccine Trypanosoma cruzi DNA-delivery system Neglected disease Recombinant antigen