protection
Fungal and Parasitic InfectionsImportance of the Immunodominant CD8+ T Cell Epitope of Plasmodium berghei Circumsporozoite Protein in Parasite- and Vaccine-Induced ProtectionThe circumsporozoite protein (CSP) builds up the surface coat of sporozoites and is the leading malaria pre-erythrocytic-stage vaccine candidate. CSP has been shown to induce robust CD8+ T cell responses that are capable of eliminating developing parasites in hepatocytes, resulting in protective immunity. In this study, we characterized the importance of the immunodominant CSP-derived epitope SYIPSAEKI of...
MinireviewTowards Innovative Design and Application of Recombinant Eimeria as a Vaccine VectorEfficient delivery of antigenic cargo to trigger protective immune responses is critical to the success of vaccination. Genetically engineered microorganisms, including virus, bacteria, and protozoa, can be modified to carry and deliver heterologous antigens to the host immune system. The biological vectors can induce a broad range of immune responses and enhance heterologous antigen-specific immunological outcomes. The protozoan genus...
Microbial Immunity and VaccinesUnbiased Identification of Immunogenic Staphylococcus aureus Leukotoxin B-Cell EpitopesUnbiased identification of individual immunogenic B-cell epitopes in major antigens of a pathogen remains a technology challenge for vaccine discovery. We therefore developed a platform for rapid phage display screening of deep recombinant libraries consisting of as few as one major pathogen antigen. Using the bicomponent pore-forming leukocidin (Luk) exotoxins of the major pathogen...
Microbial Immunity and VaccinesAntibody-Dependent, Gamma Interferon-Independent Sterilizing Immunity Induced by a Subunit Malaria VaccineThe development of effective malaria vaccines is hampered by incomplete understanding of the immunological correlates of protective immunity. Recently, the moderate clinical efficacy of the Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite protein (CSP)-based RTS,S/AS01E vaccine in phase 3 studies highlighted the urgency to design and test more efficacious next-...
Microbial Immunity and VaccinesDelineating Surface Epitopes of Lyme Disease Pathogen Targeted by Highly Protective Antibodies of New Zealand White RabbitsLyme disease (LD), the most prevalent vector-borne illness in the United States and Europe, is caused by Borreliella burgdorferi. No vaccine is available for humans. Dogmatically, B. burgdorferi can establish a persistent infection in the mammalian host (e.g., mice) due to a surface antigen, VlsE....
- Microbial Immunity and VaccinesIdentification of Surface Epitopes Associated with Protection against Highly Immune-Evasive VlsE-Expressing Lyme Disease Spirochetes
The tick-borne pathogen Borrelia burgdorferi is responsible for approximately 300,000 Lyme disease (LD) cases per year in the United States. Recent increases in the number of LD cases, in addition to the spread of the tick vector and a lack of a vaccine, highlight an urgent need for designing and developing an efficacious LD vaccine.
- Microbial Immunity and Vaccines | SpotlightDevelopment of Subunit Vaccines That Provide High-Level Protection and Sterilizing Immunity against Acute Inhalational Melioidosis