Journal of Vaccines & Vaccination

Translational development and preclinical efficacy of a multiantigen T cell epitope: Enriched DNA vaccine against Leishmaniasis

4^th International Conference on Vaccines & Vaccination

September 24-26, 2014 Valencia Convention Centre, Spain

Christiane Juhls, Shantanabha Das, Anja Freier, Thouraya Boussoffara, Sushmita Das, Detlef Oswald, Florian O Losch, Melanie Selka, Nina Sacerdoti-Sierra, Gabriele Sch?nian, Karl-Heinz Wiesm?ller, Oliver Riede, Karin Seifert, Matthias Schroff, Charles L Jaffe, Syamal Roy, Pradeep Das, Hechmi Louzir,

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Vaccines Vaccin

Abstract:

A vaccine against human leishmania sis, a cluster of neglected, vector-borne diseases caused by the protozoan parasite Leishmania , is urgently needed. Leishmania sis severely affects large populations in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. Treatment options are limited due to toxicity, variations in efficacy, and high costs of the available drugs, and increasing drug-resistance, andeffective preventative measures are not available. A vaccine for prevention, control and elimination of leishmania sis should be immunogenic in populations of different geneticbackgroundsin endemic regions, and efficacious against the various species of Leishmania . We have developed a multiantigen T cell epitope-enriched DNA vaccine against leishmania sis. Five vaccine antigens were selected as genetically conserved in various Leishmania species, different endemic regions, and over time. In natural infection, the antigens induced T cell-based immunity as demonstrated with T cells from individuals who had recovered from leishmaniasis . All five antigens harbor epitopes for both CD4 and CD8 T cells in genetically diverse human populations of different endemic regions. The vaccine proved immunogenic and protective in a mouse model of visceral leishmaniasis. In studies with single and multiple vaccinations, agood safety profile of the vaccine was demonstrated. The entire development strategy for the vaccine was translational: First, the immunology of vaccine antigens was established in human populations of endemic regions, followed by the proof-of-principle for induction of specific immune responses and protection against Leishmania infection in mice. A simple and up-scalable GMP production process is in place. The vaccine is ready to be tested in clinical trials.