Advances in Leishmania Vaccines: Current Development and Future Prospects

Abstract

Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by parasites of the genus Leishmania. As approved human vaccines are not available, treatment and prevention rely heavily on toxic chemotherapeutic agents, which face increasing resistance problems. The development of effective vaccines against human leishmaniasis is of utmost importance for the control of the disease. Strategies that have been considered for this purpose range from whole-killed and attenuated parasites to recombinant proteins and DNA vaccines. The ideal vaccine must be safe and effective, ensuring lasting immunity through a robust IL-12-driven Th1 adaptive immune response. Despite some success and years of effort, human vaccine trials have encountered difficulties in conferring durable protection against Leishmania, a problem that may be attributed to the parasite’s antigenic diversity and the intricate nature of the host’s immune response. The aim of this review is to provide a thorough overview of recent advances in Leishmania vaccine development, ranging from initial trials to recent achievements, such as the ChAd63-KH DNA vaccine, which underscores the potential for effective control of leishmaniasis through continued research in this field.