LmjMAPK10 offers protection against Leishmania donovani infection

Abstract

Aims This study aimed at evaluating the DNA vaccination efficacy of Leishmania major‐derived MAPK10 against Leishmania donovani infection. Methods and Results MAPK10 is one of the 15 mitogen‐activated protein kinases (MAPKs) of Leishmania major. Herein, we expressed the gene through a mammalian vector and tested whether priming with this gene would offer protection against L donovani infection. We report that LmjMAPK10 DNA vaccination using a mammalian expression vector significantly reduces the parasite burden. The protection is accompanied by host‐protective T‐cell functions, TH1‐type cytokines and elevated leishmanial antigen‐specific IgG2a isotype response. T‐cell response to the L donovani/challenge infection is associated with increase in IL‐12 and IFN‐γ, but reduced IL‐10 and IL‐4 production. Conclusions LmjMAPK10 is cross‐protective against L donovani infection.

Determinants of Innate Immunity in Visceral Leishmaniasis and Their Implication in Vaccine Development

“…The combined signals provided by the parasitized macrophages displaying Leishmania antigenic epitopes and their interaction with naïve CD4 + T cells bearing cognate T cell receptors lead to the development of an antigen-specific effector T-cell response. Accordingly, the role of macrophages in Leishmania clearance during challenge infection following activation of T effector cells has been reported in numerous experimental vaccines including protein-based, nano-particulate encapsulated, and DNA-based vaccines (143)(144)(145)(146)(147). The macrophage chemokine network is critical in producing tissue resident CD4+T memory cells (TRM) in viral vaccines (148).…”

Development of the Antileishmanial Vaccine

“…In antileishmanial vaccine studies, they can explicitly give information about the type of response elicited by antigen-primed T-cells upon encounter by parasitized macrophages. Secretory levels of cytokines and NO can be measured and intracellular parasite load can be quantified simultaneously by this culture system [52,53].…”