PLGA nanoparticles and soluble Leishmania antigens confer protection in visceral leishmaniasis

What is it about?

VaVisceral leishmaniasis (VL) persists as a major public health problem and since existing drugs have proved to be ineffective, research effort is driven towards the development of an effective vaccine. In the present study, poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide nanoparticles (PLGA NPs) surface modified with a TNFα mimicking peptide, encapsulating soluble Leishmania antigens and the adjuvant MPLA, were evaluated as vaccine candidates against experimental visceral leishmaniasis. Vaccination with the above multi-functionalized NPs resulted in significant reduction of the parasite in the liver and spleen, the main target organs of Leishmania. According to our results, protection was related to the existence of antigen-specific cellular immune responses and more specifically to the activation of CD4+ and CD8+ IFNγ-producing T cells, followed by switching of IgG antibodies subclasses towards IgG2a. Moreover, significantly lower levels of cytokines related with disease exacerbation were observed in vaccinated and infected mice. Conclusively, the nanoformulations used in the present study hold promise for future vaccination strategies against visceral leishmaniasis.

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Why is it important?

Visceral leishmaniasis persists as a major public health problem, and since the existing chemotherapy is far from satisfactory, development of an effective vaccine emerges as the most appropriate strategy for confronting this devastating disease.

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