title: Protection from murine cysticercosis by immunization with a parasite cysteine protease.
abstract: Central nervous system infection by Taenia solium cysts causes neurocysticercosis, a common neurological infection in the Third World. We have previously isolated cysteine proteases from Taenia crassiceps and T. solium. In this study, we immunized BALB/c mice with the purified T. solium cysteine protease and challenged them with Taenia crassiceps. Immunized mice had a 72% reduction in parasite burden compared to mice that received no immunization. Immunized mice developed antigen specific lymphocyte proliferation. These data support further studies of the T. solium cysteine protease as a vaccine candidate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, Biological Sciences Building, Athens, GA 30603, USA.
authors.forename: Salman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baig
authors.forename: Raymond T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Damian
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Morales-Montor
authors.forename: Amr
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ghaleb
authors.forename: Amjed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baghdadi
authors.forename: A Clinton
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: White
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000947:Antigens, Helminth / Q000276:immunology*; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003551:Cysticercosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D041201:Taenia solium / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000276:immunology*; D022223:Vaccines, Subunit / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000947:Antigens, Helminth; D022223:Vaccines, Subunit; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases