Developing vaccines to combat hookworm infection and intestinal schistosomiasis.
Hookworm infection and schistosomiasis rank among the most important health problems in developing countries. Both cause anaemia and malnutrition, and schistosomiasis also results in substantial intestinal, liver and genitourinary pathology. In sub-Saharan Africa and Brazil, co-infections with the hookworm, Necator americanus, and the intestinal schistosome, Schistosoma mansoni, are common. The development of vaccines for these infections could substantially reduce the global disability associated with these helminthiases. New genomic, proteomic, immunological and X-ray crystallographic data have led to the discovery of several promising candidate vaccine antigens. Here, we describe recent progress in this field and the rationale for vaccine development.
Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20037, USA.
Peter J
PJ
Hotez
Jeffrey M
JM
Bethony
David J
DJ
Diemert
Mark
M
Pearson
Alex
A
Loukas
D000740:Anemia / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D000818:Animals; D000947:Antigens, Helminth; D006725:Hookworm Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D017221:Necator americanus / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology; D012550:Schistosoma mansoni / Q000276:immunology; D012555:Schistosomiasis mansoni / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014612:Vaccines / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D017778:Vaccines, Combined / Q000302:isolation & purification
D000947:Antigens, Helminth; D014612:Vaccines; D017778:Vaccines, Combined