title: A DNA vaccine encoding for TcSSP4 induces protection against acute and chronic infection in experimental Chagas disease.
abstract: Immunization of mice with plasmids containing genes of Trypanosoma cruzi induces protective immunity in the murine model of Chagas disease. A cDNA clone that codes for an amastigote-specific surface protein (TcSSP4) was used as a candidate to develop a DNA vaccine. Mice were immunized with the recombinant protein rTcSSP4 and with cDNA for TcSSP4, and challenged with bloodstream trypomastigotes. Immunization with rTcSSP4 protein makes mice more susceptible to trypomastigote infection, with high mortality rates, whereas mice immunized with a eukaryotic expression plasmid containing the TcSSP4 cDNA were able to control the acute phase of infection. Heart tissue of gene-vaccinated animals did not show myocarditis and tissue damage at 365 days following infection, as compared with control animals. INF-γ was detected in sera of DNA vaccinated mice shortly after immunization, suggesting the development of a Th1 response. The TcSSP4 gene is a promising candidate for the development of an anti-T. cruzi DNA vaccine.
authors: Departamento de Infectómica y Patogenesis Molecular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del I.P.N., México D.F. 07360, México.
authors: Minerva
authors: M
authors: Arce-Fonseca
authors: Angel
authors: A
authors: Ramos-Ligonio
authors: Aracely
authors: A
authors: López-Monteón
authors: Berenice
authors: B
authors: Salgado-Jiménez
authors: Patricia
authors: P
authors: Talamás-Rohana
authors: José Luis
authors: JL
authors: Rosales-Encina
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000517:prevention & control; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000276:immunology* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; C501457:SSP4 protein, Trypanosoma cruzi; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; D007371:Interferon-gamma