title: A mucin-like peptide from Fasciola hepatica induces parasite-specific Th1-type cell immunity.
abstract: Fasciolosis, caused by the liver fluke Fasciola hepatica, is a major parasitic disease of livestock that causes significant economic losses worldwide. Although drugs are effective against liver flukes, they do not prevent reinfection, and continuous treatment is costly. Moreover, resistant fluke strains are emerging. In this context, vaccination is a good alternative since it provides a cost-effective long-term prevention strategy to control fasciolosis. In this paper, we evaluate the Fhmuc peptide as a potential vaccine against fasciolosis. This peptide derives from a mucin-like protein highly expressed in the infective stage of Fasciola hepatica. Mucin-like molecules expressed by parasites can contribute to several infection processes by protecting the parasite from host proteases and recognition by the immune system. We show that the Fhmuc peptide induces Th1-like immune responses specific for F. hepatica excretion-secretion products (FhESP) with a high production of IFNγ. We also investigated whether this peptide could protect animals from infection, and present preliminary data indicating that animals treated with Fhmuc exhibited reduced liver damage compared to non-immunised animals and that this protection was associated with a recruitment of B and T lymphocytes in the peritoneum, as well as eosinophils and mature dendritic cells. These results suggest that the mucin-like peptide Fhmuc could constitute a potential vaccine candidate against fasciolosis and pave the way towards the development of vaccines against parasites.
authors.affiliation: UdelaR, Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Inmunobiología, Group of Immunomodulation and Vaccine Development, Gral. Flores 2125, CP11800, Montevideo, Uruguay.
authors.forename: Verónica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Noya
authors.affiliation: UdelaR, Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Inmunobiología, Group of Immunomodulation and Vaccine Development, Gral. Flores 2125, CP11800, Montevideo, Uruguay.
authors.forename: Natalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Brossard
authors.affiliation: UdelaR, Facultad de Ciencias, Instituto de Higiene, Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular, Unidad de Biología Parasitaria, Av. A. Navarro 3051, CP11600, Montevideo, Uruguay.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Berasaín
authors.affiliation: UdelaR, Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Inmunobiología, Group of Immunomodulation and Vaccine Development, Gral. Flores 2125, CP11800, Montevideo, Uruguay.
authors.forename: Ernesto
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.affiliation: UdelaR, Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Inmunobiología, Group of Immunomodulation and Vaccine Development, Gral. Flores 2125, CP11800, Montevideo, Uruguay.
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chiale
authors.affiliation: Udelar, Facultad de Medicina, Hospital de Clínicas, Cátedra de Anatomía Patológica, Av. Italia 2590, CP11600, Montevideo, Uruguay.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mazal
authors.affiliation: UdelaR, Facultad de Ciencias, Instituto de Higiene, Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular, Unidad de Biología Parasitaria, Av. A. Navarro 3051, CP11600, Montevideo, Uruguay.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Carmona
authors.affiliation: UdelaR, Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Inmunobiología, Group of Immunomodulation and Vaccine Development, Gral. Flores 2125, CP11800, Montevideo, Uruguay. tfreire@fmed.edu.uy.
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Freire
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000909:Antibodies, Helminth / Q000097:blood; D002417:Cattle; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology; D005210:Fasciola hepatica / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D005211:Fascioliasis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009077:Mucins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D014611:Vaccination / Q000191:economics; D014612:Vaccines
chemical_list: D000909:Antibodies, Helminth; D009077:Mucins; D010455:Peptides; D014612:Vaccines; D007371:Interferon-gamma
keywords: Fasciola hepatica; Immune response; Mucin-like peptide; Vaccine