Polytope approach of genetic immunization is a promising strategy for the prevention of infectious disease as it is capable of generating effective cell mediated immunity by delivering the T cell epitopes assembled in series. Leishmaniasis is a significant world wide health problem for which no vaccine exists. In this study we have compared immunogenicity and efficacy of three types of DNA vacc...

Infection with the protozoan parasite Leishmania amazonensis can cause diverse clinical forms of leishmaniasis. Immunization with purified P4 nuclease protein has been shown to elicit a protective response in mice challenged with L. amazonensis and L. pifanoi. To explore the potential of a DNA-based vaccine, we tested the L. amazonensis gene encoding P4 nuclease as well as adjuvant constructs e...

Leishmaniasis, a vector-borne disease that is caused by obligate intra-macrophage protozoa, is endemic in large areas of the tropics, subtropics and Mediterranean basin. This disease is characterized by both diversity and complexity [1], it is caused by more than 20 leishmanial species and is transmitted to humans by about 30 different species of phlebotomine sandflies [2]. Leishmaniasis consis...

Leishmaniasis is a vector-borne protozoan infection whose clinical spectrum ranges from asymptomatic infection to fatal visceral leishmaniasis. Over the last decades, an increase in imported leishmaniasis cases in developed, non-endemic countries, have been pointed-out from a review of the international literature. Among the possible causes are increasing international tourism, influx of immigr...

BACKGROUND Long regimens for the treatment of post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) result in noncompliance. A safe, effective, and acceptable regimen for the treatment of PKDL is still to be developed. Miltefosine has been found to be effective in the treatment of Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL). Hence, its efficacy was tested in patients of PKDL. METHODS In this exploratory study, 33 patie...

Leishmania donovani in India causes visceral infection (kala-azar) and dermal infection (post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis). We report here the identification of polymorphism in a well-defined genetic locus among the Leishmania parasites causing the visceral and dermal manifestations, in a comparison of 15 post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis and 12 kala-azar patient isolates.

Objective: Leishmaniasis is endemic in 88 countries with incidence rate of 1.5-2 million; the most common form of leishmaniasis is cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) with 1.5 million new cases per year. Correct diagnosis and characterization of the particular parasite is important for evaluating prognosis and prescribing appropriate treatment. The current management of leishmaniasis is drug treatment...

In the present study, two Leishmania infantum hypothetical proteins present in the amastigote stage, LiHyp1 and LiHyp6, were combined with a promastigote protein, IgE-dependent histamine-releasing factor (HRF); to compose a polyproteins vaccine to be evaluated against L. infantum infection. Also, the antigenicity of the three proteins was analyzed, and their use for the serodiagnosis of canine ...

Sand flies are a significant public health concern in many parts of the world where they known to transmit agents several zoonotic diseases humans, such as leishmaniasis. Vector control remains key component anti-leishmaniasis programs and probably will remain so until an effective vaccine becomes available. The sand fly gut microbiota has recently emerged encouraging field for exploration vect...