Flea Control by Immunological Intervention

跳蚤是一种吸血寄生虫，是引起宠物皮肤病的主要原因。目前，所有可用的跳蚤产品都依赖于化学控制，许多产品含有具有实际或感知健康问题的活性成分。鉴于昆虫生长调节剂不能杀死成年跳蚤，而且宠物主人对使用杀虫剂的替代品很感兴趣，显然需要一种补充性的跳蚤控制形式。我们描述了蛋白质组学技术的新应用，以识别跳蚤蛋白质，这些蛋白质在喂食过程中被“打开”，并且特别位于肠道中。这一项目将使研制出一种全身性的、杀死成年跳蚤的、长效的和无残留的疫苗成为可能。

Fleas are bloodsucking parasites that are the major cause of skin disease in pets. Currently, all available flea products rely upon chemical control and many have active components that have real or perceived health problems. Given that insect growth regulators do not kill adult fleas and pet owners are interested in using alternatives to insecticides, there is a clear need for a complementary form of flea control. We describe the novel use of Proteomic technology to identify flea proteins that are "switched on" during feeding and are specifically located in the gut. This project will enable the development of a vaccine that is systemic, kills adult fleas, is long-lasting and residue-free.