Development Of A Vaccine For Leishmania Major Infection

利什曼原虫感染在世界范围内引起严重的发病率和死亡率。感染宿主的利什曼原虫种类的类型和宿主产生的免疫反应决定了所看到的临床疾病的谱。特别是，T细胞产生细胞因子的模式对保护至关重要。目前还没有易于管理、有效和具有成本效益的利什曼原虫疫苗。这些实验将寻求建立一种疫苗方案，足以在小鼠和灵长类动物感染后给予长期保护性免疫。实验将特别关注DNA、蛋白质和重组病毒疫苗。此外，这些研究将评估不同疫苗配方诱导长期保护性细胞免疫的细胞和分子机制。

Infection with Leishmania causes significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. The type of Leishmania species infecting the host and the immune response generated by the host determines the spectrum of clinical disease that is seen. In particular, the pattern of cytokine production from T cells is critical for protection. At present there is no vaccine for Leishmania that is easy to administer, efficacious, and cost effective. These experiments will seek to establish a vaccine regimen that is sufficient to confer long-term protective immunity following infectious challenge in mice and primates. Experiments will specifically focus on DNA, protein and recombinant viral vaccines. In addition, these studies will evaluate the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which different vaccine formulations induce long-term protective cellular immunity.