Vaccination with activated dendritic cells in the prophylaxis of experimental sporotrichosis in immunosuppressed mice

Abstract

Sporotrichosis is an important mycosis with worldwide distribution that affects humans and animals. The fungal infection is usually caused by traumatic inoculation of fungus Sporothrix schenckii ( S. schenckii) and clinical manifestations may differ from skin infection, lymphocutaneous and systemic infection, most commonly seen in immunocompromised patients. Cases of sporotrichosis caused by cat scratching and contact with its contaminated wounds were reported in several cities in Brazil and in the city of Rio de Janeiro the disease assumed epidemic proportions. Studies have been shown that the use of dendritic cells as a tool for developing vaccines to various fungi. However, studies related to this methodology to fungal infections, especially in sporotrichosis, are still rare and there´s a great need from the cientific community to clarify the important role of dendritic cell vaccine for prophylactic and / or therapeutic. Therefore, the study´s aim is to evaluate the protective ability of activated-dendritic cells isogenic in model of infection by S. schenckii, mimetizing the natural route of infection by subcutaneous in animals with induced immunosuppression. The use of dendritic cells stimulated with S. schenckii inoculated subcutaneously may in the future serve as a study source to generate therapeutic and vaccine tools in sporotrichosis.