Effects of immunization with enzymes of Schistosoma mansoni nucleotides: search for new antigenic targets against mansonic schistosomiasis

Abstract

Schistosomiasis is one of the most prevalent tropical infectious diseases. Endemic in 78 countries, it is estimated that 249 million people have been infected and nearly 800 million still live in hazardous areas. Most of the morbidity and mortality associated with this helminthiasis is directly attributed to deposition of connective tissue elements in the affected tissues. The use of Praziquantel is still priority of choice in the control strategy to reduce morbidity due to schistosomiasis in endemic countries. However, there are reports of loss of sensitivity to drug, which can make their use less effective. Unlike its human host, Schistosoma mansoni depends entirely on the salvation way to feed their needs of purines, which makes it a potential target for development of new antischistosomal agents, or even vaccines. The use of recombinant proteins is a strategy for production of vaccines against S. mansoni as demonstrated in immunization studies with enzymes, resulting in an increased specific immune response led by antibodies. Thus, the present study has as main objective to analyze the production of antibodies and the immune response as a whole in mice previously immunized with Nucleoside Diphosphate Kinase (NDPK) and Adenylosuccinate Lyase (ADSL) S. mansoni recombinant protein. Through this analysis is expected to obtain potential candidates for vaccines against mansonic schistosomiasis. (AU)