Leishmania tarentolae: a vaccine platform to target dendritic cells and a surrogate pathogen for next generation vaccine research in leishmaniases and viral infections

Parasites & Vectors

Review

Gianvincenzo Zuccotti¹  Claudio Bandi²  Massimo Pajoro²  Sara Epis²  Ilaria Varotto-Boccazzi²  Matteo Brilli²  Alessandro Alvaro²  Jairo Alfonso Mendoza-Roldan³  Viviane Noll Louzada-Flores³  Domenico Otranto³  Alessandro Manenti⁴  Emanuele Montomoli⁵ 

[1] Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Pediatric CRC “Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi”–University of Milan, Milan, Italy;Department of Pediatrics, Ospedale dei Bambini-Buzzi, Milan, Italy;Department of Biosciences, Pediatric CRC “Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi”–University of Milan, Milan, Italy;Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Valenzano, Italy;VisMederi, Siena, Italy;VisMederi, Siena, Italy;Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena, Siena, Italy;

关键词: Protozoa;    Leishmaniasis;    Antigens;    Parasites;    Viral vaccines;    Immunization;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s13071-023-05651-1

 received in 2022-11-28, accepted in 2023-01-03,  发布年份 2023

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

Parasites of the genus Leishmania are unusual unicellular microorganisms in that they are characterized by the capability to subvert in their favor the immune response of mammalian phagocytes, including dendritic cells. Thus, in overt leishmaniasis, dendritic cells and macrophages are converted into a niche for Leishmania spp. in which the parasite, rather than being inactivated and disassembled, survives and replicates. In addition, Leishmania parasites hitchhike onto phagocytic cells, exploiting them as a mode of transport to lymphoid tissues where other phagocytic cells are potentially amenable to parasite colonization. This propensity of Leishmania spp. to target dendritic cells has led some researchers to consider the possibility that the non-pathogenic, reptile-associated Leishmania tarentolae could be exploited as a vaccine platform and vehicle for the production of antigens from different viruses and for the delivery of the antigens to dendritic cells and lymph nodes. In addition, as L. tarentolae can also be regarded as a surrogate of pathogenic Leishmania parasites, this parasite of reptiles could possibly be developed into a vaccine against human and canine leishmaniases, exploiting its immunological cross-reactivity with other Leishmania species, or, after its engineering, for the expression of antigens from pathogenic species. In this article we review published studies on the use of L. tarentolae as a vaccine platform and vehicle, mainly in the areas of leishmaniases and viral infections. In addition, a short summary of available knowledge on the biology of L. tarentolae is presented, together with information on the use of this microorganism as a micro-factory to produce antigens suitable for the serodiagnosis of viral and parasitic infections.Graphical Abstract

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© The Author(s) 2023

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