Nucleic acid vaccination with Schistosoma mansoni antioxidant enzyme cytosolic superoxide dismutase and the structural protein filamin confers protection against the adult worm stage.

ABSTRACT: Schistosomiasis remains a worldwide endemic cause of chronic and debilitating illness. There are two paradigms that exist in schistosome immunology. The first is that the schistosomule stages are the most susceptible to immune killing, and the second is that the adult stage, through evolution of defense mechanisms, can survive in the hostile host environment. One mechanism that seems to aid the adult worm in evading immune killing is the expression of antioxidant enzymes to neutralize the effects of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. Here, we challenge one paradigm by targeting adult Schistosoma mansoni worms for immune elimination in an experimental mouse model using two S. mansoni antioxidants, cytosolic superoxide dismutase (SmCT-SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (SmGPX), and a partial

SUBMITTER: Cook RM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC517585 | biostudies-literature | 2004 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature