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J Parasit Dis Diagn Ther 2017 | Volume 2 Issue 4
International Conference on
Zoology, Microbiology & Medical Parasitology
October 30-November 01, 2017 | Chicago, USA
Neospora caninum
-induced inflammation causes abortion which is prevented by vaccination with
parasite-derived immune modulators
Wenbin Tuo
United States Department of Agriculture /ARS, USA
Statement of the Problem:
Neospora caninum
is a
protozoan parasite causing bovine neosporosis. Although
seroprevalence of
N. caninum
is high in many of its
intermediate hosts, the clinical disease associated with
livestock production is manifested primarily in cattle.
Neosporosis as an emerging disease is considered a
major cause of abortion in cattle worldwide, which has
been estimated to account for 20% of all cattle abortions.
Currently, there is no drug or vaccine available to treat or
prevent neosporosis.
N. caninum
infection does elicit a strong
inflammatory immune response in the hosts; however, the
resulting immunity does not appear to be protective.
Methodology&Theoretical Orientation:
It has beenbelieved
that the unusual inflammation induced by
N. caninum
results
in pregnancy loss by causing detrimental immunopathology
at the fetal-maternal interface. We hypothesize that
immunization against the parasitic molecules responsible for
stimulating high host inflammation may confer protection.
Findings:
Our studies identified a group of parasite-derived
immunomodulators , including Neospora cyclophilin (NcCyP)
and profilin (NcPro), which mediate
N. caninum
-elicited host
immune responses and inflammation. In the mouse and
ruminant models, immunization with both NcCyP and NcPro
resulted in high levels of antibody production and protected
against Neospora challenge infection and neosporosis-
associated abortion following challenge infection.
Conclusion & Significance:
These results indicate that the
approach to prevent and control neosporosis in ruminants
by a vaccine is feasible and in particular, a bacterial
expression system produced recombinant vaccine has the
advantages of being highly efficacious and cost-effective.
Our studies provided the first evidence that neosporosis or
neosporosis-associated abortion is preventable by immune
modulator-based vaccines and the application of this vaccine
will increase cattle productivity by significantly reducing
reproductive losses associated with
N. caninum
infection.
Speaker Biography
Wenbin Tuo has expertise in protozoan and nematode parasite infectious diseases
in livestock species. He has devoted his professional career to understanding host-
parasite interactions and development of immunologic control measures for parasitic
infections in large ruminants. Vaccine candidates identified by antigen-specific CD4
T cells and parasitic immune modulators that are able to cross-downregulate host
protective immunity have been tested in numerous vaccine trials and some of the
vaccines have been demonstrated to have significant protective efficacies. His ongoing
research involves continued investigation of interplays between the parasites and
hosts and identification and testing of protective candidate vaccines in ruminants.
e:
wenbin.Tuo@ars.Usda.Gov