Assessing the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of a telomerase deficient Leishmania major

Assessing the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of a telomerase deficient Leishmania major

VALIDATE Pump-Priming Project - April 2025 to October 2026

Led by:
Dr Mark Ewusi Shiburah; VALIDATE Associate; Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Ghana

With:
Prof Breno Castello Branco Beirão; VALIDATE Investigator; Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), Brazil
Prof Wanderson Duarte DaRoch; VALIDATE Affiliate; Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), Brazil

Project Aim

Leishmaniasis is a disease that affects many people globally, but the existing treatment options are not ideal. Vaccines have been proposed as an alternative to combat the disease, but unfortunately, no vaccine has yet been approved for human use. Countries like Brazil had an approved vaccine for canines, but the vaccine has now been withdrawn due to a technical problem discovered at the production. This means that leishmaniases are a public health challenge for both humans and animals worldwide, and especially in low- and middle-income countries. To develop new vaccines, we plan to modify the Leishmania parasite and carry out studies to see if the modified version of the parasite can induce the requisite responses to be considered a potential vaccine. Promising results from a previous study of telomerase deficient parasites, similar to the parasite the proposed study will generate, showed reduced infection in bone marrow cells and BALB/c mice. In the current proposal, three scientists from Ghana and Brazil will combine their expertise in genome editing, vaccinology, immunology, and parasitology to develop an efficacious vaccine that protects against leishmaniases. The work will be carried out in Ghana, but it will have potential global benefits.

Project Team Current Information