Leishmania transmission-blocking vaccines: a review.

OBJECTIVE

To review information on transmission-blocking vaccine against Leishmania infections.

DATA SOURCES: Peer-reviewed journals and accepted manuscripts in press.

STUDY SELECTION: Laboratory studies based on raising of immune sera against Leishmania-derived antigens using the BALB/c and hamster murine models. Testing of the immune sera for their potential to limit the transmission of cutaneous leishmaniasis in its natural vector Phlebotomus duboscqi.

DATA SYNTHESIS: Leishmania major-derived recombinant 63 kilodalton glycoprotein (rgp63), lipophosphoglycan (LPG), whole parasite, flagella and nuclear fractions; monoclonal antibodies and sandfly gut antigens have all been tested for their candidacy as Leishmania-transmission blocking vaccines.

CONCLUSION

Liposphoglycan proved to be a promising candidate for Leishmania transmission-blocking vaccine studies.