Immunotherapeutics Combining a Recombinant Chimeric Protein, Monophosphoryl Lipid A, and Miltefosine Against Visceral Leishmaniasis Marcelo M. Jesus, Daniela P. Lage, Breno L. Pimenta, Gabriel J. L. Moreira, Isabela A. G. Pereira, et al. Pathogens, 2025 Current treatment for visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is associated with toxicity, a high cost, and the emergence of drug-resistant parasite strains. Moreover, no human vaccine is available. In this context, immunotherapeutics combining vaccination and chemotherapy have emerged as a promising alternative. In this study, we combined a recombinant chimeric protein (ChimT) with the adjuvant 3-O-desacyl–monophosphoryl lipid A (MPLA) and the antileishmanial drug miltefosine (Milt) and used it to treat Leishmania infantum-infected mice. Parasitological, immunological, and toxicological assays were performed at 1 and 30 days post treatment. The ChimT/MPLA/Milt combination was the most effective therapeutic regimen, inducing robust Th1-type cellular and humoral immune responses, as demonstrated by increased levels of IFN-γ, IL-12, and TNF-α cytokines, nitrite, and IgG2a antibodies. These responses were associated with significant reductions in parasite load across various organs. Furthermore, the treatment showed low renal and hepatic toxicity at both evaluation time points. By contrast, ChimT alone, ChimT/MPLA, and Milt induced lower immunological and parasitological responses when compared with the ChimT/MPLA/Milt group. The results observed at 1 and 30 days post treatment demonstrated the potential of ChimT/MPLA/Milt combination against VL.
Synthetic Peptides Selected by Immunoinformatics as Potential Tools for the Specific Diagnosis of Canine Visceral Leishmaniasis Gabriel Moreira, Rodrigo Maia, Nathália Soares, Thais Ostolin, Wendel Coura-Vital, et al. Microorganisms, 2024 Diagnosing canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL) in Brazil faces challenges due to the limitations regarding the sensitivity and specificity of the current diagnostic protocol. Therefore, it is urgent to map new antigens or enhance the existing ones for future diagnostic techniques. Immunoinformatic tools are promising in the identification of new potential epitopes or antigen candidates. In this study, we evaluated peptides selected by epitope prediction for CVL serodiagnosis in ELISA assays. Ten B-cell epitopes were immunogenic in silico, but two peptides (peptides No. 45 and No. 48) showed the best performance in vitro. The selected peptides, both individually and in combination, were highly diagnostically accurate, with sensitivities ranging from 86.4% to 100% and with a specificity of approximately 90%. We observed that the combination of peptides showed better performance when compared to peptide alone, by detecting all asymptomatic dogs, showing lower cross-reactivity in sera from dogs with other canine infections, and did not detect vaccinated animals. Moreover, our data indicate the potential use of immunoinformatic tools associated with ELISA assays for the selection and evaluation of potential new targets, such as peptides, applied to the diagnosis of CVL.
Recent advances and new strategies on leishmaniasis treatment Bruno Mendes Roatt, Jamille Mirelle de Oliveira Cardoso, Rory Cristiane Fortes De Brito, Wendel Coura-Vital, Rodrigo Dian de Oliveira Aguiar-Soares, et al. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 2020
Recent advances and new strategies in Leishmaniasis diagnosis Rory Cristiane Fortes De Brito, Rodrigo Dian de Oliveira Aguiar-Soares, Jamille Mirelle de Oliveira Cardoso, Wendel Coura-Vital, Bruno Mendes Roatt, et al. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 2020
Peptide vaccines for leishmaniasis Rory C. F. De Brito, Jamille M. De O. Cardoso, Levi E. S. Reis, Joao F. Vieira, Fernando A. S. Mathias, et al. Frontiers in Immunology, 2018
