Publications by authors named "J Sijtsma"

Malaria vaccines consisting of metabolically active Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) sporozoites can offer improved protection compared with currently deployed subunit vaccines. In a previous study, we demonstrated the superior protective efficacy of a three-dose regimen of late-arresting genetically attenuated parasites administered by mosquito bite (GA2-MB) compared with early-arresting counterparts (GA1-MB) against a homologous controlled human malaria infection. Encouraged by these results, we explored the potency of a single GA2-MB immunization in a placebo-controlled randomized trial.

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Background: Partial protective immunity to schistosomiasis develops over time, following repeated praziquantel treatment. Moreover, animals develop protective immunity after repeated immunisation with irradiated cercariae. Here, we evaluated development of natural immunity through consecutive exposure-treatment cycles with Schistosoma mansoni (Sm) in healthy, Schistosoma-naïve participants using single-sex controlled human Sm infection.

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Schistosomiasis is an infection caused by contact with -contaminated water and affects more than 230 million people worldwide with varying morbidity. The roles of T helper 2 (T2) cells and regulatory immune responses in chronic infection are well documented, but less is known about human immune responses during acute infection. Here, we comprehensively map immune responses during controlled human infection using male or female cercariae.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study focuses on how the age of Plasmodium falciparum sporozoites (SPZ) in mosquitoes affects their infectivity and the immune response they trigger in humans, specifically examining SPZ that are 14, 17, and 20 days old.* -
  • Results indicated that while the number and viability of SPZ did not change with age, their motility decreased significantly over time, and the infectivity of SPZ dropped notably from 14 to 20 days.* -
  • Additionally, immune responses showed that macrophages were more effective at taking up SPZ at 14 days, resulting in higher expression of inflammatory markers compared to those that were 20 days old.*
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Background: Vaccine development against hookworm is hampered by the absence of the development of protective immunity in populations repeatedly exposed to hookworm, limiting identification of mechanisms of protective immunity and new vaccine targets. Immunisation with attenuated larvae has proven effective in dogs and partial immunity has been achieved using an irradiated larvae model in healthy volunteers. We aimed to investigate the protective efficacy of immunisation with short-term larval infection against hookworm challenge.

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