Despite efforts to eliminate Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) in India, it continues to be a public health issue due to the occurrence of relapse post AmBisome treatment. The role of host genetics in susceptibility of VL relapse is not clearly understood. Here we have performed whole exome sequencing (WES) on healthy, VL relapse and non-relapse individuals.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe COVID-19 pandemic has emerged as a critical global health crisis, demanding urgent and effective strategies for containment. While some knowledge exists about epitope sequences recognized by human immune cells and their activation of CD8+ T cells within the HLA context, comprehensive information remains limited. This study employs reverse vaccinology to explore antigenic HLA-restricted T-cell epitopes capable of eliciting durable immunity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Biomol Struct Dyn
February 2024
Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a tropical disease that causes severe public health problems in humans when untreated. As no licensed vaccine exists against VL, we aimed to formulate a potential MHC-restricted chimeric vaccine construct against this dreadful parasitic disease. Amastin-like protein derived from is considered to be stable, immunogenic and non-allergic.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL), a dermal form of the disease, occurs in some visceral leishmaniasis (VL) patients following treatment. The PKDL disease mechanism is not yet clearly understood. Here we have studied the role of dermal fibroblasts in VL and PKDL disease mechanism.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVaccination is considered the most appropriate way to control visceral leishmaniasis (VL). With this background, the r-ODC protein as well as its derived HLA-DRB1-restricted synthetic peptides (P1: RLMPSAHAI, P2: LLDQYQIHL, P3: GLYHSFNCI, P4: AVLEVLSAL, and P5: RLPASPAAL) were validated in BALB/c mice against visceral leishmaniasis. The study was initiated by immunization of the r-ODC protein as well as its derived peptides cocktail with adjuvants (r-CD2 and MPL-A) in different mice groups, separately.
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