University of Liverpool

Overview
For advancement of learning and ennoblement of life - This has been our mission since the University was founded in 1881. To this day, these values focus our efforts as we strive to achieve our ambitions and tackle the grand challenges of the age.
Research
Research is the key to solving our world’s greatest challenges. It can make a positive difference – to individuals, industries, economies and entire countries. It can change the world.
We are committed to driving research excellence and innovation on a global scale. With 81% of our research ranked ‘world-leading’ and ‘internationally excellent’ in the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF), we are addressing some of the world’s toughest challenges.
We have gained recognition for international research excellence in personalised health, advanced materials, and infectious disease. Our strength lies in bringing together academics from across all our faculties to produce research that is globally relevant, as evident in our digital research, an emerging area of strength.
Industry Partnerships
The University of Liverpool is in a strong position to develop innovative solutions and approaches to tackle many of today’s complex social, economic and environmental challenges, for business, industry and even world economies.
Exchanging knowledge and expertise are an integral part of the University and accelerate the utilisation of our research achievements, which are at the forefront of scientific development worldwide.
Importantly, our research is enhanced through partnerships we have with a wide-range of private, public, and third-sector organisations. These partnerships are a key way of translating our groundbreaking research to real situations, while helping organisations to accelerate innovation and economic growth.
By facilitating access to our expertise, facilities and networks, we offer the means to transform ideas into creative solutions, improved performance, new technologies, strategies, applications, products or skills.

<h1 id="background">Background</h1>
Fasciola hepatica
<ul>
<li>Globally distributed helminth parasite<ul>
<li>Predominately infects livestock</li>
<li>Evidence that circa 70% of UK dairy herds are exposed</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Presenting as a chronic wasting disease of production or giving rise to acute fatal infection<ul>
<li>Economic losses estimated to reach</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Current control measures rely on chemotherapy<ul>
<li>Tricalbendazole targets both adult and juvenile</li>
<li>Sustained used has lead to resistance that continues to develop</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h1 id="technology-overview">Technology Overview</h1>
Liverpool researchers proposed a novel vaccine:
<ul>
<li>Multiple polarised immune responses contribute to protection</li>
<li>Single component vaccines have a low reproducibility</li>
<li>Parasite immunomodulation must be overcome</li>
</ul>
Vaccine components
<ul>
<li>12 Antigenic fragments selected for:<ul>
<li>Induction of antibody</li>
<li>IFN-γ production</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Neutralisation of a key immunomodulator</li>
</ul>
Challenge Model
<ul>
<li>Rat vaccination &amp; challenge</li>
<li>3 immunisations</li>
<li>30 metacercariae oral challenge</li>
</ul>
Vaccine protection
<img src="https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/assets.in-part.com/figures/2IpIEH6XQSoEHi738Sd9_Picture%202.png" alt="Figure 1" />, <img src="https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/assets.in-part.com/figures/QupeRPTNQpmKrfEz97S9_Picture%203.png" alt="Figure 2" />, <img src="https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/assets.in-part.com/figures/ny1shSZxSEGAbPPKrEtO_Picture%204.png" alt="Figure 3" />
Elevated correlates of protection
<img src="https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/assets.in-part.com/figures/XORq09skQjuhZGeVWNWB_Picture%205.png" alt="Figure 4" />, <img src="https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/assets.in-part.com/figures/qMACWOIRQWALICtC1RIY_Picture%206.png" alt="Figure 5" />
<h3 id="stage-of-development">Stage of Development</h3>
<ul>
<li>Identified a cocktail of recombinant proteins and partial antigenic fragments targeting all stages of within host lifecycle</li>
<li>Validated their use in a rodent vaccine/challenge model</li>
<li>Displaying reduced parasite burden, pathology, clinical disease</li>
</ul>
Future work
<ul>
<li>Developing a method for prioritising B-cell responses and reducing number of vaccine components</li>
<li>Bovine vaccine/challenge finishes in May 2020 determining if current success is replicated in target hosts</li>
</ul>