The Design and Testing of a Novel Anti-Fasciola Vaccine
Identification and use of a series of recombinant proteins and partial antigenic fragments targeting all stages of within-host lifecycle
Published: 10th August 2021

Background
Fasciola hepatica
- Globally distributed helminth parasite
- Predominately infects livestock
- Evidence that circa 70% of UK dairy herds are exposed
- Presenting as a chronic wasting disease of production or giving rise to acute fatal infection
- Economic losses estimated to reach
- Current control measures rely on chemotherapy
- Tricalbendazole targets both adult and juvenile
- Sustained used has lead to resistance that continues to develop
Technology Overview
Liverpool researchers proposed a novel vaccine:
- Multiple polarised immune responses contribute to protection
- Single component vaccines have a low reproducibility
- Parasite immunomodulation must be overcome
Vaccine components
- 12 Antigenic fragments selected for:
- Induction of antibody
- IFN-γ production
- Neutralisation of a key immunomodulator
Challenge Model
- Rat vaccination & challenge
- 3 immunisations
- 30 metacercariae oral challenge
Vaccine protection
,
,
Elevated correlates of protection
,
Stage of Development
- Identified a cocktail of recombinant proteins and partial antigenic fragments targeting all stages of within host lifecycle
- Validated their use in a rodent vaccine/challenge model
- Displaying reduced parasite burden, pathology, clinical disease
Future work
- Developing a method for prioritising B-cell responses and reducing number of vaccine components
- Bovine vaccine/challenge finishes in May 2020 determining if current success is replicated in target hosts