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Clinical Microbiology Reviews, April 2001, p. 229-243, Vol. 14, No. 2
0893-8512/01/$04.00+0   DOI: 10.1128/CMR.14.2.229-243.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Leishmaniasis: Current Status of Vaccine Development

Emanuela Handman*

Infection and Immunity Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville 3050, Australia

Leishmaniae are obligatory intracellular protozoa in mononuclear phagocytes. They cause a spectrum of diseases, ranging in severity from spontaneously healing skin lesions to fatal visceral disease. Worldwide, there are 2 million new cases each year and 1/10 of the world's population is at risk of infection. To date, there are no vaccines against leishmaniasis and control measures rely on chemotherapy to alleviate disease and on vector control to reduce transmission. However, a major vaccine development program aimed initially at cutaneous leishmaniasis is under way. Studies in animal models and humans are evaluating the potential of genetically modified live attenuated vaccines, as well as a variety of recombinant antigens or the DNA encoding them. The program also focuses on new adjuvants, including cytokines, and delivery systems to target the T helper type 1 immune responses required for the elimination of this intracellular organism. The availability, in the near future, of the DNA sequences of the human and Leishmania genomes will extend the vaccine program. New vaccine candidates such as parasite virulence factors will be identified. Host susceptibility genes will be mapped to allow the vaccine to be targeted to the population most in need of protection.

* Mailing address: Infection and Immunity Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville 3050, Australia. Phone: 61-3-9345 2555. Fax: 61-3-9347 0852. E-mail: handman{at}wehi.edu.au.

Clinical Microbiology Reviews, April 2001, p. 229-243, Vol. 14, No. 2
0893-8512/01/$04.00+0   DOI: 10.1128/CMR.14.2.229-243.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


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Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. Clin. Vaccine Immunol.
J. Clin. Microbiol. ALL ASM JOURNALS

Copyright © 2001 by the American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.