IMR Press / FBE / Volume 5 / Issue 1 / DOI: 10.2741/E593

Frontiers in Bioscience-Elite (FBE) is published by IMR Press from Volume 13 Issue 2 (2021). Previous articles were published by another publisher on a subscription basis, and they are hosted by IMR Press on imrpress.com as a courtesy and upon agreement with Frontiers in Bioscience.

Review

Proteins mediating the Neospora caninum-host cell interaction as targets for vaccination

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1 Institute of Parasitology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Berne, Switzerland
2 Institute of Veterinary Pharmacology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Berne, Switzerland

*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Front. Biosci. (Elite Ed) 2013, 5(1), 23–36; https://doi.org/10.2741/E593
Published: 1 January 2013
Abstract

Neospora caninum is an apicomplexan parasite that is capable of infecting, a wide range of tissues. The fact that Neospora represents an important abortion-causing parasite in cattle has transformed neosporosis research from an earlier, rather esoteric field, to a significant research topic, and considerable investments have been made in the last years to develop an efficacious vaccine or other means of intervention that would prevent infection and abortion due to N. caninum infection in cattle. Antigenic molecules associated with proteins involved in adhesion/invasion or other parasite-host-cell interaction processes can confer protection against Neospora caninum infection, and such proteins represent valuable targets for the development of a vaccine to limit economical losses due to neosporosis. Although not ideal, small laboratory animal models that mimic cerebral infection, acute disease and fetal loss upon infection during pregnancy have been used for the assessment of vaccine candidates, in parallel with studies on experimental infections in cattle. Herein, we review and critically assess these vaccination approaches and discuss potential options for improvements.

Keywords
Neospora caninum
Toxoplasma gondii
Neosporosis
Host cell invasion
Micronemes
Rhoptries
Surface antigens
Vaccine
Review
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