Peptide-based vaccine successfully induces protective immunity against canine visceral leishmaniasis /Petitdidier, Elodie /Pagniez, Julie Pissarra, J. Holzmuller, P. Papierok, G. Vincendeau, P. /Lemesre, Jean-Loup /Bras Goncalves, Rachel Dogs are the main reservoir of zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis. Vaccination is a promising approach to help control leishmaniasis and to interrupt transmission of the Leishmania parasite. The promastigote surface antigen (PSA) is a highly immunogenic component of Leishmania excretory/secretory products. A vaccine based on three peptides derived from the carboxy-terminal part of Leishmania amazonensis PSA and conserved among Leishmania species, formulated with QA-21 as adjuvant, was tested on naive Beagle dogs in a preclinical trial. Four months after the full course of vaccination, dogs were experimentally infected with Leishmania infantum promastigotes. Immunization of dogs with peptide-based vaccine conferred immunity against experimental infection with L. infantum. Evidence for macrophage nitric oxide production and anti-leishmanial activity associated with IFN-y production by lymphocytes was only found in the vaccinated group. An increase in specific IgG2 antibodies was also measured in vaccinated dogs from 2 months after immunization. Additionally, after challenge with L. infantum, the parasite burden was significantly lower in vaccinated dogs than in the control group. These data strongly suggest that this peptide-based vaccine candidate generated cross-protection against zoonotic leishmaniasis by inducing a Th1-type immune response associated with production of specific IgG2 antibodies. This preclinical trial including a peptide-based vaccine against leishmaniasis clearly demonstrates effective protection in a natural host. This approach deserves further investigation to enhance the immunogenicity of the peptides and to consider the possible engineering of a vaccine targeting several Leishmania species. 2019 text https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010077468 fdi:010077468 Petitdidier Elodie, Pagniez Julie, Pissarra J., Holzmuller P., Papierok G., Vincendeau P., Lemesre Jean-Loup, Bras Goncalves Rachel. Peptide-based vaccine successfully induces protective immunity against canine visceral leishmaniasis. 2019, 4, art. 49 [9 ] EN