Vaccination withLeishmaniasoluble antigen and immunostimulatory oligodeoxynucleotides induces specific immunity and protection againstLeishmania donovaniinfection

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Abstract
In this report, we investigated the effect of ODN containing immunostimulatory CG motifs as adjuvant with soluble antigen (SA) from Leishmania donovani. BALB/c mice were vaccinated with the soluble antigen with or without CpG-ODN as adjuvant and then challenged with L. donovani metacyclic promastigotes. CpG-ODN alone resulted in partial protection against challenge with L. donovani. Immunization of mice with SA and CpG-ODN showed enhanced reduction in parasite load (∼60%) when compared to SA (∼40%) immunized mice. Immunization with SA by itself resulted in a mixed Th1/Th2 response whereas co-administration of SA with CpG-ODN resulted in a strong Th1 promoting isotype as they together promoted production of immunoglobulin G2a. Leishmania-specific Th1 cytokine response was induced by co-administering CpG-ODN and SA as they together promoted production of IFN-γ and IL-12. In the present study, we demonstrate that immunostimulatory phosphorothioate-modified ODN are promising immune enhancers for vaccination against visceral leishmaniaisis.

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