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. 2021 Jan 26;6(1):16. doi: 10.3390/tropicalmed6010016

Table 1.

Recent Chagas Disease Vaccine Platforms and Formulations.

Antigens
and Use
Adjuvants and Delivery Systems Immune Response Efficacy Against Parasite Efficacy Against Cardiac Damage and Dysfunction References
Therapeutic vaccines
DNA TcG2+TcG4,
therapeutic during acute phase
Plasmids or nano plasmids CD4+ and CD8+ producing IFNg, PRF, and GRZ Decreased parasite burden in cardiac and skeletal muscle Decrease in fibrosis in heart and skeletal muscle, decrease in oxidative stress [40,41]
DNA Cruzipain and Chagasin plasmids with Salmonella carrier,
therapeutic during acute phase
GM-CSF expression plasmid Increased IFNγ and antibodies Decreased parasite burden in blood and heart, and increased survival Decreased cardiac inflammation [42]
Peptides 10 peptide epitopes mixture, therapeutic during acute phase TLR4 agonist (MPLA) Increased IFNγ Decreased cardiac parasite burden,
increased survival
N/A [43]
Recombinant proteins Tc24, TSA-1 and their optimized variants, therapeutic during acute phase TLR4 agonists (E6020, MPLA, GLA), TLR9 agonist (CpG), nanoparticles Antibodies, IFNγ, and CD4+ and CD8+ activation Decreased cardiac parasite burden,
increased survival
Decrease in cardiac inflammation and fibrosis [44,45,46,47]
Recombinant proteins Tc24, therapeutic during chronic phase TLR4 agonists (E6020) High IFNγ and low IL4, and antibodies Decreased parasitemia Decrease in cardiac inflammation and fibrosis [48]
Recombinant proteins Tc24-C4, therapeutic combined with low dose Benznidazole TLR4 agonist (E6020) Increased IFNγ, IL12, TNFa, IL2, IL4 and IL10, and CD4+ and CD8+ T cell activation Decreased parasitemia, increased survival N/A [49]
Viral vectors Recombinant Adenovirus expression ASP2, therapeutic during acute phase TNFa, iNOS, TLR4, and IL-10 expression in the liver Increased survival, decreased parasite burden in liver N/A [50]
Viral vectors Recombinant adenovirus expressing ASP2 and TS, therapeutic during chronic phase IFNγ and CD8+ T cells Increased survival Decreased cardiac fibrosis and dysfunction [51]
Preventative vaccines
Live parasites Drug-cured primary infection, preventative N/A N/A Sustained decrease in parasite burden in all body N/A [52]
Live parasites Live attenuated parasite (inducible expression of alpha-toxin, and cecropin A), preventative N/A IFNγ, TNFa, CD4+ and CD8+ T cell activation, antibodies, and NK cells No detectable parasites Decrease in cardiac inflammation [53,54]
Live parasites Live attenuated parasite (TCC attenuated strain), preventative short term IFNγ expressing plasmid Antibodies and mixed Th1/Th2 response Decreased parasitemia and increased survival N/A [55]
DNA TcG2+TcG4, preventative short term Plasmids alone or with Trypanosoma rangeli and/or Quil A as adjuvants Antibodies, CD4+ and CD8+ producing IFNγ, TNFa, and PRF Decreased parasite burden in cardiac and skeletal muscle [56]
DNA Cruzipain plasmid,
preventative short term
GM-CSF plasmid Antibodies and DTH Decreased parasitemia, increased survival Decreased cardiac tissue damage [57]
DNA Cruzipain, Tc52, Tc24 plasmids,
preventative short term
Salmonella enterica carrier Trypanolytic antibodies, DTH, IFNγ, IL12, and IL10 Decreased parasitemia, increased survival Decreased cardiac tissue inflammation, necrosis [58]
Recombinant proteins Cruzipain fused with staphylococcal superantigen, preventative short term TLR9 agonist (CpG) Neutralizing antibodies and DTH Decreased parasitemia and increased survival N/A [59]
Recombinant proteins Recombinant Traspain, Cruzipain and ASP-2 fusion protein, preventative short term c-di-AMP adjuvant (STING agonist) Neutralizing antibodies, CD4+ and CD8+ T cell activation, IFNγ, TNFa, IL2, and IL17 Decreased parasitemia and increased survival Decreased cardiac damage (CK, CK-MB), decreased necrosis and inflammation in the heart and skeletal muscle [60]
Recombinant proteins Recombinant Tc52 fragment, preventative short term c-di-AMP adjuvant (STING agonist) Antibodies, CD4+ and CD8+ T cell activation, IFNγ, and IL17 Decreased parasitemia and increased survival N/A [61]
Recombinant proteins TcTASV, preventative short term Unlipidated Outer Membrane Protein
19 of Brucella abortus (U-Omp19) as adjuvant
Trypanolytic antibodies, IFNγ, and IL17 Decreased parasitemia and increased survival N/A [59]
Recombinant proteins Enolase, preventative short term Freund complete/incomplete adjuvant Antibodies, IFNγ, and IL2 Decreased parasitemia and increased survival Decreased cardiac and skeletal muscle inflammation [62]
Recombinant proteins Trans-Sialidase fragment, Preventative short term ISPA lipidic cages, ISCOMATRIX, or Freund adjuvant Trypanolytic antibodies, IFNγ, CD4+ and CD8+ T cell activation, Treg activation Decreased cardiac parasite burden,
increased survival
Decreased cardiac inflammation [63,64]
Glycotope αGal glycotope, preventative short term TLR4 agonist (Liposomal-monophosphoryl lipid A) Trypanolytic antibodies, CD4+ and CD8+ T cell activation Decreased parasite burden in multiple tissues, increased survival Decreased cardiac inflammation and necrosis [39]
Viral vectors Recombinant Adenovirus and modified Vaccinia Ankara virus expressing ASP-2 and Trans-sialidase, preventative vaccination PBS Decreased parasite burden during the acute phase in all body, but no impact on long-term burden during chronic phase N/A [52]
Bacterial vectors Recombinant Mycobacterium bovis (BCG) expressing trans-sialidase and cruzipain fragments, preventative short term Trypanolytic antibodies, and DTH, CD4+ expressing IFNγ, IL17, IL10, and CD8+ Increased survival Decreased cardiac inflammation and fibrosis [65]
Heterologous prime-boost combination Salmonella enterica expressing Traspain and ASP-2 TLR9 agonist (CpG) Increased IFNγ, IL17, low IL4, CD4+, and CD8+ T cell activation Decreased parasite burden in blood, heart and skeletal muscle, and increased survival Decreased inflammation and improved EKG [66]
Heterologous prime-boost combination Recombinant 80 kDa prolyl
oligopeptidase (Tc80) and plasmid DNA
TLR9 agonist (CpG) Increased IFNγ, IL2, TNFa, CD4+, and CD8+ T cell activation Decreased parasitemia, and increased survival Decreased cardiac inflammation, damage (CK and CK-MB), improved EKG [67]
Heterologous prime-boost combination Recombinant Tc52 and plasmid DNA with Salmonella carrier, preventative short term TLR9 agonist (CpG) Trypanoplytic antibodies, Increased IFNγ, IL10, CD4+, and CD8+ T cell activation Decreased parasitemia, and increased survival Decreased cardiac inflammation [68]
Heterologous prime-boost combination TcG1, TcG2, and TcG4 expression plasmids and recombinant proteins, preventative long term IL2 and GM-CSF plasmids Increased IFNγ, TNFa, CD4+ and CD8+ T cell activation N/A N/A [69]

PRF—perforin; GZN—granzyme; DTH—delated type hypersensitivity; TLR—Toll-like receptor; IL—interleukin; IFN—interferon; TNF—tumor necrosis factor; EKG—electrocardiogram; N/A—not applicable.