Table 3.

Use of GNP based nanovaccine against parasitic pathogens.

SN	Antigen	AuNP/Adjuvant	Immunization Mechanism	Immune Response	Ref.
1	Recombinant protein from rSm2 Schistosoma mansoni	Gold nanorods conjugated	Mice immunization intraperitoneally with 2 μg dose	Th1 immunological response. Higher production of IFN-γ, mostly by CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Activated dendritic cells (in vitro). Increase in the expression of MHCI and MHCII and the synthesis of IL-1β.	[124]
2	Surface protein Pfs25 from the P. falciparum	Attached to various AuNPs, including nanospheres, nanostars, nanocages, and nanoprisms	Mice were immunized with the resulting conjugates. Dose: 10 μg, three times, intramuscularly	High-titer antibodies. The highest titers were obtained with gold nanospheres and nanostars. The antibodies blocked the transmission of parasites to mosquitoes in membrane-feeding assays.	[32]
3	C-terminal 19 kDa fragment of merozoite surface protein 1 from the malaria pathogen Plasmodium falciparum	17 nm AuNP conjugated + adjuvant Alhydrogel®	Mice were immunized three times subcutaneously at a dose of 25 μg	Antibodies produced against the weakly immunogenic peptides. It blocked the invasion of P. falciparum in an in vitro assay.	[31]