Infection with Diphyllobothrium results in diphyllobothriasis, a condition cutting across all social strata and profoundly affecting those living in areas where fish is preferred even when eaten raw. As a leading company in the field of infectious disease research, we offer comprehensive services for the development of vaccines and therapeutics against diphyllobothriasis.
Overview of Diphyllobothriasis
Diphyllobothriasis refers to the disease caused by the infection of planktonic copepods with the tape worm Diphyllobothrium. It is a species of cephalate endoparasite with a plerocercoid larva stage incorporating freshwater fish as secondary and human beings as primary hosts. Humans get the infection as a consequence of eating raw fish or fish poorly cooked and containing infective plerocercoid larvae. The adult worm, in form of an organism, is a highly differentiated coelomic parasite that lives in the upper segment of the small intestine. It is to this site that it is able to inflict considerable damage and from where the coelomic cavity of the host is entered. The organism infests the host’s body to such an extent that it can lead to an array of symptoms not limited to the mild form of gastrointestinal upset to extreme conditions such as vitamin B12 deficiency or even neurological complications.
Fig.1 Pathological features of adult D. nihonkaiense. (Tsukamoto Y., et al., 2019)
Vaccine Development for Diphyllobothriasis
At this point, it is important to note that diphyllobothriasis vaccine is not available on the commercial market. Vaccine development, especially those targeting diphyllobothriasis, is not easy given the cyclic nature of parasites and their evasive nature towards host immune cells, which is complex. Nevertheless, there is ongoing research aimed at developing vaccine candidates that target specific antigens.
Potential Vaccine Candidates:
Work has been carried out on the identification and characterization of recombinant proteins extracted from Diphyllobothrium species which offer good prospects. Studies have demonstrated that certain proteins involved in the attachment of the parasite and evasion of host immune responses may be possible targets for vaccines.
Plasmids containing DNA which encode for a specific antigen associated with Diphyllobothrium are transformed into the host to produce an immune response through the introduction of DNA vaccines. As in many other early stage studies, these models of animals have shown the ability to produce both humoral and cellular immune responses to Diphyllobothrium infections during initial phases.
The creation of live attenuated vaccines is an area of consideration, albeit rather difficult. These vaccines would require a weaker form of the parasite to be able to produce the desired immune response without causing illness. The practicality of these initiatives still requires further safety and effectiveness verification.
Therapeutics Development for Diphyllobothriasis
For the treatment of diphyllobothriasis, the primary engagement is pharmacological, whereby anthelmintic drugs are employed. The following therapies have been established as effective:
Praziquantel
This drug is deemed most appropriate for treatment in diphyllobothriasis cases. Praziquantel is taken up with food, and parasitic cases are treated with 5-10 mg/kg body weight dosage. The advantage is that the medicine induces severe contractions and neuters the musculature of the creature leading it to detach from the intestinal wall. Supporting studies have revealed much higher efficacy rate in therapeutic of diphyllobothriasis, often more than 90 percent.
Niclosamide
Niclosamide, like most drugs, is taken at a higher dosage a two gram dose taken orally is recommended for adult patients. It works by preventing the parasite from nourishing itself with glucose. While this medication is quite effective, it does come with some side effects and has to be consumed with care.
Our Services
To create and test vaccines and drugs for diphyllobothriasis, a combination of immunology, parasitology, and pharmacology must be used. For such complex reasons, our firm has combined capabilities in the design of diphyllobothriasis vaccines and therapeutics. Thus, we are able to provide the following services.
Preclinical Research
- Pharmacodynamics Study Services
- Pharmacokinetics Study Services
- Drug Safety Evaluation Services
Disease Models
- D. latum Infection Models
- D. dendriticum Infection Models
- D.dallinae Infection Models
- D. alascense Infection Models
- D. nihonkaiense Infection Models
- D. pacificum Infection Models
- D.stemnacephalum Infection Models
Our preclinical research services span a comprehensive spectrum of tasks, starting from the discovery of promising vaccine candidates to assessing their safety and effectiveness in animal models. By employing advanced technologies and stringent scientific approaches, we guarantee the resilience and dependability of our vaccine and drug development services. If you are interested in our services, please feel free to contact us.
References
- Tsukamoto, Yoshitane, et al. "Dibothriocephalus nihonkaiensis infection identified by pathological and genetic analyses-a case report and a recent literature review of human diphyllobothriasis." Human Pathology: Case Reports 16 (2019): 200298.
- Mohammed, M. M., et al. "A REVIEW OF DIPHYLLOBOTHRIASIS: AN EMERGING AND RE-EMERGING PARASITC ZOONOSIS." Nigerian Journal of Animal Production (2023): 1469-1473.
All of our services and products are intended for preclinical research use
only and cannot be used to diagnose, treat or manage patients.
