According to the World Health Organization, giardiasis falls under neglected tropical diseases, indicating the need for further research and development. Protheragen is pleased to provide a complete range of services to help develop vaccines and therapies for giardiasis.
Overview of Giardiasis
Giardiasis is a major gastrointestinal disorder propelled by the protozoan parasite Giardia intestinalis (Giardia lamblia or Giardia duodenalis). It is a microscopic flagellated parasite, and among the most prevalent food and water borne parasitic infections, it is estimated that around 200 million people suffer worldwide especially in developing regions with inadequate sanitation hygiene.
Fig.1 Molecules involved in G. duodenalis ABZ-resistant clones. (Argüello-García R., et al., 2020)
The symptoms of giardiasis range from mild symptoms to severe diarrhea, malabsorption, and nutrition deficiency especially among kids. In the life cycle of the parasite, infectious cysts are ingested which then metamorphose into trophozoites that invade the small intestines. Elderly and children infected with Giardia often suffer from severe gastrointestinal symptoms. Giardai trophozoites interact with intestinal epithelium causing epithelial damage, brush border disruption, and inhibited nutrient absorption.
Vaccine Development for Giardiasis
The major difficulty in developing a vaccine for giardiasis is that the underlying parasite can change its surface antigens to escape the host immune response. This is why some parasites undergo such antigenic variation. This feature makes it very difficult to come up with a viable giardiasis vaccine that can provide sustained protection.
Existing Animal Vaccines
In the development of vaccines against giardiasis, one of the milestones is the creation of GiardiaVax, an anti-giardiasis vaccine for animals. The vaccine is a mixture containing isolates from sheep, dogs, and humans. It proved effective in reducing the clinical signs and duration of cyst shedding in affected cats and dogs. In addition, GiardiaVax was utilized as an immunotherapeutic agent in dogs chronically infected with giardiasis that did not respond to conventional drug therapeutics.
Potential Human Vaccines
Although there is no available vaccine for the clients yet, efforts are being directed towards creating a viable giardiasis vaccine. Research is concentrated on finding specific and conserved antigens capable of eliciting strong immune responses. In particular, the development of this vaccine will represent a tremendous step towards giardiasis control, especially in the aggressive regions.
Therapeutics Development for Mansonelliasis
Repurposing Existing Drugs
Some researchers decided to look into known antiparasitic drugs which could be used to treat giardiasis. One such example is the study of some particular five nitroimidazole derivatives such as metronidazole and tinidazole, which have been used as first line therapeutics for giardiasis.
Targeting Novel Therapeutic Targets
One focus of study is the parasite's ventral disk, a structure which plays an important role for attachment to the intestinal epithelium. The hope of researchers is to prevent the parasitic colonization and subsequent pathogenesis by developing compounds that interfere with ventral disk maintenance or function.
Natural Product-Derived Therapies
At the same time, scientists are exploring natural and plant-based substances as possible therapeutic alternatives for giardiasis. Researchers have conducted screening of diverse varieties of phytochemicals such as selected terpenoids, flavonoids and certain alkaloids, to determine their antigiardial activity and the mechanism of action.
Our Services
As a research service provider, Protheragen has vast experience in assisting in the development of giardiasis vaccines and therapies. This includes, but is not limited to, immunological and parasitological investigations and research, as well as medicinal chemistry and preclinical research and trials done by our seasoned professionals.
- G. duodenalis Infection Neonates, Suckling or Weanling Mouse Models
- G. duodenalis Infection Rat Models
- G. duodenalis Infection Mongolian gerbil Models
In addition to vaccine and therapeutics development capabilities, we also offer comprehensive preclinical research services to support the advancement of giardiasis-related projects. We have an experienced research team and have established robust in vitro and in vivo models to evaluate the efficacy, safety and pharmacokinetics of vaccine and drug candidates. If you are interested in our services, please feel free to contact us.
References
- Argüello-García Raúl, et al. "Drug resistance in Giardia: Mechanisms and alternative treatments for Giardiasis." Advances in parasitology 107 (2020): 201-282.
- Vivancos V., et al. "Giardiasis: characteristics, pathogenesis and new insights about treatment." Current topics in medicinal chemistry 18.15 (2018): 1287-1303.
All of our services and products are intended for preclinical research use
only and cannot be used to diagnose, treat or manage patients.
