The development of an effective program to facilitate the design of vaccines and therapeutics is vital to the improvement of isosporiasis management. In this respect, our company is the first in the world to focus on the development services of novel approaches, including but not limited to vaccines and therapeutics, against this disease.
Overview of Isosporiasis
Isosporaiasis which is mainly known as cystoisosporaiasis is an illness caused by Cystoisospora belli, and it is characterized by intestinal tissue infection. Watery diarrhea, loss weight, and abdominal pain are some of the symptoms of this condition which is usually found in patients who have a low immunity. This condition is common among people living with HIV/AIDS and people who received organ transplants. This parasite's life cycle has sexual and asexual reproduction in the host intestines, resulting in the production and excreting of oocysts, which contaminate the host.
Fig.1 Oocyst of Cystoisospora belli in fecal smear. (Agholi M., et al., 2016)
Vaccine Development for Isosporiasis
The creation of an Isosporiasis Vaccine is still in the experimental stage; however, several approaches are being pursued including subunit, live-attenuated and DNA vaccines.
Subunit Vaccines
Cystoisospora belli specific subunit vaccines are currently being designed to stimulate an immunological response using specific antigen components that exhibit activity towards the Cystoisospora belli. These specific vaccines under development aim to target key proteins that play a role in invasion and replication of the parasites within the host cell.
DNA Vaccines
With this technique, there is a direct introduction of genetic material to its target so that the host’s cells can synthesize the desired C. belli antigens which will induce an immune response. This procedure is still at an experimental stage which needs further investigation to confirm its safety and efficiency.
Live-Attenuated Vaccines
For this technique, the parasites are altered to render them unable to cause sickness, while still being able to incite an immune response. While this method has proven efficacy in the formulation of vaccines for many other diseases, it is currently being studied for use against Isosporiasis.
Therapeutics Development for Isosporiasis
Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) is the first-line therapeutic of Isosporiasis and is adequate in most situations. However recurrences are frequent, especially among the immunosuppressed as there is a need for new therapeutic approaches.
An alternative drug that has shown benefit in treating Isosporiasis is Nitazoxanide. Its mode of action involves stopping the parasite from using glucose, rendering it incapable of replication.
Where TMP-SMX could not be tolerated, practitioners used Pyrimethamine and Sulfadiazine. Anti-coccidial drugs interfere with folate metabolism of the parasite and restrict its growth and reproduction.
Our Services
For the purposes of enhancing the therapeutic and vaccine development process, targeting Isosporiasis, we offer an array of services:
- Vaccine Design and Development: We employ state of the art technologies to aid in designing and developing effective vaccines against the C. belli targets.
- Therapeutics Formulation: Our specialists are actively engaged in the formulation of new therapeutics, optimizing drug delivery systems, and increasing the bioavailability of existing therapeutics.
Disease Models
- Cystoisospora belli Infection Animal Models
- In addition to animal models, our company also exploits established cell lines like BEK and Vero for in vitro studies.
Moreover, our preclinical research services encompass a wide range of activities aimed at developing and testing new vaccines and therapeutics for Isosporiasis. These services include:
- Molecular Biology and Genomics: We utilize cutting-edge genomic techniques to understand the parasite's genetic makeup and identify potential vaccine targets.
- Immunology: A thorough understanding of the host-parasite immune interactions is crucial for developing effective vaccines and therapies.
- High-Throughput Screening: We employ high-throughput screening methods to test numerous compounds for their efficacy against C. belli.
If you are interested in our services, please feel free to contact us.
References
- Agholi, Mahmoud, Elham Aliabadi, and Gholam Reza Hatam. "Cystoisosporiasis-related human acalculous cholecystitis: the need for increased awareness." Polish Journal of Pathology 67.3 (2016): 270-276.
- Dubey, J. P., and S. Almeria. "Cystoisospora belli infections in humans: the past 100 years." Parasitology 146.12 (2019): 1490-1527.
All of our services and products are intended for preclinical research use
only and cannot be used to diagnose, treat or manage patients.
