Schistosomiasis
Schistosomiasis, a tropical neglected disease, is brought about by helminths of the Schistosoma genus, making it the second most impactful parasite worldwide. Its transmission happens through the contact of contaminated freshwater, which mainly affects areas in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and South America. Our firm is set up to meet your needs in drug and therapy development for the therapeutic of Schistosomiasis.
Overview of Schistosomiasis
In parasitic terminology, Schistosomiasis is also called Bilharzia, which is a form of Trematode worm disease brought about by a genus species named Schistosoma. The primary species responsible for the disease include S. haematobium, S. mansoni, and S. japonicum. According to the World Health Organization, this illness affects roughly 250 million people all over the globe, tremendously impacting their health and resulting in an estimated loss of 1.9 million disability adjusted life years (DALYS), but that is likely an understatement.
Pathogenesis of Schistosomiasis
Life cycle
The life cycle begins when humans’ skin is come in contact with contaminated water, allowing the water to penetrate into their skin. Infectious water also advances to the liver in humans and matures into adult worms in the blood vessels. Adult schistosomes then become worms and start producing eggs. The eggs are then passed out in urine or feces. In freshwater, eggs hatch into miracidia, and then infect Snails wherein new cercariae are released.
Pathogenesis
The immune mechanisms that underlie human schistosomiasis are primarily associated with the response to parasite eggs. After skin penetration, the cercariae transform into adult worms and start to lay eggs that can be lodged into tissues, which can cause granuloma formation and fibrosis. This accounts for the urogenital pathology in S. haematobium infections and the intestinal and hepatosplenic pathology in S. mansoni and S. japonicum infections. Fever and muscle pain characterizes acute schistosomiasis; chronic schistosomiasis has a significant organ impact and causes fibrosis.
Fig. 1 Life cycle of human schistosomes. (McManus, D.P., et al., 2020)
Detection Methods for Schistosomiasis
Common diagnostic procedures for schistosomiasis are grouped into three major categories which are: parasitological, immunological, and molecular procedures.
Parasitological Methods
Parasitological methods include urine filtration and centrifugation for detection of S. haematobium egg or Kato-Katz smear method for S. mansoni and S. japonicum. There methods are widely implemented because of their simplicity and low cost especially in highly endemic regions.
Immunological Methods
Detection of schistosome related antibodies or antigens. The common techniques are ELISA, circumoval precipitin test (COPT), and various rapid tests such as immunoassay DDIA.
Molecular Methods
To identify schistosome DNA in stool, urine, or blood, for example, PCR assays are performed. Examples of methods with greater sensitivity and specificity include Real-time PCR and Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP).
Fig. 2 A frameworkof new diagnostic tagrets for schistosomiasis. (Ogongo, P., et al., 2022) Vaccine Development of Schistosomiasis
Table. 1 Schistosomiasis candidate vaccines in human clinical trials.
| Vaccine Candidate | Targeted Species | Clinical Trial Phase | Efficacy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recombinant Sh28GST/Alhydrogel® (Bilharvax) | Schistosoma haematobium | Phases 1, 2, & 3 completed | 67% and 93% worm reduction in immunized mice and rabbits respectively. |
| Recombinant Sm14/GLA-SE | Schistosoma mansoni | Phases 1 & 2a completed. Phase 2b initiated | Direct genetic modification of microorganisms, targets specific pathogens. |
| Recombinant Sm-TSP-2/Alhydrogel® | Schistosoma mansoni | Phase 1a completed. Phase 1b initiated | Immunized mice showed a 57% and 64% reduction in worm and liver egg burden respectively. |
| Recombinant Sm-p80/GLA-SE | Schistosoma mansoni | Phase 1 initiated | Immunized baboons showed a 93% drop in adult female worms, a 90% decrease in tissue egg load, and an 81% reduction in egg hatching rate. |
Our Services
Our company operates with a wide range of clients and develop unique and effective therapy approaches for Schistosomiasis. We provide complete support for the entire development process from start to finish.
Platforms of Schistosomiasis Therapy Development
Animal Models of Schistosomiasis
We have developed and worked with animal models of Schistosomiasis that realistically reproduce the pathology and therapeutic response of the disease. These models allow a very accurate assessment of the safety and efficacy of the new therapies.
| Non-Genetically Engineering Models | ||
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| We provide an array of models designed to meet specific research requirements for Schistosomiasis. These models allow researchers to replicate and study the intricate biological processes associated with the disease. | ||
| Optional Models |
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| Optional Species | Mice, Rabbits, Non-human primates, Others | |
In addition, we offer a range of comprehensive animal model services that concentrate on specific signaling pathways and molecular targets.
If you are interested in our services, please contact us as soon as possible for more information.
References
- McManus, D.P., et al., "Schistosomiasis-from immunopathology to vaccines." Semin Immunopathol, (2020). 42(3): p. 355-371.
- Ogongo, P., et al., "The Road to Elimination: Current State of Schistosomiasis Research and Progress Towards the End Game." Front Immunol, (2022). 13: p. 846108.
- He, P., et al., "Nucleic acid detection in the diagnosis and prevention of schistosomiasis." Infect Dis Poverty, (2016). 5: p. 25.
All of our services and products are intended for preclinical research use only and cannot be used to diagnose, treat or manage patients.