Vaccines against leishmaniasis

Leishmaniases are caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania. Their clinical features may vary from self-limiting cutaneous lesions to systemic and fatal forms. Various vaccines have been evaluated in mice and/or humans against cutaneous leishmaniasis mainly. Some vaccines use non pathogen mutants, others killed parasites the immunogenicity of which is enhanced by the co-injection of immune microorganisms of the Bacille Calmette-Guerin type. However the in vivo protection of such vaccines is inconstant, although skin-test reactivity, T-cell proliferation, or interferon-gamma production in response to leishmanial antigens is elevated when compared to placebo. Some antigenic proteins (i.e. gp63 or lipophosphoglycan), whether purified or expressed by recombinant microorganisms, seem to be of interest Recombinant viruses or bacteria, expressing leishmanial antigens, have been successfully used too. (C) 2000 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS.