TOWARDS A VACCINE TO PREVENT TOXOPLASMOSIS

• Sponsoring Institution: Agricultural Research Service/USDA
• Project Status: ACTIVE
• Funding Source: USDA INHOUSE
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 0425504
• Project Start Date: Jul 1, 2013
• Project End Date: Jun 30, 2014
• Program Code: [(N/A)]- (N/A)

Recipient Organization
AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH SERVICE
RM 331, BLDG 003, BARC-W
BELTSVILLE,MD 20705-2351

Performing Department
(N/A)

Non Technical Summary
(N/A)

Animal Health Component

50%

Research Effort Categories

Basic

50%

Applied

50%

Developmental

0%

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
313	3520	1110	50%
313	3510	1110	50%

Knowledge Area
313 - Internal Parasites in Animals;

Subject Of Investigation
3510 - Swine, live animal; 3520 - Meat, swine;

Field Of Science
1110 - Parasitology;

Keywords

toxoplasma

gondii

mice

vaccine

Goals / Objectives
The overall objective is to develop a protective vaccine against toxoplasmosis in animals and humans. At present there is no therapy to cure or prevent this disease.

Project Methods
The USDA is uniquely positioned to perform large-scale studies, survival studies not performed elsewhere, and studies with oocysts/sporozoites not performed elsewhere. The ability of immunotherapy to protect mice against oocyst induced disease will be tested in mice using oral inoculation with oocysts obtained from Type I, II III, and atypical strains in the Dubey Laboratory. Clinical, histologic, serologic, and immunologic parameters will be used to evaluate the efficacy of the vaccines for protection. Vaccination procedures will be optimized with different epitope preparations and appropriate adjuvant and delivery systems in HLA transgenic mice.