Fasciola hepatica vaccine based on Kunitz-type molecule reduces adult worm fecundity in experimentally infected sheep
Fasciolosis is a widespread and continuously expanding helminthiasis caused by the trematode Fasciola hepatica. Sheep and cattle are the primary definitive hosts of F. hepatica and are economically significant hosts for this pathogen worldwide. F. hepatica is not only a major threat to livestock but...
| Autores principales: | , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Formato: | Artículo |
| Lenguaje: | lingala |
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Elsevier
2026
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| Acceso en línea: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/24861 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304401725002651 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetpar.2025.110654 |
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| author | Ahumada, María Del Rosario Guasconi, Lorena Maletto, Belkys Angélica Marín, Constanza Palma, Santiago Daniel Pruzzo, Cesar Iván Corvo, Ileana Caffe, Gabriel Martin, Ana María Chiapello, Laura Cervi, Laura |
| author_browse | Ahumada, María Del Rosario Caffe, Gabriel Cervi, Laura Chiapello, Laura Corvo, Ileana Guasconi, Lorena Maletto, Belkys Angélica Martin, Ana María Marín, Constanza Palma, Santiago Daniel Pruzzo, Cesar Iván |
| author_facet | Ahumada, María Del Rosario Guasconi, Lorena Maletto, Belkys Angélica Marín, Constanza Palma, Santiago Daniel Pruzzo, Cesar Iván Corvo, Ileana Caffe, Gabriel Martin, Ana María Chiapello, Laura Cervi, Laura |
| author_sort | Ahumada, María Del Rosario |
| collection | INTA Digital |
| description | Fasciolosis is a widespread and continuously expanding helminthiasis caused by the trematode Fasciola hepatica. Sheep and cattle are the primary definitive hosts of F. hepatica and are economically significant hosts for this pathogen worldwide. F. hepatica is not only a major threat to livestock but also an important neglected zoonosis. Reports of anthelmintic resistance in F. hepatica emphasize the urgent need for the development of an effective vaccine. Such a vaccine would reduce the impact and spread of the disease by decreasing the number of viable eggs, as well as reducing the adult worm population, ultimately leading to less liver damage. In a previous study, we demonstrated the ability of the F. hepatica Kunitz-type molecule synthetic (sFhKTM), formulated with a liquid crystal nanostructure created through the self-assembly of 6-O-ascorbyl palmitate ester (Coa-ASC16) and the synthetic oligodeoxynucleotide containing unmethylated cytosine-guanine motifs (CpG-ODN) to provide protection against F. hepatica in infected mice. In this study, we assessed the efficacy of the vaccine sFhKT/CpG-ODN/Coa-ASC16 in sheep. The formulation containing the highest sFhKT dose was the most effective, significantly reducing fecal egg counts by 81.6 % (p < 0.0001). It also reduced worm burden by 55.7 % (p = 0.179), although this difference was not statistically significant. The addition of Cathepsin L3 (FhCL3) further reduced fecal egg counts (89.1 %, p < 0.0001) but resulted in a lower reduction in worm burden (24.06 %). Sheep vaccinated with sFhKT/CpG-ODN/Coa-ASC16 exhibited slightly less hepatic damage than non-vaccinated animals, with histological lesions characterized by increased inflammatory infiltrates. The experimental vaccine FhKT/CpG-ODN/Coa-ASC16 induced non-significantly greater IgG titers in immunized sheep compared to non-vaccinated controls. The variation in efficacy observed between the sFhKT doses highlights the need for additional trials using higher protein concentrations. |
| format | Artículo |
| id | INTA24861 |
| institution | Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA -Argentina) |
| language | lin |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| publisherStr | Elsevier |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | INTA248612026-01-02T17:34:01Z Fasciola hepatica vaccine based on Kunitz-type molecule reduces adult worm fecundity in experimentally infected sheep Ahumada, María Del Rosario Guasconi, Lorena Maletto, Belkys Angélica Marín, Constanza Palma, Santiago Daniel Pruzzo, Cesar Iván Corvo, Ileana Caffe, Gabriel Martin, Ana María Chiapello, Laura Cervi, Laura Ovinos Fasciola hepatica Parasitismo Sheep Parasitism Vaccines Vacuna Fasciolosis is a widespread and continuously expanding helminthiasis caused by the trematode Fasciola hepatica. Sheep and cattle are the primary definitive hosts of F. hepatica and are economically significant hosts for this pathogen worldwide. F. hepatica is not only a major threat to livestock but also an important neglected zoonosis. Reports of anthelmintic resistance in F. hepatica emphasize the urgent need for the development of an effective vaccine. Such a vaccine would reduce the impact and spread of the disease by decreasing the number of viable eggs, as well as reducing the adult worm population, ultimately leading to less liver damage. In a previous study, we demonstrated the ability of the F. hepatica Kunitz-type molecule synthetic (sFhKTM), formulated with a liquid crystal nanostructure created through the self-assembly of 6-O-ascorbyl palmitate ester (Coa-ASC16) and the synthetic oligodeoxynucleotide containing unmethylated cytosine-guanine motifs (CpG-ODN) to provide protection against F. hepatica in infected mice. In this study, we assessed the efficacy of the vaccine sFhKT/CpG-ODN/Coa-ASC16 in sheep. The formulation containing the highest sFhKT dose was the most effective, significantly reducing fecal egg counts by 81.6 % (p < 0.0001). It also reduced worm burden by 55.7 % (p = 0.179), although this difference was not statistically significant. The addition of Cathepsin L3 (FhCL3) further reduced fecal egg counts (89.1 %, p < 0.0001) but resulted in a lower reduction in worm burden (24.06 %). Sheep vaccinated with sFhKT/CpG-ODN/Coa-ASC16 exhibited slightly less hepatic damage than non-vaccinated animals, with histological lesions characterized by increased inflammatory infiltrates. The experimental vaccine FhKT/CpG-ODN/Coa-ASC16 induced non-significantly greater IgG titers in immunized sheep compared to non-vaccinated controls. The variation in efficacy observed between the sFhKT doses highlights the need for additional trials using higher protein concentrations. EEA Manfredi Fil: Ahumada, María. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas. Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica; Argentina Fil: Ahumada, María. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología (CIBICI); Argentina Fil: Ahumada, María. Universidad Católica de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias; Argentina Fil: Ahumada, María. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Manfredi. Agencia de Extensión Rural Cruz del Eje; Argentina Fil: Guasconi, Lorena. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas. Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica; Argentina Fil: Guasconi, Lorena. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología (CIBICI); Argentina Fil: Maletto, Belkys Angélica. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas. Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica; Argentina Fil: Maletto, Belkys Angélica. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología (CIBICI); Argentina Fil: Marín, Constanza. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas. Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica; Argentina Fil: Marín, Constanza. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología (CIBICI); Argentina Fil: Palma, Santiago Daniel. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas. Departamento de Ciencias Farmacéuticas; Argentina Fil: Palma, Santiago Daniel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Unidad de Investigación y Desarrollo en Tecnología Farmacéutica (UNITEFA); Argentina Fil: Pruzzo, Cesar Iván. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Departamento de Epizootiología y Salud Pública; Argentina Fil: Pruzzo, Cesar Iván. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Centro de Diagnóstico e Investigación Veterinaria (CEDIVE); Argentina Fil: Corvo, Ileana. Universidad de la República. Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas. Laboratorio de I+D de Moléculas Bioactivas; Uruguay Fil: Caffe, Gabriel. Universidad Católica de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias; Argentina Fil: Martin, Ana María. Universidad Católica de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias; Argentina Fil: Chiapello, Laura. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas. Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica; Argentina Fil: Chiapello, Laura. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología (CIBICI); Argentina Fil: Cervi, Laura. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas. Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica; Argentina Fil: Cervi, Laura. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología (CIBICI); Argentina 2026-01-02T16:28:20Z 2026-01-02T16:28:20Z 2025-11-19 info:ar-repo/semantics/artículo info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/24861 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304401725002651 0304-4017 1873-2550 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetpar.2025.110654 lin info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) application/pdf Elsevier Veterinary Parasitology 342 : 110654. (February 2026) |
| spellingShingle | Ovinos Fasciola hepatica Parasitismo Sheep Parasitism Vaccines Vacuna Ahumada, María Del Rosario Guasconi, Lorena Maletto, Belkys Angélica Marín, Constanza Palma, Santiago Daniel Pruzzo, Cesar Iván Corvo, Ileana Caffe, Gabriel Martin, Ana María Chiapello, Laura Cervi, Laura Fasciola hepatica vaccine based on Kunitz-type molecule reduces adult worm fecundity in experimentally infected sheep |
| title | Fasciola hepatica vaccine based on Kunitz-type molecule reduces adult worm fecundity in experimentally infected sheep |
| title_full | Fasciola hepatica vaccine based on Kunitz-type molecule reduces adult worm fecundity in experimentally infected sheep |
| title_fullStr | Fasciola hepatica vaccine based on Kunitz-type molecule reduces adult worm fecundity in experimentally infected sheep |
| title_full_unstemmed | Fasciola hepatica vaccine based on Kunitz-type molecule reduces adult worm fecundity in experimentally infected sheep |
| title_short | Fasciola hepatica vaccine based on Kunitz-type molecule reduces adult worm fecundity in experimentally infected sheep |
| title_sort | fasciola hepatica vaccine based on kunitz type molecule reduces adult worm fecundity in experimentally infected sheep |
| topic | Ovinos Fasciola hepatica Parasitismo Sheep Parasitism Vaccines Vacuna |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/24861 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304401725002651 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetpar.2025.110654 |
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