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Abstract
With a view to producing peptides capable of inducing a protective immune response
against Schistosoma mansoni and Fasciola hepatica, the sequence and structure of the
protective antigens Sm14 and Fh15 were analyzed. Their C-termini showed a high level
of sequence conservation which, together with models for their three-dimensional structures,
aided in peptide selection. Vaccination trials in Swiss mice challenged with S. mansoni
cercaria or F. hepatica metacercaria showed that peptides which included the sequences
VTVGDVTA or EKNSESKLTQ were capable of inducing levels of protection equivalent to
the recombinant form of Sm14. These peptides may represent an alternative to r-Sm14
for the development of a bivalent anti-helminth vaccine.