Recent Advances in the Development of Adenovirus-Vectored Vaccines for Parasitic Infections

Vaccines against parasites have lagged centuries behind those against viral and bacterial infections, despite the devastating morbidity and widespread effects of parasitic diseases across the globe. One of the greatest hurdles to parasite vaccine development has been the lack of vaccine strategies able to elicit the complex and multifaceted immune responses needed to abrogate parasitic persistence. Viral vectors, especially adenovirus (AdV) vectors, have emerged as a potential solution for complex disease targets, including HIV, tuberculosis, and parasitic diseases, to name a few. AdVs are highly immunogenic and are uniquely able to drive CD8+ T cell responses, which are known to be correlates of immunity in infections with most protozoan and some helminthic parasites. This review presents recent developments in AdV-vectored vaccines targeting five major human parasitic diseases: malaria, Chagas disease, schistosomiasis, leishmaniasis, and toxoplasmosis. Many AdV-vectored vaccines have been developed for these diseases, utilizing a wide variety of vectors, antigens, and modes of delivery. AdV-vectored vaccines are a promising approach for the historically challenging target of human parasitic diseases.

Automated summary

Despite the devastating impact and widespread occurrence of parasitic diseases globally, vaccines against parasites have been slower to develop compared to vaccines against viral and bacterial infections. One of the main challenges is the lack of vaccine strategies that can induce the complex and multifaceted immune responses required to eliminate parasitic persistence. Adenovirus (AdV) vectors have emerged as a potential solution for complex diseases like parasitic infections by driving CD8+ T cell responses, which are known to be important in immunity against many parasitic organisms. This review discusses recent advances in AdV-vectored vaccines targeting five major human parasitic diseases: malaria, Chagas disease, schistosomiasis, leishmaniasis, and toxoplasmosis. The use of AdV-vectored vaccines shows promise in tackling the historically challenging goal of developing vaccines for parasitic diseases.