抵御血吸虫感染疫苗正在开发

2015年10月22日 讯 /生物谷BIOON/ --在全球的74个国家里有超过2亿人遭受着血吸虫病的折磨，而且由于无法获得纯净的水，他们其中有很多人患病的风险是其它个体的四倍，来自德州理工大学最新的一项研究或许可以帮助降低患血吸虫病患者的数量。

研究者Afzal A. Siddiqui教授表示，我们在动物体内检测了一种新型可以抵御血吸虫病的疫苗，该疫苗目前计划进行人类临床试验，而且这种新型的血吸虫病疫苗已经获得了美国专利与商标署的专利。这种名为SchistoShield的疫苗可以潜在影响至少10亿人的健康，研究者表示，他们努力开发这种疫苗希望以此可以使得那些以该疫苗为获利手段的人的念想破灭，目前该疫苗以每接种一次1美元进行收取，而且正在向所需要的人群提供。

吡喹酮，一种在40年前开发的药物是唯一可以治疗血吸虫病的药物，然而患者会出现再感染的情况，因此开发一种潜在的疫苗或许才是明智的选择。据世界卫生组织数据显示，目前没有商用疫苗来帮助抵御血吸虫病，血吸虫病的症状可以导致性传播疾病，比如HIV等感染风险的增加。而血吸虫病的疫苗可以为科学家们提供一种新策略来彻底消除该病的发生，而且还可以杜绝患者出现再感染的状况。

个体往往会通过饮用受到污染的水患血吸虫病，寄生虫会在患者机体繁殖寄生，最后潜伏到机体各处，并迁移到肺部和肝脏中成熟，研究者Siddiqui表示，血吸虫病的主要病理学表现取决于患者对组织中的血吸虫卵的免疫反应，持续感染会引发肝脏变大及尿血出现。

尽管当前血吸虫病患者已经可以利用药物进行集体治疗，但感染率居高不下，全球仍有8亿人面临接触血吸虫病感染的风险，而持久稳定的降低感染的方法似乎只能是通过疫苗接种来维持，而本文中研究者就开发了这种新型的血吸虫疫苗，这或许可以帮助人类来有效抑制血吸虫病的发生。（生物谷Bioon.com）

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Researcher develops vaccine for fatal disease

Over 200 million people in 74 countries suffer from schistosomiasis and four times that many are at risk for the disease since they do not have access to clean water. A recent discovery in the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) research laboratory may make it possible to reduce the number of infections from this disease.

Afzal A. Siddiqui, Ph.D., has tested his new vaccine in animals and is now planning human trials. Siddiqui, a Grover E. Murray Distinguished Professor at the TTUHSC School of Medicine, received a patent from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for his schistosomiasis vaccine.

The vaccine, "SchistoShield" potentially can impact up to one billion people. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the National Institutes of Health have supported Siddiqui's research.

"We worked to get the patent to deter others from making money off this vaccine," Siddiqui said. "This way, it can be made for $1 per vaccination and distributed to those in need. An effective schistosomiasis vaccine has the potential to impact one billion people."

Praziquantel, a drug developed over 40 years ago, is the only effective treatment available for schistosomiasis. However, re-infection frequently occurs following drug treatment. An effective vaccine is critical toward providing long-term treatment.

This schistosomiasis vaccine offers unique opportunities for organizations to market it as a method for completely eliminating this disease. The vaccine's advantages make it easy to sell because it eliminates the instances of re-infection common with the current chemotherapeutic drug, is easier and less expensive to distribute and can be administered with current chemotherapy regimen. Long-term vaccine efficacy will effectively reduce the transmission of schistosomiasis in endemic areas......