The causative agent of toxoplasmosis, Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii), is able to influence the health of humans and other vertebrates. Toxoplasma may cause severe illness in the fetus and immunocompromised individuals. The high incidence and intense damages of Toxoplasma infection clearly shows the need to achieve the safe and suitable vaccine. In this study, an immunoinformatics approach was employed to design a multi-epitope DNA vaccine encoding the T. gondii SAG1, SAG3 and SAG5. The bioinformatic outputs supported the immunogenic and non-allergic natures of multi-epitope vaccine. Thereafter, the protective efficacy of the vaccine was evaluated with/without CpG-ODN adjuvant in a laboratory animal model. BALB/c mice were immunized subcutane

Background: Iran is one of the endemic areas of Mediterranean Visceral Leishmaniasis, a disease caused by Leishmania infantum. In this work, we examined whether Prote?na quim?rica 10 (PQ10) recombinant protein is suitable for immunological diagnosis of human visceral leishmaniasis.Methods: The study was carried out in Tarbiat Modares University during 2016-2018. The coding sequence of PQ10 recombinant protein was sub-cloned in pET28 expression vector and was commercially synthesized by GENERAY Biotechnology, China. Sequencing with proper primers was done, the expression, optimization of expression and protein purification were performed, and the purified recombinant protein was confirmed by western blot. The efficacy of PQ10 for serodiagnos

PurposeToxoplasmosis, transmitted by Toxoplasma gondii, is a worldwide parasitic disease that affects approximately one-third of the world's inhabitants. Today, there are no appropriate drugs to deter tissue cysts from developing in infected hosts. So, developing an effective vaccine would be valuable to avoid from toxoplasmosis. Considering the role of microneme antigens such as microneme protein 4 (MIC4) in T. gondii pathogenesis, it can be used as potential candidates for vaccine against T. gondii.Materials and MethodsIn this study several bioinformatics methods were used to assess the different aspects of MIC4 protein such as secondary and tertiary structure, physicochemical characteristics, the transmembrane domains, subcellular locali

Current study deals with a novel multi-epitope vaccine designed in silico and its confirmation experiments for potential efficacy in BALB/c mice. Major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-binding and B-cell binding epitopes of five Toxoplasma antigens (SAG1, ROP16, GRA12, MIC4 and M2AP) were predicted. Selected epitopes were fused together using SAPGTP linker, and antigenicity, allergenicity, physico-chemical features, secondary and tertiary structures and validations were all performed via bioinformatics servers. Then, vaccine construct was cloned into pLEXSY-neo 2.1 vector. After Leishmania tarentolae transfection, live recombinant and wild parasites were subcutaneously injected into 6–8 week female BALB/c mice and immune responses were me

Rhoptry proteins (ROPs) are involved in the cell invasion and parasitophorous vacuole (PV) formation and also vital for survival of Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) within host cells. ROP8 have a main role during the early phase of infection and can express in tachyzoite and bradyzoite forms. In the present study, we designed a novel multi-epitope DNA vaccine encoding the potential B and T-cell epitopes from ROP8 protein to evaluate the immunity and protective efficacy against acute T. gondii infection in BALB/c mice. For this purpose, several bioinformatics online servers were used. At first, the potential epitopes were selected for T and B cells using immune epitope database (IEDB) and BCPREDS online services. Then, the selected epitopes wer

Design, Construction and Immunogenicity Assessment of pEGFP-N1-KMP11-GP96 (Fusion) as a DNA Vaccine Candidate against Leishmania major Infection in BALB/c Mice

Objective (s):Malaria is an important parasitic disease with high morbidity and mortality in tropical areas. Resistance to most antimalarial drugs has encouraged the development of new drugs including natural products. Venom is a complex mixture of active pharmaceutical ingredients. The purpose of this study was to investigate the antimalarial activity of purified fractions of Naja naja oxiana.Materials and Methods:Lyophilized venom was purified with a Sephacryl S-200 HR column and the fractions lyophilized and inhibitory concentration 50% against Plasmodium falciparum 3D7 in vitro obtained. The 4 th fraction was run on a Mono Q column, and activity against P. falciparum was detected by lactate dehydrogenase assay and purity by SDS PAGE. La

Vaginal infections are one of the major reasons women visit a gynecologist. Increased resistance to conventional antibiotics is one of the main factors mitigating the development of new antimicrobial agents, especially those of natural origin. In traditional Persian medicine, Trachyspermum ammi has been claimed to clear vagina from excessive discharge. Therefore, in this study, the antimicrobial activity of Ajwain essential oil was evaluated against some vaginal pathogens. The essential oil of ajwain was picked up and the minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations (MIC and MBC) were revealed. The most frequently detected microorganisms involved in genital infections including Candida spp., Gardnerella vaginalis, Escherichia coli, St