Priming of Leishmania-Reactive CD8+ T cells In Vivo Does Not Require LMP7-Containing Immunoproteasomes

In silico prediction of Leishmania major -specific CD8+ epitopes

Infections with Leishmania (L.) major induce protective IFN-γ-dependent Th1/Tc1 immunity in C57BL/6 mice as well as in immunocompetent humans. Even though antigen-specific immunity provides lifelong immunity against reinfection, a vaccine against this pathogen does not yet exist. Here, we compared the results obtained from in silico predictions of murine CD8-specific L. major peptides using the algorithm SYFPEITHI with the number and predicted affinity of known proteins/peptides. Our results indicate that the majority of "immunodominant" epitopes of L. major have not been identified so far; thus, computer-based prediction algorithms may aid the development of an effective vaccine.

Vaccination with TAT-Antigen Fusion Protein Induces Protective, CD8+ T Cell-Mediated Immunity Against Leishmania Major

In murine leishmaniasis, healing is mediated by IFN-γ-producing CD4 + and CD8 + T cells. Thus, an efficacious vaccine should induce Th1 and Tc1 cells. Dendritic cells (DCs) pulsed with exogenous proteins primarily induce strong CD4-dependent immunity; induction of CD8 responses has proven to be difficult. We evaluated the immunogenicity of fusion proteins comprising the protein transduction domain of HIV-1 TAT and the Leishmania antigen LACK ( Leishmania homolog of receptors for activated C kinase), as TAT-fusion proteins facilitate major histocompatibility complex class I-dependent antigen presentation. In vitro , TAT–LACK-pulsed DCs induced stronger proliferation of Leishmania -specific C…

Disease control in cutaneous leishmaniasis is independent of IL-22.