skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Immunogenicity of the irradiated Schistosoma mansoni schistosomula vaccine

Thesis/Dissertation ·
OSTI ID:6586027

This work was initiated to investigate the immunogenicity of the irradiated schistosomula vaccine with respect to its: ability to protect against challenge infection; ability to induce antibody responses in Western blot (WB) assay; and the antibodies' ability to kill the parasites; ultrastructural changes of the vaccine organism's tegument; antibody binding to their surface in immunofluorescence (IFA) and immunoelectron microscopic (IEM) assays and surface antigen recognition with different sera in WB. Irradiated schistosomula, freshly prepared or cultured up to 48 hours, were able to induce significant levels of protection (27%-67%). however, irradiated cercariae offered greater protection (52%-72%). Vaccination of mice with irradiated schistosomula, led to higher antibody responses to adult freeze-thaw (AFT) and schistosomula membrane extract (SME) antigens with respect to to time and number of recognized antigens.

Research Organization:
Michigan Univ., Ann Arbor (USA)
OSTI ID:
6586027
Resource Relation:
Other Information: Thesis (Ph. D)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English