SYNTHESES AND BIOACTIVITIES OF MULTIPLE ANTIGENIC PEPTIDE VACCINES AGAINST SCHISTOSOMIASIS

AIM: To synthesize the multiple antigenic peptides (MAPs) consisting of the oligomeric lysine core and the antigenic peptides 26-43 (P₂₆) and 141-153 (P₁₄₁) derived from 28 Ku glutathione S-transferase of Schitosoma mansoni (Sm28GST) and 187-202 (J₁₈₇) from 26 Ku glutathione S-transferse of Schistoma japonicum (Sj26GST), and to examine their antigenicities and protective effects on experimental animals. METHODS: The MAPs have been synthesized with stepwise solid-phase peptide synthesis and their antigenicities have been tested with dot-ELISA. Having been vaccinated with the synthetic MAPs, the mice were infected with Schistosoma japonicum cercariae and were killed 6 weeks later to recover the adult worms and the eggs in liver. RESULTS: All the synthetic MAPs could be recognized and bound by both patient and infected-rabbit sera. Furthermore, immunization with (P141)4-MAP or (J₁₈₇)₄-MAP in Kunming mice and (P₂₆)₈-MAP in BALB/c mice, respectively, reduced the worm burden by 64.4%, 41.3% and 28.1%, and reduced liver eggs by 54.9%, 45.6% and 40.6%. CONCLUSION: The synthetic MAPs can induce mice to produce protective immunity against the challenge infection with Schistosoma japonicum cercariae.