A Trypanosomiasis vaccine is a
vaccine against
trypanosomiasis. No effective vaccine currently exists, but development of a vaccine is the subject of current research.
There are many obstacles to development of such a vaccine. One obstacle is variant surface
glycoprotein which makes it difficult for the
immune system to recognize the infectious organism.[2] Also, Trypanosoma brucei has a direct inhibitory effect upon
B cells.[3]
It has been suggested that these challenges could be overcome by a vaccine against the initial
antigens,[4] or generating an immune response against the
cysteine protease (for example,
cruzipain).[5][6]
An effective vaccine was achieved in 2021 using a mouse model of infection with Trypanosoma vivax.[7]
^Lalmanach G, Boulangé A, Serveau C, et al. (May 2002). "Congopain from Trypanosoma congolense: drug target and vaccine candidate". Biol. Chem. 383 (5): 739–49.
doi:
10.1515/BC.2002.077.
PMID12108538.
S2CID22315392.
^Authié E, Boulangé A, Muteti D, Lalmanach G, Gauthier F, Musoke AJ (November 2001). "Immunisation of cattle with cysteine proteinases of Trypanosoma congolense: targeting the disease rather than the parasite". Int. J. Parasitol. 31 (13): 1429–33.
doi:
10.1016/S0020-7519(01)00266-1.
PMID11595229.