Vaccines against leishmaniasis

Leishmaniases are caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania. Th eir clinical features may vary from self-limiting cutaneous lesions to syst emic and fatal forms. Various vaccines have been evaluated in mice and/or h umans against cutaneous leishmaniasis mainly. Some vaccines use non pathoge n mutants, others killed parasites the immunogenicity of which is enhanced by the co-injection of immune microorganisms of the Bacille Calmette-Guerin type. However the in vivo protection of such vaccines is inconstant, altho ugh skin-test reactivity, T-cell proliferation, or interferon-gamma product ion in response to leishmanial antigens is elevated when compared to placeb o. Some antigenic proteins (i.e. gp63 or lipophosphoglycan), whether purifi ed or expressed by recombinant microorganisms, seem to be of interest Recom binant viruses or bacteria, expressing leishmanial antigens, have been succ essfully used too. (C) 2000 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SA S.