Effective immunization against cutaneous leishmaniasis with defined membrane antigens reconstituted into liposomes

Abstract

The abundant Leishmania promastigote surface Ag gp63 and Leishmania promastigote lipophosphoglycan were reconstituted into liposomes and used as a vaccine against the agent of New World cutaneous leishmaniasis, Leishmania mexicana. The Ag were inoculated s.c., i.p., and i.v. into CBA/ca and BALB/c mice. Even at low Ag dosages, 8 to 10 micrograms/mouse, the Ag induced appreciable levels of protection. In CBA/ca mice complete protection was obtained by s.c. inoculation of antigen-containing liposomes. Protection could be transferred with T cells to naive mice. Interestingly, the Ag-containing liposomes did not cause the disease exacerbation observed in previous vaccine studies with crude parasite extracts.