Vaccine Development for Toxoplasmosis

Dear Colleagues,

Toxoplasmosis is a disease caused by Toxoplasma gondii, an obligate intracellular protozoan, exerting a high impact on human health worldwide. This disease may result in serious complications for the fetus, newborn, and immunocompromised individuals. T. gondii infection affects immunocompromised individuals (cancer patients, HIV-seropositive persons and transplanted individuals) causing serious health issues such as encephalitis, pneumonia and even death. When primo infection occurs during the first trimester of pregnancy, diverse clinical manifestations may occur, such as abortion, stillbirth or premature birth. If transmission occurs at later stages of pregnancy, the risk of congenital disease is increased leading to neonatal malformations that are severe enough to ultimately result in blindness, chorioretinitis, mental retardation, heart and brain defects, permanent neurological damage, and even death. Recent data suggest an association between congenital infection and the development of neurological and psychiatric disorders later in life, including schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s disease, bipolar disease, and even suicidal tendencies. 

Current treatment options are old, limited, and possess toxic side effects. Furthermore, pre-natal and post-natal treatment reduces the possibility of congenital transmission and sequela but does not avoid it. Long treatment durations are required since current therapeutic drugs lack efficiency against T. gondii tissue cysts, promoting the establishment of latent infection. At present, no vaccine exists to prevent human disease caused by T. gondii, thus demand for a vaccine presenting complete and lasting protection against toxoplasmosis is urgent. 

This research topic will include contributions that highlight advances and challenges regarding the development of a novel prophylactic vaccine for toxoplasmosis. Research areas in this field may include (but are not limited to) the following: nanotechnology application to nanovaccines development; establishment of in vitro and/or in vivo study models for testing new vaccine formulations; immune responses induced to experimental vaccines; nasal immunization; identification of immune mechanisms induced by vaccination and related to protection against infection; vaccines in congenital toxoplasmosis.

I am pleased to invite you to contribute with original research articles or reviews. 

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Margarida Borges
Guest Editor

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• toxoplasmosis
• vaccines
• immunotherapy
• nanotechnology