• Vaccine Name: UV-attenuated Toxoplasma gondii with DSCG adjuvant
• Target Pathogen: Toxoplasma gondii
• Target Disease: Toxoplasmosis
• Type: Live, attenuated vaccine
• Status: Research
• Host Species for Licensed Use: Human
• Immunization Route: Intraperitoneal injection (i.p.)
• Description: UV-attenuated RH strain T. gondii tachyzoites. DSCG was used as the adjuvant (Li et al., 2018)

Mouse Response

• Host Strain: Kunming mice (Li et al., 2018)
• Host age: 6-8 weeks (Li et al., 2018)
• Host gender: female (Li et al., 2018)
• Vaccination Protocol: Mice were randomly divided into 7 groups (10 mice per group) and received immunization of 10^5 UV-irradiated T. gondii tachyzoites alone or 10^5 UV-irradiated T. gondii tachyzoites co-administrated with DSCG (Sigma-Aldrich, 25 mg/kg). Each mouse received three times of immunization at 10-day interval. 1) naive mice without vaccination or infection, 2) mice injected with DSCG without vaccination or infection, and 3) mice immunized with 10^5 UV-Tg without challenge. 4) mice immunized with UV-Tg without DSCG and then challenged, 5) mice immunized with UV-Tg with DSCG and then challenged, 6) naive mice challenged (without DSCG), and 7) mice injected with DSCG without vaccination and then challenged. (Li et al., 2018)
• Immune Response: Higher level of TNF-α, IFN-ɤ, IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, IL-17 (Li et al., 2018)
• Challenge Protocol: Group (4) - (7) were i.p. challenged with 10^2 RH tachyzoites after the final immunization (Li et al., 2018)
• Efficacy: All mice infected alone (Tg) died at 5–7 days post-infection (p.i.). Tg + DSCG group had survival times ranged from 7 to 16 days and UV-Tg + Tg group had survival times ranged from 6 to 17 days, significantly longer (P < 0.01) compared to Tg group but no significant difference between these two groups (P > 0.05). UV-Tg + DSCG + Tg group had survival times ranged from 7 to 27 days, significantly longer compared to Tg group (P < 0.0001), Tg + DSCG group (P < 0.01), and UV-Tg + Tg group (P < 0.01).
  Compared to that of Tg group 5-7 days p.i., parasite burdens were significantly decreased in the livers of Tg + DSCG group (P < 0.01), and UV-Tg + Tg group (P < 0.01) and UV-Tg + DSCG + Tg group (P < 0.001) at 7–9 days p.i.. Compared to UV-Tg + Tg group, the parasite burden in UV-Tg + DSCG + Tg group was significantly decreased (P < 0.05) at 7–9 days post-challenge.
  (Li et al., 2018)