1. TSOL18 vaccine for controlling Porcine Cysticercosis
Peetambar Kushwaha1, Meritxell Donadeu2, Baptiste Dungu3 and Marshall Lightowlers4
1,2& 3 GALVmed and 4 University of Melbourne
TSOL18 Vaccine can break life cycle of T. solium in pig
Intermediate Host Definitive HostIngestion of
infected and raw
pork
Cysticerci
Cestode
in small
intestine
Cysticerci
in muscle,
brain &
other
organs
Proglottids and
eggs excreted in
human faeces
Onchospheres
in stomach
Cysticerci in
brain, muscle,
and other
organs
TSOL18
Vaccine
Cysticercosis in humans and pigs
• T. solium causes cysticercosis in pigs and
neurocysticercosis (NCC) in humans
• Globally 50 million cases, 50,000 deaths each
year estimated
• Among people with epilepsy in endemic
countries, 29% estimated NCC
• Number of epileptic cases associated with
NCC in Africa is estimated 0.31-4.61 million
• Number of human cysticercosis cases in China
3-6 million and 11-29 million in Latin America
• Number of epileptic cases associated with
NCC in India >1 million
Source: Sustaining the drive to overcome the global impact of neglected
tropical diseases: Second WHO report on neglected tropical diseases. WHO,
2013
Ways to control cysticercosis
• Strict meat inspection and assuring cysticerci
free pork for human consumption – difficult
to achieve as cysticerci are hidden inside
layers of meat
• Sound hygiene and widespread sanitary
installation – still non-existent in many parts
of the world
• Health education
• Thorough cooking of pork
• Breaking the life cycle of T. solium in pig
and human
 Immunizing pigs by effective vaccination
after drenching
 Treating human population at risk with
effective anthelmentic
 Improving pig management practices –
rearing pig in confinement
TSOL18 Vaccine
• An effective vaccine to stop transmission of T.
solium in pigs was discovered in University of
Melbourne by Prof. Marshall Lightowlers
• TSOL18 is an onchosphere specific protein of T.
solium and is immunogenic
• Inoculation of TSOL18 into pigs gives a very high
(>99%) protection against T. solium
• TSOL18 has been produced from laboratory in
University of Melbourne and used in pig
• GALVmed, working with Prof. Marshall Lightowlers
and Indian Immunologicals, has developed a large
scale production system for the TSOL18 vaccine
• TSOL18 vaccine from Indian Immunologicals will be
available in the commercial market
Successful use of TSOL18 vaccine to
control cysticercosis in pig
• TSOL18 expressed in Escherichia coli and
combined with 1 to 5 mg Quil A as adjuvant
gave following level of protection in pig
Mexico – 99.5% Mexico – 100%
Cameroon – 100% Peru – 99.5%
Honduras – 99.3%
(Flisser et al., 2004; Gonzalez et al., 2005;
Lightowlers, 2006)
• In China, TSOL18 expressed in Pichia pastoris
in combination with the adjuvant ISA 206
gave 94-100% protection in pig (Cai et al.,
2008)
One health for cysticercosis control
Effective prevention and control of cysticercosis in
human and pig is dependent on initiative and
collaboration for
 Public health
 Animal health
 Environmental health
• A combine effort of public health, veterinary –
required to control the problem
• The disease was controlled in Peru in a large trial by
including treatment of people and immunization of
pigs (Gonzalez A, Garcia H. Personal communication)
• Vaccine is available to immunize pigs and to run
control programmes
• 10% Oxfendazole is available to treat pigs and
eliminate cysts at the time of vaccination
Summary and future strategy
• Cysticercosis is a potentially eradicable
disease
• An effective vaccine and medication to
control cysticercosis in pig is available
• GALVmed is coordinating with research,
commercial manufacturing and market to
make available TSOL 18 vaccine and
contribute in eradication of the disease
• TSOL 18 vaccine, produced in commercial
setting, has passed efficacy, immunogenicity
and safety tests at international standards
• The vaccine is awaiting further field trials
and licence for commercial manufacturing
• The disease can be controlled by vaccinating
and strategic treatment with anthelmentic
in pigs
• A joint public health and veterinary effort
will be required to control cysticercosis in
humans and pigs
Water and
vegetable
contaminated
with T. solium
eggs