Poster by: David Odongo, Cassandra Olds, Claudia Daubenberger, Anthony Musoke, Glen Scoles, Don Knowles, and Richard Bishop. For the BecA launch, Nairobi, 5 November 2010
Immunological control of ticks: Research towards development of an anti-tick vaccine for cattle
1. Immunological Control of Ticks:
Research Towards Development of an Anti-Tick Vaccine for Cattle
David Odongo1,6, Cassandra Olds1,5, Claudia Daubenberger2, Anthony Musoke3, Glen Scoles4, Don Knowles4, Richard Bishop1
1 International Livestock Research Institute, Nairobi; 2 Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute;
3 Ondersterport Veterinary Institute, South Africa; 4 United States Department of Agriculture/Dept of Veterinary Microbiology
and Pathology, Washington State University, USA; 5 Biosciences eastern and central Africa (BecA) Hub at ILRI, Nairobi; 6 University of Nairobi
Ticks: How big a problem are they? Research Project objectives
Rhi pi cephal us (Boophi l us) appendi cul at us To identify specific tick genes expressed in response to
- The main tick vector of Theileria parva, the feeding and determine w hether these genes serve as anti-
etiologic agent of East Coast fever (ECF), a tick or pathogen transmission blocking vaccine targets.
lympho-proliferative killer disease of cattle
Targeting internal vector/ parasite interface to identify
genes that could serve as pathogen transmission blocking
vaccine targets
A cow suff eri ng f rom ECF.
- Extreme anxiety due to possible
loss of a lifetime investment
- Death of young animals means
Research Milestones – where are we?
farmer cannot re-stock
R. appendiculatus salivary gland expressed sequence
tags – underpins development of salivary gland protein
based vaccine (mi mi cs natural i mmuni ty)
ECF i s endemi c i n 11 countri es i n A f ri ca.
-A pprox 28 million cattle at risk, 1m deaths/ year N ovel secreted proteins of R. appendiculatus salivary
A nnual losses amount to US$300 million. gland isolated by functional screening
Tick cement cone protein (Trp64) show n to induce
Current control – intensive use of acaricides, how ever not cross-reactive response and protection against tick
sustainable due to resistance, increasing costs and contamination infestation
of livestock products and the environment
Immunization of cattle w ith a baculovirus expressed
Development of vaccine against tick infestation in cattle is a recombinant R. appendiculatus lipocalin fold resulted in
promising field of research reduced number of adult female ticks feeding to
engorgement and decreased egg production
OUR RESEARCH GOAL Tick/ pathogen combination construct vaccine
developed and ready for testing in cattle
To contribute to sustainable integrated control of tick
vectors of livestock disease by research related to
development and deployment of vaccines against cattle
ticks. This w ill reduce the utilization of environmentally-
damaging acaricides for vector control.
Expected outputs from on-going research
Principle research questions we are asking:
Identify additional genes in tick gut and salivary glands for
Immuno-modulatory proteins in tick salivary glands - can they use as antigens in subunit based vaccines
serve as vaccine targets to prevent pathogen transmission?
Bioinformatics and comparative genomics to identify tick gut A marketable tick vaccine
genes that are up-regulated in response to tick feeding on host for the cattle industry?
“ The TickGA RD experience”
RN A interference – gene knockdow n
to study biological function of
identified candidate genes
A vaccine that is effective, safe, affordable
to the farmer, that is cost competitive and
Does vaccination w ith recombinant antigen of protection w ill reduce intensive use of acaricides
Concept of a combination vaccine rather than a “ silver bullet”
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