• Vaccine Name: rTgPGAM 2
• Target Pathogen: Toxoplasma gondii
• Target Disease: Toxoplasmosis
• Type: Subunit vaccine
• Status: Research
• Host Species for Licensed Use: Human
• Antigen: PGAM2 (Wang et al., 2016)
• PGAM2 gene engineering:
  • Type: Recombinant protein preparation
  • Description: ORF of the TgPGAM 2 gene was amplified from the RH strain T. gondii tachyzoites and cloned into the pET-30a(+) vector. The rTgPGAM 2 protein was express in BL21 (DE3) cells, purified, and the endotoxin in rTgPGAM2 was removed. (Wang et al., 2016)
  • Detailed Gene Information: Click Here.
• Immunization Route: Nasal spray
• Description: T. gondii subunit vaccine of recombinant PGAM2 (Wang et al., 2016)

Mouse Response

• Host Strain: BALB/c (Wang et al., 2016)
• Host age: 6 weeks old (Wang et al., 2016)
• Host gender: female (Wang et al., 2016)
• Vaccination Protocol: The mice were divided into five groups (10 mice per group) and were intranasally immunised with 10, 20, 30 or 40 μg of rTgPGAM2 suspended in 20 μL of sterile PBS, or PBS only as control. The mice were immunised using the same protocol on days 0, 14 and 21. (Wang et al., 2016)
• Challenge Protocol: On the 15th day after the last immunisation, eight mice in each group were challenged orally with 1 × 10^4 T. gondii RH strain tachyzoites for the tachyzoite load assay, and 12 mice in each group were challenged orally with 4 × 10^4 tachyzoites for the survival assay. The numbers of tachyzoites in the brains and livers of the mice were measured to assess the results of the chronic challenge infection assay. The time to death and survival of the mice were recorded and assessed for one month after parasite challenge. (Wang et al., 2016)
• Efficacy: Chronic infection: The tachyzoite loads in the brain tissues were (7.64 ± 1.47) × 10^6/g in the control group and (2.92 ± 0.51) × 10^6/g in the rTgPGAM 2-vacinated group. The tachyzoite loads in the liver tissues were (10.39 ± 2.17) × 10^6/g in the control group and (3.85 ± 1.17) × 10^6/g in the rTgPGAM 2-vacinated group. Compared with the mice in the control group, the average parasite burden was reduced significantly by 56.9% and 69.2% in the brain and liver tissues, respectively. (Wang et al., 2016)
  Acute infection: A significant increase in the survival time and survival rate (70%) was observed in the rTgPGAM 2-immunised group compared with the control group. (Wang et al., 2016)