UIC-2011-025 – A multivalent vaccine for Lymphatic filariasis

Lymphatic filariasis is caused by the filarial nematodes and it affects more than 120 million people worldwide. After five years of extensive mass drug administration, there is no significant improvement in the reduction of the disease In South Asia alone over, 40 million people are suffering from chronic lymphatic filariasis, about the same number of people infected with the HIV virus. The socioeconomic impact caused by this disease in Asia alone is close to $1 billion loss annually (CDC). Drugs used to treat this infection are very effective, however, the drug(s) need to be administered to each individual in the endemic area (2 billion people) annually. Moreover, drug (albendazole) resistant lymphatic filariasis parasites has already been reported. UIC inventor Kalyanasundaram Ramaswamy developed a lymphatic filariasis vaccine (filarial hybrid vaccine) that can afford close to 100% protection against a challenge infection in a mouse and jird model of lymphatic filariasis. The vaccine consists of (1) a hybrid DNA inserted into a suitable FDA approved vector for human use and (2) a recombinant hybrid protein. Both these components will be given simultaneously Once administered, the protein part of the vaccine starts to act immediately after injection, whereas, the DNA part act slowly acting as a booster dose. The current vaccine has been evaluated in Humans in vitro, mouse models, jird models and gerbil models Hyunjin Kim hkim227@otm.uic.edu 312355-7843