@article{dadd9e92dbf642118590120b80114b46,
title = "Harnessing Mycobacterium bovis BCG Trained Immunity to Control Human and Bovine Babesiosis",
abstract = "Babesiosis is a disease caused by tickborne hemoprotozoan apicomplexan parasites of the genus Babesia that negatively impacts public health and food security worldwide. Development of effective and sustainable vaccines against babesiosis is currently hindered in part by the absence of definitive host correlates of protection. Despite that, studies in Babesia microti and Babesia bovis, major causative agents of human and bovine babesiosis, respectively, suggest that early activation of innate immune responses is crucial for vertebrates to survive acute infection. Trained immunity (TI) is defined as the development of memory in vertebrate innate immune cells, allowing more efficient responses to subsequent specific and non-specific challenges. Considering that Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG), a widely used anti-tuberculosis attenuated vaccine, induces strong TI pro-inflammatory responses, we hypothesize that BCG TI may protect vertebrates against acute babesiosis. This premise is supported by early investigations demonstrating that BCG inoculation protects mice against experimental B. microti infection and recent observations that BCG vaccination decreases the severity of malaria in children infected with Plasmodium falciparum, a Babesia-related parasite. We also discuss the potential use of TI in conjunction with recombinant BCG vaccines expressing Babesia immunogens. In conclusion, by concentrating on human and bovine babesiosis, herein we intend to raise awareness of BCG TI as a strategy to efficiently control Babesia infection.",
keywords = "Anti-Babesia vaccine, Babesia bovis, Babesia microti, Babesia spp, Bovine babesiosis, Human babesiosis, Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG), Recombinant BCG, Trained immunity",
author = "Bastos, {Reginaldo G.} and Alzan, {Heba F.} and Rathinasamy, {Vignesh A.} and Cooke, {Brian M.} and Dellagostin, {Odir A.} and Barletta, {Ra{\'u}l G.} and Suarez, {Carlos E.}",
note = "Funding Information: Funding: We acknowledge financial support from the International Development Research Center (IDRC) (Livestock Vaccine Innovation Fund (Grants 108525 and 109475, funded by the Canadian Government and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; CE Suarez and BM Cooke), the United States Department of Agriculture (ARS-USDA CRIS 2090-32000-039-00-D; CE Suarez), the Australian Research Council (DP180102584; BM Cooke), the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) (Award Number: 2020-67015-31809, Proposal Number: 2019-05375, Accession Number: 1022541; RG Bastos and CE Suarez), The USDA NIFA (Award Number: 2020-67015-31416; Proposal Number: 2019-05387, Accession Number: 1022714; RG Barletta), and Hatch MultiState Project Number NE-1701, Nebraska Project Number NEB-39-179, Accession Number 1015037; RG Barletta). Funding Information: We acknowledge financial support from the International Development Research Center (IDRC) (Livestock Vaccine Innovation Fund (Grants 108525 and 109475, funded by the Canadian Government and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; CE Suarez and BM Cooke), the United States Department of Agriculture (ARS-USDA CRIS 2090-32000-039-00-D; CE Suarez), the Australian Research Council (DP180102584; BM Cooke), the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) (Award Number: 2020-67015-31809, Proposal Number: 2019-05375, Accession Number: 1022541; RG Bastos and CE Suarez), The USDA NIFA (Award Number: 2020-67015-31416; Proposal Number: 2019-05387, Accession Number: 1022714; RG Barletta), and Hatch MultiState Project Number NE-1701, Nebraska Project Number NEB-39-179, Accession Number 1015037; RG Barletta). We would like to acknowledge Sezayi Ozubek, Paul Lacy, Jacob Laughery, Manuel Rojas, and Jinna Navas for productive discussions on the scientific aspects of the manuscript. We would also like to thank Lucas Bastos for preparing the illustrations for Figure 1. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.",
year = "2022",
month = jan,
doi = "10.3390/vaccines10010123",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "10",
journal = "Vaccines",
issn = "2076-393X",
publisher = "Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)",
number = "1",
}