Vaccination with anti-tick antigens to control multiple tick species and disease transmission in white-tailed deer and other host animals
Inventors
Li, Andrew Y. • Guerrero, Felicito • Foil, Lane D. • Perez De Leon, Adalberto A.
Assignees
Board Of Supervisors Of Louisiana State University And Agriculture And Mechanical Colloge • US Department of Agriculture USDA • Louisiana State University
Publication Number
US-10363292-B2
Publication Date
2019-07-30
Expiration Date
2037-09-18
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Abstract
Compositions of either the Rm86Texas protein from a Texas outbreak strain of the southern cattle fever tick, Rhipicephalus microplus, or a nucleic acid construct incorporating a nucleic acid sequence encoding this Rm86Texas protein, are effective for eliciting a protective immune response in non-bovine animals. The Rm86Texas protein is immunogenic and can be administered as a protein vaccine, or in the alternative, the nucleic acid construct can be utilized as a DNA vaccine. Induction of the immune response significantly reduces or eliminates the infestation of treated, non-bovine animals with ticks. Moreover, as ticks are vectors of a variety of pathogens, the reduction in the incidence of tick infestation afforded by the vaccines may concurrently reduce the incidence of diseases caused by these pathogens in susceptible animals.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to compositions and methods for controlling and preventing tick infestations in non-bovine animals, such as white-tailed deer, through vaccination with an immunogenic Rm86Texas protein derived from a Texas outbreak strain of the southern cattle fever tick, Rhipicephalus microplus, or nucleic acid constructs encoding this protein. The Rm86Texas protein can be administered as a protein vaccine or as a DNA vaccine via nucleic acid constructs, effectively eliciting a protective immune response that reduces or eliminates tick infestations in the treated animals.
Ticks are significant vectors for many pathogenic agents causing diseases in warm-blooded animals, such as babesiosis and Lyme disease. White-tailed deer serve as key hosts and reservoirs for various tick species and play a role in tick population maintenance and disease transmission. Previous methods using pesticides have become less effective due to pesticide-resistant tick strains, and although some immunological controls have been developed, there is a continuing need for vaccines effective against a broad range of tick species and host animals.
The invention addresses this need by providing vaccines incorporating the Rm86Texas protein or its nucleic acid constructs, which not only protect against Rhipicephalus microplus but also control infestations by other tick species like Ixodes scapularis and Amblyomma americanum in non-bovine animals including cervids, equines, canines, and felines. Vaccination reduces tick infestation rates and may concurrently decrease tick-borne disease incidence in susceptible animals.
Claims Coverage
The patent includes two independent claims detailing methods of reducing tick infestations in non-bovine animals using vaccine compositions containing the Rm86Texas protein or nucleic acid constructs encoding this protein. The inventive features of each claim are described as follows.
Use of Rm86Texas protein in a vaccine to reduce tick infestations
A method comprising administering a vaccine composition to a non-bovine animal, wherein the vaccine composition contains an immunogenic Rm86Texas protein in an amount effective to stimulate an immune response against ticks. The Rm86Texas protein consists of amino acids 17-624 of SEQ ID: 1, and the targeted ticks are selected from Ixodes scapularis and Amblyomma americanum species.
Use of nucleic acid constructs encoding Rm86Texas protein for vaccination
A method comprising administering a vaccine composition including a nucleic acid construct that encodes the Rm86Texas protein, operatively linked to one or more expression control sequences, to a non-bovine animal. The nucleic acid construct is provided in an amount effective to stimulate an immune response against ticks. The Rm86Texas protein targeted consists of amino acids 17-624 of SEQ ID: 1, and the targeted ticks are from the species Ixodes scapularis and Amblyomma americanum.
The claims collectively cover vaccination methods in non-bovine animals using either the Rm86Texas protein or nucleic acid constructs encoding the protein to induce immune responses that reduce infestations by ticks of the species Ixodes scapularis and Amblyomma americanum.
Stated Advantages
Vaccination with Rm86Texas substantially reduces or eliminates tick infestations in non-bovine animals.
Reduction of tick infestations potentially decreases the incidence of tick-borne diseases in susceptible animals.
The vaccines are effective against multiple tick species, broadening the protective scope beyond the cattle tick to include species such as the deer tick and lone star tick.
The vaccine is suitable for use in a variety of non-bovine animals including companion animals and wildlife such as deer, horses, domestic dogs, and cats.
Documented Applications
Control and prevention of infestations by multiple tick species in non-bovine animals, including Ixodes scapularis and Amblyomma americanum ticks.
Vaccination of wildlife species such as white-tailed deer and red deer to reduce tick populations and tick-borne disease transmission.
Vaccination of companion animals including domestic dogs and cats to protect against tick infestations.
Use of vaccine compositions comprising recombinant Rm86Texas protein or nucleic acid constructs as protein or DNA vaccines formulated with suitable adjuvants for administration to large and small non-bovine animals via injection or potentially orally.
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