Posted by Vector and Vector-borne Disease Committee
May 26, 2022
ANDALEEB SAJID [HTTPS://ORCID.ORG/0000-0001-6248-4985], AQUELINE MATIAS, GUNJAN ARORA, CHEYNE KUROKAWA, KATHLEEN DEPONT, EXIAOTIAN TANG, et al.
SCIENCE TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE [17 Nov 21], Vol 13 [620], <DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abj9827>
Summary [Journal]. Repeated exposures to the black-legged tick, Ixodes scapularis, can lead to acquired resistance against ticks or “tick immunity.” To generate tick resistance, the authors developed an mRNA vaccine that encoded for 19 I. scapularis salivary proteins (19ISP). Guinea pigs vaccinated with 19ISP developed erythema at the site of tick attachment, a feature of acquired tick resistance. This led to poor tick feeding and, in the case of ticks infected with the Lyme disease agent, Borrelia burgdorferi, reduced transmission of the pathogen. Thus, 19ISP is a promising candidate for antitick vaccines that may also prevent transmission of tick-borne spirochetes.
Comment: The relatively long attachment of ticks on the host during feeding have made them a frequent target for accine development. In the 1990s, anti-tick vaccines were developed and marketed in Australia against cattle ticks [See A.E. Tabor. 2021. https://doi.org/10.3390%2Fvaccines9091030], but problems with dosing led to disuse. No anti-tick vaccines have been approved for humans.