Safety and efficacy of a novel glycoengineered recombinant vaccine candidate against Haemonchus contortus in sheep
Floriana Sajovitz-Grohmann,
Isabella Adduci,
Dirk Werling,
Sandra Wiedermann,
Licha N. Wortha,
Bojan Prole,
Julia Zlöbl,
Jolina Elster,
Alexander Tichy,
Anja Joachim,
Thomas Wittek,
Barbara Hinney,
Shi Yan,
Katharina Lichtmannsperger
Affiliations
Floriana Sajovitz-Grohmann
Clinical Centre for Ruminant and Camelid Medicine, Clinical Department for Farm Animals and Food System Science, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna
Isabella Adduci
Institute of Parasitology, Department of Biological Sciences and Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna
Dirk Werling
Centre for Vaccinology and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Pathobiology and Population Science, Royal Veterinary College
Sandra Wiedermann
Institute of Parasitology, Department of Biological Sciences and Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna
Licha N. Wortha
Institute of Parasitology, Department of Biological Sciences and Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna
Bojan Prole
Institute of Parasitology, Department of Biological Sciences and Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna
Julia Zlöbl
Clinical Centre for Ruminant and Camelid Medicine, Clinical Department for Farm Animals and Food System Science, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna
Jolina Elster
Clinical Centre for Ruminant and Camelid Medicine, Clinical Department for Farm Animals and Food System Science, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna
Alexander Tichy
Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Platform, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna
Anja Joachim
Institute of Parasitology, Department of Biological Sciences and Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna
Thomas Wittek
Clinical Centre for Ruminant and Camelid Medicine, Clinical Department for Farm Animals and Food System Science, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna
Barbara Hinney
Institute of Parasitology, Department of Biological Sciences and Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna
Shi Yan
Institute of Parasitology, Department of Biological Sciences and Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna
Katharina Lichtmannsperger
Clinical Centre for Ruminant and Camelid Medicine, Clinical Department for Farm Animals and Food System Science, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna
Abstract Haemonchus contortus is a highly pathogenic nematode in small ruminants, causing major production losses and animal welfare concerns. With increasing anthelmintic resistance, vaccination offers a more sustainable control strategy. This study evaluated a novel glycoengineered vaccine produced in Hi5 insect cells in a randomized, controlled trial including Jura × Lacaune sheep. Animals received either Barbervax® (BVAX), the glycoengineered vaccine (GEA) composed of five antigens (H11, H11-1, H11-2, H11-4 and GA1), its non-glycoengineered counterpart (NEA), or served as controls. Over 16 weeks, clinical, immunological, and parasitological data were collected. GEA reduced fecal egg counts by 81.09% and worm burden by 25.36%, showing a lower degree of anemia compared to NEA and control. All vaccinated groups exhibited elevated IgG/IgE responses. The results underscore the importance of glycoengineering in achieving protective immunity against H. contortus, supporting the development of highly effective recombinant vaccines against this and other parasitic worms in the future.
