Extracellular vesicle-based vaccination as a novel strategy to fight Ant-Helmintic Resistance

Development of anthelmintic (multi)resistance (AHR) in parasitic roundworms of livestock and horses is a well-established problem in veterinary medicine, but parasitic AHR is also an emerging problem for human medicine. However, very little is known about the molecular mechanisms linked to development of AHR.

Furthermore, if and how immunomodulating extracellular vesicles (EV) released by parasites contribute to AHR is completely unknown.

To gain further insight into the molecular mechanisms of AHR and to study how EV impacts on the development of AHR we will use equine, canine and pig roundworms as model organisms.

To increase our mechanistic insight of AHR we have developed in vitro-cultures from infective larva stages roundworms, (multi)AHR or non-resistant, and EV will be collected and used in the different aims.

Using different omics-methods, i.e. label free proteomics and RNA-seq, the “cargo load” in EV and gene expression profiles in infective larva stages, before and after exposure to anthelmintics, will be analysed.

Furthermore, the communication potential and immunogenicity of EV will be characterized, the latter as an indication for the development of an EV-based vaccine.

The prevalence of AHR is growing steadily and the ultimate goal of this project is to find new alternative treatment methods.