# TRYPANOSOMA CRUZI:  ISOLATION OF SURFACE ANTIGEN GENES

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-IRVINE · 1991 · $260,430

## Abstract

Trypanosoma cruzi is a parasitic hemoflagellate and is the causative agent
of Chagas Disease.  This parasitic disease constitutes a major human health
hazard in South and Central America, and, thus far, no successful
chemotherapeutic cure or immunoprophylactic methods to prevent infection
have been developed.  Since both man and experimental animals can developed
acquired resistance against acute infections of T. cruzi, the development
of an effective vaccine for prevention and control of the disease should be
feasible.  This approach which we have taken for the development of a
vaccine against this parasite focuses on the surface antigens of the
infective form of the parasite.  The rationale for this approach is based
on the knowledge that interiorization of the parasite into the host cell is
essential for establishing infection.  The penetration process is a
membrane-mediated phenomenon which likely involves parasite surface
proteins.  In accord with this line of reasoning, host cell penetration has
been shown to involve at least one trypomastigote specific surface antigen
of Mr 85, and are currently engaged in producing two of these antigens in
amounts sufficient for immunization trials.  In continuing these studies,
the experiments that I propose for the next granting period are:  (1)  To
test the ability of the 85, 90 and 34-41 kDa trypomastigote specific
surface proteins to confer protective immunity to mice against an otherwise
lethal inoculum of T. cruzi; (2) To determine whether the extent of
antigenic diversity in the 85 kDa gene family among different clonal
isolates of the parasite is sufficient to influence vaccine design; (3) To
examine the possibility that spontaneous antigenic variation similar to
that found in the African trypanosome occurs within the 85 kDa gene family
in T. cruzi; (4) If substantial variation and/or diversity does occur
within this gene family, we will determine whether constant and variable
regions occur within the different expressed members of the gene family
which might be exploited for vaccine design; (5) To continue work on the
isolation, characterization and expression of the 34-41 kDa surface protein
gene for subsequent immunization trials.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3128265
- **Project number:** 5R01AI018873-09
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-IRVINE
- **SAM.gov UEI:** MJC5FCYQTPE6
- **Principal Investigator:** JERRY E MANNING
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1991
- **Award amount:** $260,430
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1982-04-01 → 1995-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3128265

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3128265, TRYPANOSOMA CRUZI:  ISOLATION OF SURFACE ANTIGEN GENES (5R01AI018873-09). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3128265. Licensed CC0.

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