Pandemic preparedness against protozoan parasites through the establishment of a hybrid camelid single-domain antibody platform. (PREPARAS)

Infectious disease research (including diagnostic, preventative and therapeutic development) has been a longstanding spearhead initiative of the University of Antwerp. This is driven by a vibrant research community, which is embedded in a larger "infectious disease ecosystem" in Flanders. A significant portion of these efforts is specifically devoted towards tackling protozoan parasites, a group of unicellular eukaryotes that affect the livelihoods of billions of people and their livestock around the world. Protozoan parasites cause some of the most daunting infectious diseases to have burdened humankind in past and present times (e.g., malaria, leishmaniasis, trypanosomiasis). These diseases are hallmarked by a significant mortality and a high morbidity, thereby severely impacting the quality of life and socio-economic status of those affected. Protozoan parasites are currently endemic in large parts of the world (over 100 countries ranging from the Americas to Southeast Asia) and pose a global risk due to human migration, climate change and an expanded distribution of the insect vectors that enable parasite transmission. Consequently, even currently unaffected areas (including the Western world) are confronted with disease (re-)emergence. Hence, the current burden and pandemic potential of protozoan parasites advocate the urgency and necessity to invest in tools that enable swift parasite detection and control. Some of the most potent and promising tools employed by humans in the battle against their pathogens are obtained from other animal species. A striking example is provided by the Belgian discovery of a peculiar antibody subset that naturally occurs in camelids (e.g., alpacas, llamas, camels, and dromedaries). In these antibodies, antigen recognition is mediated by a single domain, which is why it is often referred to as a "single-domain antibody" (sdAb). During the past decades it has been recognised that sdAbs possess many remarkable properties that render them highly suitable for discovery, application, and valorisation in life sciences (including diagnostics and therapeutics). These very same properties also make them unique and potent tools for pandemic preparedness and responsiveness. Literature and market analyses reveal that sdAbs remain largely under-utilised in the battle against protozoan parasites. Consequently, the application of sdAbs in the field of human and veterinary parasitology represents uncharted territory. This project aims to harness the highly complementary expertise at UAntwerp with regards to the generation and application of sdAbs in the field of parasitology to establish PREPARAS, a hybrid platform for the generation and identification of anti-parasite sdAbs via both immune and synthetic libraries. This will generate a fruitful synergy between research, application development, and valorisation given i) the veterinary expertise and strong research focus of the participating laboratories on protozoan parasite biology, ii) the unique opportunity of exploiting a hybrid platform for sdAb generation, and iii) the potential of sdAbs to address scientifical, medical and market-driven needs. Hence, PREPARAS will provide in-house access to unique research and development tools to remain at the forefront in the global battle against protozoan parasites of human and veterinary importance.

Keywords:PARASITOLOGY, THERAPEUTICS, DIAGNOSTICS, ANTIBODIES

Disciplines:Animal immunology, Infectious diseases, Parasitology, Medical biotechnology not elsewhere classified, Applied immunology, Proteins

Project type:Collaboration project