Hyderabadi Doctors Design A Vaccine Against Naegleria Fowleri Causing Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis

In a new publication titled "In silico-based vaccine design against Naegleria fowleri causing primary amebic meningoencephalitis" published in the Indian Journal of Pharmacology, a team of doctors including Dr. Sai Kiran Ramanujam, Dr. Dharani Mummadi, Dr. Krishna Priya Kanteti, Ms. Srilaxmi Vityala, Dr. Ujwala Damineni led by Dr. Yethindra Vityala from Hyderabad, Telangana, designed a vaccine candidate against Naegleria fowleri in silico.

Naegleria (N.) fowleri is a microorganism commonly found in soil and warm water sources, such as rivers, lakes, and hot springs. It can enter the nasal cavity and cause primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), a severe and potentially deadly condition with a high mortality rate of > 97%.

Unfortunately, a young girl in Kozhikode of Kerala died from PAM on May 20, 2024, marking the seventh reported case in the district. The girl contracted the infection while swimming in a nearby river. On May 1st, she and four other children bathed in the river; however, they did not experience any symptoms and tested negative. In July 2023, a 15-year-old boy from Alappuzha passed away with PAM. Previous cases have been reported in Alappuzha, Malappuram, Kozhikode, and Thrissur. To date, 20 cases have been reported in India. PAM is not contagious and cannot be transmitted through drinking water containing amoeba.

N. fowleri has been found in various water sources, including swimming pools, waterfalls, and home water systems. The early signs of PAM include headache, fever, nausea, and vomiting. As the disease progresses, patients may experience neck stiffness, cognitive impairment, seizures, and delusions, potentially leading to coma. Unfortunately, most PAM patients die within 1-18 days of symptom onset, with the majority dying within five days. Despite the administration of medications, such as amphotericin B, azithromycin, fluconazole, rifampin, miltefosine, and dexamethasone, no proven treatment exists for PAM. Therefore, development of a vaccine against N. fowleri is a critical public health goal.

This study identified the exact location of an epitope on the surface of N. fowleri that could trigger an immune response. Using software from the immune epitope database, they identified an epitope of plasma membrane actin 1 that exhibited immunogenicity.

This study also revealed the capacity of antibody and epitope to interact and trigger an immune response owing to their accessibility. The protein structure of N. fowleri actin 1 was found to be 86.45% similar to that of bovine profilin-β-actin.

This study concluded that the SSSVEK epitope could be used as a vaccine against N. fowleri, but further investigation is necessary to confirm its effectiveness.

Read More News :

Stocks to Monitor: Sun Pharma, Apollo Hospitals, Muthoot Finance, Jio Financial, Tube Investments

NSE Indices Launches India's First EV Index