Roadmap for the development of candidate vaccines for liver fluke

What are we trying to achieve and why? What is the problem we are trying to solve?

Generation of a protective immune response against F.hepatica

What are the scientific and technological challenges (knowledge gaps needing to be addressed)?

DNA vaccine approach hasn’t worked as well in ruminants as in rodent models.
Anticipated regulatory challenges for this approach

What approaches could/should be taken to address the research question?

• DNA vaccine
• Self-amplifying RNA technology
• Efficacy trials of existing candidates in experimental and field challenge studies

What else needs to be done before we can solve this need?

• A challenge model
• Definition of minimal acceptable efficacy
• Identity of protective antigens
• Identity of suitable molecular adjuvants

Existing knowledge including successes and failures

Very limited evidence in the target species