The enhanced secreted production of P-TUFT-ALT-2 in bioreactor would step up its commercialization as an inexpensive commercial vaccine for human lymphatic filariasis.
The abundant larval transcript (ALT-2) protein is present in all members of the Filarioidea, and has been reported as a potential candidate antigen for a subunit vaccine against lymphatic filariasis.
Significant differences in antibody response to the recombinant ALT-2 were observed in endemic populations with differing clinical manifestations of lymphatic filariasis with an antibody response present in sera from 18 of 25 (72%) EN subjects compared to 9 of 25 (36%) with subclinical microfilaracmia (MF) and 14 of 25 (52%) of those with chronic lymphatic obstruction (CP) (P=0.01 for comparison of EN to CP or to MF).