Taenia taeniaeformis is a parasitic tapeworm that affects cats, rodents, and other animals. It is also a zoonotic pathogen that can infect humans who consume undercooked meat or meet contaminated feces. The adult tapeworm resides in the small intestine of cats, while the larval stage, known as the oncosphere, develops in rodents’ liver, causing hepatic cysticercosis. In humans, Taenia taeniaeformis can cause similar symptoms, such as abdominal pain, nausea, and diarrhea.

Oncosphere Antigen A: Oncosphere antigen A is a glycoprotein found in the oncosphere stage of Taenia taeniaeformis. It is involved in the initial attachment of the oncosphere to the host’s intestinal wall and triggers the host’s immune response. Oncosphere antigen A is also a crucial diagnostic marker for taeniasis and cysticercosis and can be detected in serum and fecal samples.

Oncosphere antigen A contains several epitopes that interact with the host’s intestinal epithelium and induce a local inflammatory response. This response leads to the recruitment of immune cells, such as macrophages and lymphocytes, that can recognize and destroy the oncosphere. However, in some cases, the host’s immune response is not effective, and the oncosphere can establish a chronic infection.

Oncosphere Antigen B: Oncosphere antigen B is another glycoprotein found in the oncosphere of Taenia taeniaeformis. It plays a critical role in the host-parasite interaction by modulating the immune response and inducing immunological tolerance. Oncosphere antigen B is also a potential target for developing vaccines against taeniasis and cysticercosis.

Oncosphere antigen B has several immunomodulatory properties, such as inhibiting the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and promoting the secretion of regulatory T cells. These effects can lead to the suppression of the host’s immune response and facilitate the establishment of a chronic infection. However, recent studies have shown that targeting oncosphere antigen B with specific antibodies can induce protective immunity and reduce the parasite’s burden.

Taenia taeniaeformis cDNA and recombinant antigen can be used in various applications.
1. Diagnostics: Taenia taeniaeformis cDNA and recombinant antigen can be used in PCR based tests for the diagnosis of infections with Taenia taeniaeformis. The cDNA can be used to amplify the parasite’s genetic material for detection. The recombinant antigen can be used in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) for the detection of specific antibodies against the parasite.

2. Vaccine Development: Taenia taeniaeformis cDNA and recombinant antigen can be used for the development of vaccines for the prevention of T. taeniaeformis infections. The cDNA can be used to express immunogenic proteins that can be used to generate a vaccine. The recombinant antigen can be used to generate antibodies to the parasite and can also be used to monitor the efficacy of the vaccine.

The use of recombinant proteins/cDNA in academic research and therapeutic applications has skyrocketed. However, in heterologous expression systems, successful recombinant protein expression is dependent on a variety of factors, including codon preference, RNA secondary structure, and GC content. When compared to pre-optimization, more and more experimental results demonstrated that the expression level was dramatically increased, ranging from two to hundred times depending on the gene. Bioclone has created a proprietary technology platform that has resulted in the creation of over 6,000 artificially synthesized codon-optimized cDNA clones (cloned in E. coli expression Vector), which are ready for production of the recombinant proteins.