Parkinson's disease (PD), the second most common neurodegenerative disorder in the world, is characterized by the chronic and progressive death of dopaminergic neurons. Several intraneuronal mechanisms, as well as microenvironmental factors, are involved in neurodegeneration. Currently, the care for PD patients is focused on controlling motor symptoms. Designing interventions that help stop neurodegeneration remains a major challenge in PD management. This review analyzes various neuroprotective approaches that could promote neuronal survival. We explore innovative strategies, such as gene therapy, the use of exosomes, microbiome modulation, and vagus nerve stimulation. The study emphasizes that these interventions could prevent cellular damage and potentially restore neuronal function. Furthermore, the study emphasizes the importance of understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms in order to develop combined therapies. The research considers critical factors, such as suppressing neuroinflammation and the role of sex hormones in neuron survival. Thus, this review focuses on the molecular mechanisms of neuroprotective strategies under investigation to aid in developing new therapeutic interventions.
OBJECTIVE:COVID-19 has been associated with a wide range of systemic and neurological complications, known as long COVID or postacute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC). Such sequelae can be observed among all infected individuals, even among those with a mild disease course. Dysbiosis, a common condition associated with low-grade inflammation, has been proposed as a potential mechanism of PASC by altering levels of circulating lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and the tryptophan pathway metabolites kynurenine and quinolinic acid, known to affect neurocognitive function. The authors evaluated the evolution of neurological, neurocognitive, and neuropsychiatric COVID-19 sequelae and their relationship with circulating LPS and kynurenine and quinolinic acid levels. METHODS:A prospective, longitudinal, and analytical study was conducted. Neurological, neurocognitive, and neuropsychiatric assessments of participants who had recovered from COVID-19 and did not require hospitalization during the acute stages of the infection were performed. Peripheral levels of LPS and tryptophan metabolites were measured 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after infection. RESULTS:Of 95 participants recruited, 67 COVID-19-convalescent individuals and 20 COVID-19-free individuals were included. Significantly higher occurrences of asthenia, olfaction and taste alterations, headache, memory dysfunction, and systemic symptoms such as dyspnea, cough, and periodontal diseases were found among participants in the COVID-19-convalescent group compared with participants in the comparison group. A significant decrease in kynurenine levels, which correlated with cognitive impairment, was observed among PASC convalescents. CONCLUSIONS:Significant neurocognitive and neuropsychiatric impairments were observed among COVID-19-convalescent individuals, along with decreased kynurenine levels, which recovered during a 12-month follow-up period.
Zoonotic infections caused by Taenia and Echinococcus species are the most significant Taeniid parasitic diseases affecting human and animal health, particularly in regions with poor sanitation. Vaccination of intermediate hosts has proven effective in controlling these parasitic infections. In the case of Echinococcosis, targeted immunization programs have led to marked reductions in transmission, although global eradication remains unachieved. Similarly, sustained vaccination studies for cysticercosis have demonstrated the feasibility of interrupting transmission cycles. This review summarizes the current state of progress in the development of a novel, low-cost oral vaccine against zoonotic Taeniid parasites employing Carica papaya tissue cultures as a biofactory system. KETc7, a highly conserved protective antigen among Taeniid species, has been expressed in this plant tissue culture-based platform. C. papaya serves not only as an efficient vehicle for oral immunization but also exhibits intrinsic anthelmintic properties. The Taeniid oral papaya vaccine formulation consists of aqueous extracts from KETc7-transgenic papaya cells, combined with anthelmintic aqueous extracts derived from wild-type C. papaya cells. Importantly, transgenic and non-transgenic C. papaya cells suspension cultures were optimized under reproducible conditions to enable scalable production for the vaccine. By integrating biological knowledge of Taeniid parasites with advances in plant biotechnology, this review highlights the advances of a dual-action oral vaccine, both preventive and therapeutic, as a strategy to control with one vaccine different Taeniid infections in endemic regions, particularly where conventional injectable vaccination is limited by logistical and economic restrictions.
INTRODUCTION:GK-1 is a safe and effective molecule with high antimetastatic activity against murine breast and skin cancer. GK-1 treatment enhances cytotoxic response of CD8+ lymphocytes against the tumor and modifies the oxidative stress in the tumor. This study was designed to compare the antitumor efficacy of GK-1 by subcutaneous (SC) versus intravenous (IV) route of administration in the 4T1 mouse mammary carcinoma model and to extend its innocuity in heart and kidney, key tissues for observing damage induced by anticancer drugs and immunotherapy. MATERIAL AND METHODS:BALB/c female mice were injected orthotopically with 1000 4T1 cells. When palpable primary tumors of about 1 mm3 were detected, GK-1 (5 mg/kg) was administered IV or SC weekly for 21 days. Tumor growth and mouse weight were monitored weekly. The primary tumor weight and volume, the number of lung metastases, and programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) expression were recorded after 28 days of starting treatment. Kidney, heart, spleen, serum, and blood samples from naïve mice were obtained to evaluate the safety of GK-1 administration by measuring the degree of damage to these tissues with specific cytotoxic markers. RESULTS:Subcutaneous or intravenous administration of GK-1 significantly increased the lifespan of mice and significantly reduced the primary tumor weight and volume and the number of lungs macrometastases. GK-1 reduced the expression of PD-1 in tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in mice regardless of the route of immunization used, which is especially encouraging. No evidence of damage to kidney or heart tissues was detected in the tumor-free mice. CONCLUSIONS:This study supports that subcutaneous GK-1 administered, has an efficacy non-inferior to intravenous administration, well-tolerated with a similar safety profile and therefore offers a less invasive valid treatment alternative.
Neurocysticercosis is caused by the establishment of Taenia solium cysticerci in the central nervous system. The extraparenchymal form (ExP-NCC) is the most severe clinical presentation that may remain asymptomatic for years. Current treatment involves cysticidal drugs (albendazole and/or praziquantel) combined with glucocorticoids to manage the associated neuroinflammation; however, only ∼30% of patients respond effectively. This highlights the need to improve therapeutic strategies. Herein, the experimental murine model of human ExP-NCC was further characterized to improve its usefulness in testing new therapies. In humans, cysts grow slowly in the basal cisterns of the subarachnoid space, and patients become symptomatic years after the infection. Thus, a long-term follow-up was performed by using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with sequences allowing volumetric analysis. MRI confirmed NCC in 77% of infected rats, all exhibiting extraparenchymal localization and persistently elevated levels of HP10, a marker of viable cysticerci. Imaging also enabled precise cyst localization and estimation of the parasite-occupied volume.
This study evaluated the anti-amoebic properties of aqueous extracts of two Carica papaya callus clones, Wild Type (Pcc-WT-AE) and KETc7-expressing (Pcc-KETc7-AE) clones, in in vitro and in vivo assays. E. histolytica trophozoites cultures were exposed for 24 h to varying concentrations of the C. papaya aqueous extracts, and their viability and IC50 determined by MTT assays. In in vivo studies, golden hamsters were infected intraportally with E. histolytica trophozoites and orally treated with the C. papaya aqueous extracts for 7 days. The animals were sacrificed on day 8, and the development of ALA was recorded. Comparisons were made against metronidazole (MTZ). Both extracts statistically reduced trophozoite viability at 24 h in a dose-dependent manner in vitro. Pcc-KETc7-AE showed activity to the same extent as MTZ (IC50 36.08 µg/ml vs. 33.54 µg/ml, respectively), whereas Pcc-WT-AE exhibited less efficient but significant activity (IC50 113.4 µg/ml). Cell death analysis indicated that both extracts killed trophozoites by necrosis. In vivo studies showed that oral treatment with Pcc-WT-AE (4 and 8 mg/dose/hamster) completely prevented ALA development in 80
BACKGROUND:SARS-CoV2 induces flu-like symptoms that can rapidly progress to severe acute lung injury and even death. The virus also invades the central nervous system (CNS), causing neuroinflammation and death from central failure. Intravenous (IV) or oral dexamethasone (DXM) reduced 28 d mortality in patients who required supplemental oxygen compared to those who received conventional care alone. Through these routes, DMX fails to reach therapeutic levels in the CNS. In contrast, the intranasal (IN) route produces therapeutic levels of DXM in the CNS, even at low doses, with similar systemic bioavailability. AIMS:To compare IN vs. IV DXM treatment in hospitalized patients with COVID-19. METHODS:A controlled, multicenter, open-label trial. Patients with COVID-19 (69) were randomly assigned to receive IN-DXM (0.12 mg/kg for three days, followed by 0.6 mg/kg for up to seven days) or IV-DXM (6 mg/d for 10 d). The primary outcome was clinical improvement, as defined by the National Early Warning Score (NEWS) ordinal scale. The secondary outcome was death at 28 d between IV and IN patients. Effects of both treatments on biochemical and immunoinflammatory profiles were also recorded. RESULTS:Initially, no significant differences in clinical severity, biometrics, and immunoinflammatory parameters were found between both groups. The NEWS-2 score was reduced, in 23 IN-DXM treated patients, with no significant variations in the 46 IV-DXM treated ones. Ten IV-DXM-treated patients and only one IN-DXM patient died. CONCLUSIONS:IN-DMX reduced NEWS-2 and mortality more efficiently than IV-DXM, suggesting that IN is a more efficient route of DXM administration.
BACKGROUND:Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is endemic in non-developed regions of the world. Two forms of NCC have been described, for which neurological morbidity depends on the location of the lesion, which can be either within the cerebral parenchyma or in extraparenchymal spaces. The extraparenchymal form (EXP-NCC) is considered the most severe form of NCC. EXP-NCC often requires several cycles of cysticidal treatment and the concomitant use of glucocorticoids to prevent increased inflammation, which could lead to intracranial hypertension and, in rare cases, to death. Thus, the improvement of EXP-NCC treatment is greatly needed.METHODS:An experimental murine model of EXP-NCC, as an adequate model to evaluate new therapeutic approaches, and the parameters that support it are described. EXP-NCC was established by injecting 30 Taenia crassiceps cysticerci, which are less than 0.5 mm in diameter, into the cisterna magna of male and female Wistar rats.RESULTS:Cyst implantation and infection progression were monitored by detecting the HP10 antigen and anti-cysticercal antibodies in the serum and cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) of infected rats and by magnetic resonance imaging. Higher HP10 levels were observed in CSF than in the sera, as in the case of human EXP-NCC. Low cell recruitment levels were observed surrounding established cysticerci in histological analysis, with a modest increase in GFAP and Iba1 expression in the parenchyma of female animals. Low cellularity in CSF and low levels of C-reactive protein are consistent with a weak inflammatory response to this infection. After 150 days of infection, EXP-NCC is accompanied by reduced levels of mononuclear cell proliferation, resembling the human disease. EXP-NCC does not affect the behavior or general status of the rats.CONCLUSIONS:This model will allow the evaluation of new approaches to control neuroinflammation and immunomodulatory treatments to restore and improve the specific anti-cysticercal immunity in EXP-NCC.
In Guatemala, neurocysticercosis (NCC) was first recognized in 1940; since then, cases of NCC have been reported in all Guatemalan departments. However, epidemiological studies on Taenia solium infections are scarce and most information remains unpublished. This study aims to provide evidence of T. solium infections as a public health problem in Guatemala. All information available, either published or unpublished, on T. solium infections in the country was compiled. Official data from the Ministry of Health for the period 2003-2019 were reviewed and analyzed, and all cases of T. solium infections were classified and counted. In total, 5246 cases of taeniasis and 454 cases of human cysticercosis were recorded. On the other hand, 44 studies were identified, mostly from local journals, which included 1951 cases of taeniasis, 2873 cases of human cysticercosis of which 543 were classified with complete diagnosis, and 2590 cases of porcine cysticercosis. Cases were classified by geographic region, patient sex, and Taenia species in taeniasis cases when information was available, and the departments with the highest number of taeniasis and cysticercosis cases were identified. Meanwhile, in Zacapa, a northeastern department of Guatemala with one the highest number of taeniasis cases, a young man diagnosed with a severe form of NCC and two cases of porcine cysticercosis (both confirmed by necropsy) were identified. Taken together, the data herein reported indicate that T. solium infections are a major health problem in Guatemala that needs to be addressed.
Parasitic diseases are a major public health problem worldwide. Plant-derived products appear to be ideal candidates from a biotechnological perspective, being sustainable and environmentally friendly.
Taeniasis/cysticercosis complex caused by Taenia solium, is a serious public health problem and causes major economic losses to swine producers in developing countries in Asia, Africa and the Americas. Despite scarce epidemiological data, Guatemala is considered endemic for T. solium. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Azacualpa and Malpais, two villages in the department of Zacapa, to assess the prevalence of swine cysticercosis and associated factors. Between March and October 2019, 149 pigs were examined by tongue palpation and serum samples were then collected to detect antibodies by ab-ELISA, and necropsy was performed on pigs that were positive by tongue palpation and/or ab-ELISA, to assess parasite load. Pig owners were asked to fill out a questionnaire on factors related to pig husbandry and occurrence of swine cysticercosis. Pearson's chi-square test and multivariate analysis were used to measure the association between serological results and other variables (p < 0.05 was considered significant). The seroprevalence of swine cysticercosis was 13.4% (13/97, 95% C.I. 6.6%-20.2%) and 25% (13/52, 95% C.I. 13.2%-36.8%) in Azacualpa and Malpais, respectively, yielding an overall seroprevalence of 17.4% (26/149, 95% C.I. 11.4%-23.5%). Parasite loads ranged from 1 to over 23,000 metacestodes per carcass. No bivariate association was found between exposure variables and seropositivity. A positive diagnosis by tongue palpation increased the odds of finding pigs seropositive for cysticercosis by a factor of 16.1 in the multivariate analysis. Despite the high prevalence and parasite load of T. solium, risk factors associated with cysticercosis were not significant in this study.
Dexamethasone (DXM) and methylprednisolone (MEP) are potent glucocorticoids used to control several inflammatory conditions. Evidence of delayed DXM reaching the central nervous system (CNS) as well as tachyphylaxis and systemic, undesirable side effects are the main limitations of peripheral delivery. Intranasal administration offers direct access to the brain as it bypasses the blood–brain barrier. The Mucosal Atomization Device is an optimal tool that can achieve rapid absorption into the CNS and the bloodstream across mucosal membranes. This study was designed to evaluate and compare the bioavailability of DXM and MEP after intranasal versus intravenous administration. Two open-label, balanced, randomized, two-treatment, two-period, two-sequence, single-dose, crossover studies were conducted, which involved healthy male and female adult volunteers. After intranasal administration, DXM and MEP were detected in plasma after the first sampling time. Mean peak concentrations of DXM and MEP were 86.61 ng/mL at 60 min and 843.2 ng/mL at 1.5 h post-administration, respectively. DXM and MEP showed high absolute bioavailability, with values of 80% and 95%, respectively. No adverse effects were observed. DXM and MEP systemic bioavailability by intranasal administration was comparable with the intravenous one, suggesting that the intranasal route can be used as a non-invasive and appropriate alternative for systemic drug delivery.
By end December of 2021, COVID-19 has infected around 276 million individuals and caused over 5 million deaths worldwide. Infection results in dysregulated systemic inflammation, multi-organ dysfunction, and critical illness. Cells of the central nervous system are also affected, triggering an uncontrolled neuroinflammatory response. Low doses of glucocorticoids, administered orally or intravenously, reduce mortality among moderate and severe COVID-19 patients. However, low doses administered by these routes do not reach therapeutic levels in the CNS. In contrast, intranasally administered dexamethasone can result in therapeutic doses in the CNS even at low doses. This is an approved open-label, multicenter, randomized controlled trial to compare the effectiveness of intranasal versus intravenous dexamethasone administered in low doses to moderate and severe COVID-19 adult patients. The protocol is conducted in five health institutions in Mexico City. A total of 120 patients will be randomized into two groups (intravenous vs. intranasal) at a 1:1 ratio. Both groups will be treated with the corresponding dexamethasone scheme for 10 days. The primary outcome of the study will be clinical improvement, defined as a statistically significant reduction in the NEWS-2 score of patients with intranasal versus intravenous dexamethasone administration. The secondary outcome will be the reduction in mortality during hospitalization. This protocol is currently in progress to improve the efficacy of the standard therapeutic dexamethasone regimen for moderate and severe COVID-19 patients. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04513184 . Registered November 12, 2020. Approved by La Comisión Federal para la Protección contra Riesgos Sanitarios (COFEPRIS) with identification number DI/20/407/04/36. People are currently being recruited.
Parasitic diseases have a major impact on human and animal health worldwide. Despite the availability of effective anti-parasitic drugs, their excessive and uncontrolled use has promoted the emergence of drug resistance, severely affecting ecosystems and human health. Thus, developing environmentally friendly antiparasitic treatments is urgently needed. Carica papaya has shown promising effects against infectious diseases. C. papaya embryogenic calluses were genetically modified by our research team to insert immunogenic peptides with the goal of developing an oral anti-cysticercosis vaccine. Among these callus cell lines, one labeled as CF-23, which expresses the KETc7 immunogenic peptide, induced the highest protection levels against experimental cysticercosis. In the process of designing a natural antiparasitic product based on C. papaya that simultaneously induced immunity against cysticercosis, both transformed (SF-23) and untransformed (SF-WT) suspension cultures were produced and optimized. Our results showed a better duplication time (td) for SF-23 (6.9 days) than SF-WT (13.02 days); thus, the SF-23 line was selected for scale-up in a 2-L airlift bioreactor, reaching a td of 4.4 days. This is the first time that a transgenic line of C. papaya has been grown in an airlift bioreactor, highlighting its potential for scale-up cultivation in this type of reactor. Considering the previously reported nematocidal activity of C. papaya tissues, their activity against the nematode Haemonchus contortus of aqueous extracts of SF-WT and SF-23 was explored in this study, with promising results. The information herein reported will allow us to continue the cultivation of the transgenic cell suspension line of C. papaya under reproducible conditions, to develop a new anti-parasitic product.
The rapid spread of COVID-19 on all continents and the mortality induced by SARS-CoV-2 virus, the cause of the pandemic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has motivated an unprecedented effort for vaccine development. Inactivated viruses as well as vaccines focused on the partial or total sequence of the Spike protein using different novel platforms such us RNA, DNA, proteins, and non-replicating viral vectors have been developed. The high global need for vaccines, now and in the future, and the emergence of new variants of concern still requires development of accessible vaccines that can be adapted according to the most prevalent variants in the respective regions.Here, we describe the immunogenic properties of a group of theoretically predicted RBD peptides to be used as the first step towards the development of an effective, safe and low-cost epitope-focused vaccine. One of the tested peptides named P5, proved to be safe and immunogenic. Subcutaneous administration of the peptide, formulated with alumina, induced high levels of specific IgG antibodies in mice and hamsters, as well as an increase of IFN-γ expression by CD8+ T cells in C57 and BALB/c mice upon in vitro stimulation with P5. Neutralizing titers of anti-P5 antibodies, however, were disappointingly low, a deficiency that we will attempt to resolve by the inclusion of additional immunogenic epitopes to P5. The safety and immunogenicity data reported in this study support the use of this peptide as a starting point for the design of an epitope restricted vaccine.
After more than two years, the COVID-19 pandemic is still ongoing and evolving all over the world; human herd immunity against SARS-CoV-2 increases either by infection or by unprecedented mass vaccination. A substantial change in population immunity is expected to contribute to the control of transmission. It is essential to monitor the extension and duration of the population's immunity to support the decisions of health authorities in each region and country, directed to chart the progressive return to normality. For this purpose, the availability of simple and cheap methods to monitor the levels of relevant antibodies in the population is a widespread necessity. Here, we describe the development of an RBD-based ELISA for the detection of specific antibodies in large numbers of samples. The recombinant expression of an RBD-poly-His fragment was carried out using either bacterial or eukaryotic cells in in vitro culture. After affinity chromatography purification, the performance of both recombinant products was compared by ELISA in similar trials. Our results showed that eukaryotic RBD increased the sensitivity of the assay. Interestingly, our results also support a correlation of the eukaryotic RBD-based ELISA with other assays aimed to test for neutralizing antibodies, which suggests that it provides an indication of protective immunity against SARS-CoV-2.
The flatworm Taenia solium causes human and pig cysticercosis. When cysticerci are established in the human central nervous system, they cause neurocysticercosis, a potentially fatal disease. Neurocysticercosis is a persisting public health problem in rural regions of Mexico and other developing countries of Latin America, Asia, and Africa, where the infection is endemic. The great variability observed in the phenotypic and genotypic traits of cysticerci result in a great heterogeneity in the patterns of molecules secreted by them within their host. This work is aimed to identify and characterize cysticercal secretion proteins of T. solium cysticerci obtained from 5 naturally infected pigs from Guerrero, Mexico, using 2D-PAGE proteomic analysis. The isoelectric point (IP) and molecular weight (MW) of the spots were identified using the software ImageMaster 2D Platinum v.7.0. Since most secreted proteins are impossible to identify by mass spectrometry (MS) due to their low concentration in the sample, a novel strategy to predict their sequence was applied. In total, 108 conserved and 186 differential proteins were identified in five cysticercus cultures. Interestingly, we predicted the sequence of 14 proteins that were common in four out of five cysticercus cultures, which could be used to design vaccines or diagnostic methods for neurocysticercosis. A functional characterization of all sequences was performed using the algorithms SecretomeP, SignalP, and BlastKOALA. We found a possible link between signal transduction pathways in parasite cells and human cancer due to deregulation in signal transduction pathways. Bioinformatics analysis also demonstrated that the parasite release proteins by an exosome-like mechanism, which could be of biological interest.
Abstract COVID-19 has produced more than 176 million infected individuals and almost 3.2 million deaths worldwide. The infection results in a dysregulated systemic inflammation, multi-organ dysfunction, and critical illness. Cells of the central nervous system (CNS) are also affected triggering a dysregulated neuroinflammatory response.Low doses of glucocorticoids (GCs) orally or intravenously administered has been proved to reduce mortality of moderate and severe COVID-19 patients. However, low doses administered by those routes do not reach therapeutic levels in the CNS. In contrast, if dexamethasone is administered by the intranasal route can result in therapeutic doses in the CNS even at low doses of the GC. Methods: This is an approved multicentric randomized controlled protocol to compare the effectiveness of low doses of intranasal dexamethasone versus intravenous administered in adult moderate and severe COVID-19 patients. The protocol is conducted in five health institutions in Mexico City. A total of 120 patients will be randomized in two groups (intravenous vs intranasal) at 1:1 ratio, both groups will be treated with these dexamethasone schemes for 10 days. The primary outcome of the study will be clinical improvement, defined as a statistically significant higher reduction in the NEWS-2 score in intranasally versus intravenously dexamethasone treated patients. The second outcome will be the reduction in mortality during hospitalization. Conclusions: This protocol is currently undertaken to improve the efficacy of the standard therapeutic dexamethasone regimen for moderate and severe COVID-19 patients. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04513184 Registered November 12, 2020 and was approved by COFEPRIS with identifier DI/20/407/04/36. People are currently being recruited.
It's been almost a century since immunologists started using adjuvants as tools to develop more effective vaccines. Despite the rising number of adjuvanted vaccines in the last decades, we still lack knowledge of the adjuvants' effects on antibody response. This study was aimed to test the effect of immunizing mice with the human Inactivated Influenza vaccine (IIV), either alone or combined with different widely used adjuvants on the specific antibody response induced. Differential levels of IgM and IgG subclasses were found with the different adjuvants tested. Higher levels of antibodies did not always correspond with a higher efficacy to interfere with the virus infectivity. Differences in neutralization properties are possibly mediated by the specificity of the repertoire of antibodies induced. The repertoire was studied using a phage display 7-mer peptide library to screen for epitopes/mimotopes recognized by serum pools from vaccinated mice. The selected phage clones included peptides that corresponded to conformational mimotopes since they have no homology with lineal sequences of the Influenza strains' proteins. Five peptides were identified as recognized by sera from mice immunized with the IIV vaccine alone, including peptides from the hemagglutinin stalk domain, and by sera from mice immunized with the vaccine plus the different adjuvants employed. Adjuvants elicited a more diverse repertoire of epitope-recognizing antibodies that recognized epitopes of the HA recombinant globular head. Mimotopes were theoretically located at the neutralizing antigenic sites of the globular head of Influenza A H1N1pdm09, Influenza A H3N2, and Influenza B hemagglutinin. This study illustrates how different adjuvants can modify the extent and quality of humoral immunity against the IIV vaccine and the effectiveness of vaccination.
Parasitic diseases fecally transmitted, such taeniasis/cysticercosis Taenia solium binomial, represent a health problem whose incidence continues due to the prevalence of inadequate sanitary conditions, particularly in developing countries. When the larval stage of the parasite is established in the central nervous system causes neurocysticercosis a disease than can severely affect human health. It can also affect pigs causing cysticercosis causing economic losses. Since pigs are obligatory intermediate hosts, they have been considered as the targets for vaccination to interrupt the transmission of the parasitosis and eventually reduce the disease. Progress has been made in the development of vaccines for the prevention of porcine cysticercosis. In our research group, three peptides have been identified that, expressed synthetically (S3Pvac) or recombinantly (S3Pvac-phage), reduced the amount of cysticerci by 98.7% and 87%, respectively, in pigs exposed to natural conditions of infection. Considering that cysticercosis is orally acquired, it seems feasible to develop an edible vaccine, which could be administered by the pig farmers, simplifying the logistical difficulties of its application, reducing costs, and facilitating the implementation of vaccination programs. This chapter describes the most important advances towards the development of an oral vaccine against porcine cysticercosis.