Stanley Plotkin, David J. Diemert, Jeffrey M. Bethony, Peter J. Hotez, Hookworm Vaccines, Clinical Infectious Diseases, Volume 46, Issue 2, 15 January 2008, Pages 282–288, https://doi.org/10.1086/524070

Tulane University

Previous work has been done to develop L3 vaccines that can be used in canines, therefore there is existent research of larval antigens that induce a primary immune response. The development of hookworm vaccines depends on the eradication of both the larval and adult stages of the hookworm. An antigen discovery program has been established to isolate macromolecules that are used by adult hookworms to feed on human blood and ensure their survival. 

Antigen Discovery and Selection

Hookworm Vaccines

The incubation of hookworm L3 (indicates an infective third stage of exposure) with serum replicates the conditions of hookworm invasion of host tissues. Subsequently, there is a release of three products:
- Metalloprotease
- 2 proteins from the pathogenesis superfamily, Ancylostoma Secreted Protein (ASP)–1 and ASP-2

Larval Antigens

Development of the canine L3 and irL3 vaccines have been in production for quite some time. However, there is evidence that these vaccines cannot produce total protection from the adult hookworm. In the event of a human infection, some larvae would reach the GI tract and develop into adult hookworms that feed on intestinal blood. 

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