Immunogenetics of Toxoplasma gondii informs vaccine design

A series of studies over 20 years mapped resistance to toxoplasmic encephalitis in mice to major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC I) and ultimately, more precisely the Ld region. This is consistent with contemporary functional studies that demonstrated a protective role for CD8(+) T cells. Recent studies have demonstrated that the Ld gene product presents a number of immunodominant Toxoplasma gondii-derived peptides in the murine models, providing a paradigm for vaccine design. The almost complete sequencing of the genomes of the predominant strains of T. gondii in conjunction with the development of predictive binding algorithms for MHC I peptides in humans now offers a new opportunity for vaccine development against this medically important pathogen.