Centre de Recherches Médicales de Lambaréné: Controlled Human Hookworm Infection Model in Gabon (CHHIG)

Worldwide, an estimated 600 million people carry hookworm infections, a neglected tropical disease (NTD) leading the list in terms of Years Lived with Disability (1,6 Million YLDs) caused by NTDs. Hookworm affects the poor, resulting in impaired physical and cognitive development in children and a 40% reduction in future wage-earning. There is an urgent need for a vaccine to complement the mass drug administration effort, which alone is insufficient to achieve elimination. The controlled human hookworm infection model (CHHIM), can make a crucial contribution to vaccine development. The method of culturing and applying infective larvae to volunteers has been optimized at LUMC resulting in stable infection and high egg output in 100% of volunteers. This model is now ready for transfer to endemic countries. CERMEL in Gabon, where hookworm endemic, is a well-established clinical trial centre with experience in performing controlled human malaria infections and is ready to establish the CHHIM and test vaccines. Irradiated hookworm larvae have been tested as a vaccine and shown to be safe in Australian volunteers. This vaccination approach will be tested using CHHIM in Gabon to serve as a benchmark of protection and pave the way for testing upcoming new sub-unit vaccine candidates.

Programme: Human Infection Studies (Full)

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