Overview
- A peer-reviewed npj Vaccines paper published Monday, June 29, 2026, reported that SchistoShield (Sm-p80 plus GLA-SE) induced pronounced effector and memory T‑cell responses and antigen-specific plasmablasts in Phase I and Phase Ib participants in the U.S. and Africa.
- The immune readouts included multiple cytokines—IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL‑17A, IL‑9—and granzyme B, which together point to mixed helper and cytotoxic responses that can recognize and kill parasite-infected cells.
- The completed trials were small, roughly 50–100 people, so investigators say the next steps are much larger Phase II/III efficacy trials involving thousands of participants and years of safety follow-up before any licensure.
- Development has been funded by TTUHSC, NIH grants and philanthropic partners such as the Gates Foundation, VASA, Wellcome and the RIGHT Fund, with stated commitments to produce and distribute the vaccine at cost for low-resource settings.
- Schistosomiasis affects roughly 250 million people with about 800 million at risk, and because current drug treatment does not prevent reinfection a safe, effective vaccine that blocks infection would be a first-of-its-kind public health tool if later trials confirm protection.