Professor David Piedrafita
Professor, Bioscience
Associate Professor David Piedrafita is internationally recognised as one of the leading authorities of immunological responses for parasites in veterinary animals. Dr Piedrafita’s research provides information we need to understand disease susceptibility and to design better vaccines or drugs to prevent and treat parasitic disease.
David collaborates widely and has been president of the Australian Society for Parasitology, inducted as a Fellow of the Society in 2020 and sits on the executive board of The World Federation of Parasitologists. He continues to be actively involved in promoting parasitology to the general public through various educational activities and programs including his role as Club Melbourne Ambassador after being inducted by the Victorian Premier.
David has worked at major universities both in Australian and overseas. In 2014 he joined Federation University Australia, where he continues to work on national and international research programs and head the immunoparasitology unit.
Evaluation of LAMP for Fasciola hepatica detection from faecal samples of experimentally and naturally infected cattle
Strongyle egg shedding and egg reappearance periods in horses with pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction
The Immune Response to Nematode Infection
Evaluation of the Role of Galectins in Parasite Immunity
Investigation of the combined efficacy of two Haemonchus contortus vaccines in weaner Merino sheep
The heritability of Nematodirus battus faecal egg counts
Comparative evaluation of different molecular methods for DNA extraction from individual Teladorsagia circumcincta nematodes
Abstract Background: The purpose of this study was to develop a reliable DNA extraction protocol...
Quantifying the sources of variation in eosinophilia among Scottish blackface lambs with mixed, predominantly Teladorsagia circumcincta nematode infection
Eosinophils play a key role in defence against gastrointestinal nematodes. There is considerable...
Vaccines for Fasciola: New Thinking for an Old Problem
Increased susceptibility to Haemonchus contortus infection by interleukin-5 modulation of eosinophil responses in sheep
Eosinophils are prominent effector cells in immune responses against gastrointestinal nematode...
The composition and stability of the faecal microbiota of Merino sheep
Aims To determine the composition and temporal stability of the gut (faecal) microbiota of sheep...
The oligomeric assembly of galectin-11 is critical for anti-parasitic activity in sheep (Ovis aries)
Galectins are a family of glycan-binding molecules with a characteristic affinity for...
Variation in gut bacterial composition is associated with Haemonchus contortus parasite infection of sheep
Will helminth co-infection modulate COVID-19 severity in endemic regions?
[No abstract available]
Protective efficacy of liver fluke DNA vaccines: A systematic review and meta-analysis: Guiding novel vaccine development
The immunogenicity and efficacy of Fasciola DNA vaccines have not yet been comprehensively...
Proteomic identification of galectin-11 and -14 ligands from Fasciola hepatica
Fasciola hepatica is a globally distributed zoonotic trematode that causes fasciolosis in...
Teladorsagia circumcincta
One of the most important parasites of sheep and goats is the nematode Teladorsagia circumcincta....
The current status of anthelmintic resistance in a temperate region of Australia; implications for small ruminant farm management
Widespread anthelmintic resistance in small ruminants is a constraint on the profitability of the...
Proteomic identification of galectin- 11 and 14 ligands from Haemonchus contortus
Haemonchus contortus is the most pathogenic nematode of small ruminants. Infection in sheep and...
Selection of multi-drug resistant influenza A and B viruses under zanamivir pressure and their replication fitness in ferrets.
Background: Intravenous zanamivir has been used to treat patients with severe influenza. Because...
A novel ex vivo immunoproteomic approach characterising Fasciola hepatica tegumental antigens identified using immune antibody from resistant sheep
A more thorough understanding of the immunological interactions between Fasciola spp. and their...
Modulation of Haemonchus contortus infection by depletion of γδ+ T cells in parasite resistant Canaria Hair Breed sheep
Canaria Hair Breed (CHB) sheep display resistance against the adult stage of the nematode,...
Immunity to Haemonchus contortus and Vaccine Development
Potential role for mucosal IgA in modulating Haemonchus contortus adult worm infection in sheep
Haemonchus contortus (H. contortus) is a haematophagous parasite which causes important economic...
Specific humoral response of hosts with variable schistosomiasis susceptibility
The schistosome blood flukes are some of the largest global causes of parasitic morbidity....
Cloning, expression, purification and crystallographic studies of galectin-11 from domestic sheep (Ovis aries)
Galectins are an evolutionarily conserved family of proteins that translate glycan recognition...
Dynamics of IL-4 and IL-13 expression in the airways of sheep following allergen challenge
Background: IL-4 and IL-13 play a critical yet poorly understood role in orchestrating the...
Evaluation of a dry powder delivery system for laninamivir in a ferret model of influenza infection
Laninamivir is a long-acting antiviral requiring only a single dose for the treatment of...
Galectin-11: A novel host mediator targeting specific stages of the gastrointestinal nematode parasite, Haemonchus contortus
Galectin-11 is released from epithelial cells of the gastrointestinal tract, specifically...
Generation of a Novel Bacteriophage Library Displaying scFv Antibody Fragments from the Natural Buffalo Host to Identify Antigens from Adult Schistosoma japonicum for Diagnostic Development
The development of effective diagnostic tools will be essential in the continuing fight to reduce...
Low cost whole-organism screening of compounds for anthelmintic activity
Due to major problems with drug resistance in parasitic nematodes of animals, there is a...
Using the local immune response from the natural buffalo host to generate an antibody fragment library that binds the early larval stages of Schistosoma japonicum
Antibodies isolated from the local draining inguinal lymph node of field exposed-water buffaloes...
Current Status for Gastrointestinal Nematode Diagnosis in Small Ruminants: Where Are We and Where Are We Going?
Gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) parasites pose a significant economic burden particularly in...
Discovery of novel Schistosoma japonicum antigens using a targeted protein microarray approach
Background: Novel vaccine candidates against Schistosoma japonicum are required, and antigens...
Effective pulmonary delivery of an aerosolized plasmid DNA vaccine via surface acoustic wave nebulization
Background: Pulmonary-delivered gene therapy promises to mitigate vaccine safety issues and...
Liver fluke vaccines in ruminants: strategies, progress and future opportunities
The development of a vaccine for Fasciola spp. in livestock is a challenge and would be advanced...
The in vitro anthelmintic effects of plumbagin on newly excysted and 4-weeks-old juvenile parasites of Fasciola gigantica
The effect of plumbagin (PB, 5-hydroxy-2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone) against newly excysted...
Local Immune Responses of the Chinese Water Buffalo, Bubalus bubalis, against Schistosoma japonicum Larvae: Crucial Insights for Vaccine Design
Asian schistosomiasis is a zoonotic parasitic disease infecting up to a million people and...
The developing schistosome worms elicit distinct immune responses in different tissue regions
Schistosome parasites follow a complex migration path through various tissues, changing their...
The Effect of Different Adjuvants on Immune Parameters and Protection following Vaccination of Sheep with a Larval-Specific Antigen of the Gastrointestinal Nematode, Haemonchus contortus
It has recently been recognised that vaccine adjuvants play a critical role in directing the...
Comparison of Cytokine Profile between Indonesian Thin-Tailed and Merino Sheep during A Primary Infection with Fasciola gigantica
Editorial: A grand scale challenge: Vaccine discovery for helminth control in definitive hosts
Evaluation of the immune responses induced by four targeted DNA vaccines encoding the juvenile liver fluke antigen, cathepsin B in a mouse model
UNLABELLED: BACKGROUND: Liver fluke can infect cattle and sheep, and is also emerging as a human...
Field vaccination of sheep with a larval-specific antigen of the gastrointestinal nematode, Haemonchus contortus, confers significant protection against an experimental challenge infection
The availability of effective vaccines would add a valuable tool to the management of...
Galectin secretion and binding to adult Fasciola hepatica during chronic liver fluke infection of sheep
Galectins are increasingly recognised as important mediators of immune homeostasis and disease...
Molecular cloning and characterisation of ovine dual oxidase 2
The dual oxidases (DUOX1 and DUOX2) are NADPH-dependant hydrogen peroxide-producing enzymes that...
Novel immunomic technologies for schistosome vaccine development
Schistosomiasis remains one of the most common human helminthiases, despite the availability of...
Prospects for Immunoprophylaxis Against Fasciola hepatica (Liver Fluke)
The Effect of Plant Tissue and Vaccine Formulation on the Oral Immunogenicity of a Model Plant-Made Antigen in Sheep
Antigen-specific antibody responses against a model antigen (the B subunit of the heat labile...
Dual oxidase 2 and glutathione peroxidase gene expression are elevated in hyperimmunised sheep challenged with Haemonchus contortus
A sequential biopsy sampling method was used to investigate oxidant and antioxidant gene...
Fecundity in adult Haemonchus contortus parasites is correlated with abomasal tissue eosinophils and gamma delta T cells in resistant Canaria Hair Breed sheep
Canaria Hair Breed (CHB) sheep are more resistant than Canaria sheep (CS) to experimental...
Innate and adaptive resistance of Indonesian Thin Tail sheep to liver fluke: A comparative analysis of Fasciola gigantica and Fasciola hepatica infection
In the current study, three independent trials directly compared Fasciola gigantica and Fasciola...
Resistance to liver fluke infection in the natural sheep host is correlated with a type-1 cytokine response
Indonesian thin-tail (ITT) sheep can resist infection with Fasciola gigantica but not F. hepatica...
The kinetics of local cytokine and galectin expression after challenge infection with the gastrointestinal nematode, Haemonchus contortus
Gastrointestinal nematode parasites undergo several developmental stages within their mammalian...
Immune cell kinetics in the ovine abomasal mucosa following hyperimmunization and challenge with Haemonchus contortus
Sheep were sensitized by repeated infection with Haemonchus contortus L3, followed by a 12 week...
Immune mechanisms of resistance to gastrointestinal nematode infections in sheep
Infections with gastrointestinal nematode parasites are a major problem for the sheep industry in...
Improving animal and human health through understanding liver fluke immunology
Sheep, goats and cattle represent the most numerous and economically important agricultural...
Increased production through parasite control: Can ancient breeds of sheep teach us new lessons?
With a rising world population and economic development, the global demand for meat, milk and...
Liver fluke vaccines: Vaccination against Fasciolosis by a multivalent vaccine of recombinant stage-specific antigens
Fasciola's excretory-secretory material comprises chiefly cathepsin B and cathepsin L. These...
A major cathepsin B protease from the liver fluke Fasciola hepatica has atypical active site features and a potential role in the digestive tract of newly excysted juvenile parasites
Development and application of a fecal antigen diagnostic sandwich ELISA for estimating prevalence of fasciola gigantica in cattle in central java, Indonesia
Targeted mapping of QTL on chromosomes 1 and 3 for parasite resistance in sheep
The relationship between the rapid rejection of Haemonchus contortus larvae with cells and mediators in abomasal tissues in immune sheep
Vaccination against fasciolosis by a multivalent vaccine of stage-specific antigens
Comparative experimental Haemonchus contortus infection of two sheep breeds native to the Canary Islands
Fasciola hepatica and Fasciola gigantica: Cloning and characterisation of 70 kDa heat-shock proteins reveals variation in HSP70 gene expression between parasite species recovered from sheep
Host responses during experimental infection with Fasciola gigantica and Fasciola hepatica in Merino sheep. II. Development of a predictive index for Fasciola gigantica worm burden
Ovine Disease Resistance: Integrating Comparative and Functional Genomics Approaches in a Genome Information-Poor Species