Studies on the protective efficacy and immunogenicity of Hsp70 and Hsp83 based vaccine formulations in Leishmania donovani infected BALB/c mice

► We examined the protective efficacy of two heat shock proteins - Hsp70 and Hsp83 given subcutaneously in combination with two different adjuvants MPLA and ALD (autoclaved Leishmania donovani promastigotes) in inbred BALB/c mice infected intracardially with L. donovani. ► BALB/c mice immunized with the cocktail of both proteins in combination with MPLA displayed maximum reduction in hepatic parasite burden in comparison to those immunized with the proteins without any adjuvant or along with ALD. ► BALB/c mice immunized with the cocktail of both proteins in combination with MPLA displayed the most pronounced DTH and showed maximum levels of IgG2a and minimum levels of IgG1 antibodies. ► In the supernatants of splenocyte cultures incubated with the cocktail of Hsp70 and Hsp83, both type 1 and type 2 cytokines were detected suggesting the generation of a mixed Th1/Th2 type of immune response.