Assoc Prof David Piedrafita - Researcher Profile

Biography

 David embarked on a PhD in immunoparasitology within the Department of Primary Industries in Victoria, after winning a competitive National Industry Scholarship. In 1996, he was awarded a Wellcome Trust Fellowship and worked on DNA vaccines at Glasgow University in Scotland for 3 years. David returned to Australia in 1999 to study Helminth vaccines and biology and in 2001 set up his own group working on Fasciola (liver fluke) at Melbourne University. In 2006, he relocated his group to the Biotechnology Research Laboratories at Monash University (http://www.med.monash.edu.au/physiology/brl/), where he continues to work on national and international research programs (including Thailand, Indonesia, Africa & Spain) and heads the Parasitology unit.

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Keywords

Agricultural Biotechnology, Animal Diseases/Pathology, Animal Genetics/Breeding, Disease Control, Immunodiagnostics, Immunopathology, Parasitology, Rural Education, Tropical Diseases, Vaccine, Zoonotic Diseases

Qualifications

PHD

Institution: La Trobe University

Year awarded: 1996

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (HONOURS)

Institution: Australian National University (ANU)

Year awarded: 1992

Publications

Book Chapters

Spithill, T.W., Carmona, C., Piedrafita, D.M., Smooker, P.M., 2012, Prospects for immunoprophylaxis against fasciola hepatica (liver fluke), in Parasitic Helminths: Targets, Screens, Drugs and Vaccines, eds Conor R Caffrey, Wiley-VCH, Germany, pp. 467-486.

Raadsma, H., Fullard, K.J., Kingsford, N., Margawati, E., Estuningsih, S.E., Widjayanti, S., Subandriyo, Spithill, T., Piedrafita, D.M., 2008, Genetics of fasciolosis in small ruminants, in Overcoming liver fluke as a constraint to ruminant production in South-East Asia, eds G. D. Gray, R. S. Copland, D. B. Copeman, Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), Australia, pp. 99-110.

Piedrafita, D.M., Estuningsih, E., Spithill, T., Pleasance, J., Widjajanti, S., Suharyanta, S., Partoutomo, S., Kingsford, N., Hansen, D.S., Clery, D., Prowse, R., Meeusen, E.N., Raadsma, H., 2008, Immunology and assessment of resistance to fasciolosis in small ruminants, in Overcoming liver fluke as a constraint to ruminant production in South-East Asia, eds G.D. Gray, R.S. Copland, and D.B. Copeman, Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), Australia, pp. 111-126.

Journal Articles

Jayaraj, R., Piedrafita, D.M., Spithill, T.W., Smooker, P.M., 2012, Evaluation of the immune responses induced by four targeted DNA vaccines encoding the juvenile liver fluke antigen, cathepsin B in a mouse model. , Genetic Vaccines and Therapy [P], vol 10, issue 1 (Art. No.: 7), BioMed Central Ltd, UK, pp. 1-9.

Piedrafita, D.M., De Veer, M.J., Lydall [nee Sherrard], J., Kraska, T.M., Elhay, M.J., Meeusen, E.N., 2012, Field vaccination of sheep with a larval-specific antigen of the gastrointestinal nematode, Haemonchus contortus, confers significant protection against an experimental challenge infection, Vaccine [P], vol 30, issue 50, Elsevier Ltd, UK, pp. 7199-7204.

Young, A.R., Barcham, G.J., McWilliam, H.E., Piedrafita, D.M., Meeusen, E.N., 2012, Galectin secretion and binding to adult Fasciola hepatica during chronic liver fluke infection of sheep, Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology [P], vol 145, issue 1-2, Elsevier BV, The Netherlands, pp. 362-367.

Lees, M.S., Nagaraj, S.H., Piedrafita, D.M., Kotze, A.C., Ingham, A.B., 2012, Molecular cloning and characterisation of ovine dual oxidase 2, Gene [P], vol 500, issue 1, Elsevier BV, The Netherlands, pp. 40-46.

McWilliam, H.E., Driguez, P., Piedrafita, D.M., McManus, D.P., Meeusen, E.N., 2012, Novel immunomic technologies for schistosome vaccine development, Parasite Immunology [P], vol 34, issue 5, Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd, UK, pp. 276-284.

Lees, M., Robinson, N., Ingham, A., Kotze, A., Piedrafita, D., 2011, Dual oxidase 2 and glutathione peroxidase gene expression are elevated in hyperimmunized sheep challenged with Haemonchus contortus, Veterinary Parasitology [P], vol 179, issue 1-3, Elsevier BV, The Netherlands, pp. 113-122.

Gonzalez, J.F., Hernandez, A., Meeusen, E.N., Rodriguez, F., Molina, J.M., Jaber, J.R., Raadsma, H.W., Piedrafita, D.M., 2011, Fecundity in adult Haemonchus contortus parasites is correlated with abomasal tissue eosinophils and gamma-delta T cells in resistant Canaria Hair Breed sheep, Veterinary Parasitology [P], vol 178, issue 3-4, Elsevier BV, The Netherlands, pp. 286-292.

Pleasance, J.L., Raadsma, H.W., Estuningsih, S.E., Widjajanti, S., Meeusen, E.N., Piedrafita, D.M., 2011, Innate and adaptive resistance of Indonesian Thin Tail sheep to liver fluke: A comparative analysis of Fasciola gigantica and Fasciola hepatica infection, Veterinary Parasitology [P], vol 178, issue 3-4, Elsevier BV, The Netherlands, pp. 264-272.

Pleasance, J., Wiedosari, E., Raadsma, H., Meeusen, E., Piedrafita, D., 2011, Resistance to liver fluke infection in the natural sheep host is correlated with a type-1 cytokine response, Parasite Immunology [P], vol 33, issue 9, Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd, USA, pp. 495-505.

Robinson, N., Pleasance, J.L., Piedrafita, D.M., Meeusen, E.N., 2011, The kinetics of local cytokine and galectin expression after challenge infection with the gastrointestinal nematode, Haemonchus contortus, International Journal for Parasitology [P], vol 41, issue 5, Elsevier Ltd, UK, Australia, pp. 487-493.

Robinson, N.A., Piedrafita, D.M., Snibson, K., Harrison, P.F., Meeusen, E.N.T., 2010, Immune cell kinetics in the ovine abomasal mucosa following hyperimmunization and challenge with Haemonchus contortus, Veterinary Research [P], vol 41, issue 4 (37), EDP Sciences, France, pp. 1-10.

Hein, W.R., Pernthaner, A., Piedrafita, D.M., Meeusen, E.N., 2010, Immune mechanisms of resistance to gastrointestinal nematode infections in sheep, Parasite Immunology [P], vol 32, issue 8, Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd, UK, pp. 541-548.

Piedrafita, D.M., Spithill, T., Smith, R., Raadsma, H., 2010, Improving animal and human health through understanding liver fluke immunology, Parasite Immunology [P], vol 32, issue 8, Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd, UK, pp. 572-581.

Piedrafita, D.M., Raadsma, H.W., Gonzalez, J.F., Meeusen, E.N., 2010, Increased production through parasite control: can ancient breeds of sheep teach us new lessons?, Trends in Parasitology [P], vol 26, issue 12, Elsevier Ltd, UK, pp. 568-573.

Jayaraj, R., Piedrafita, D.M., Dynon, K., Grams, R., Spithill, T., Smooker, P.M., 2010, Liver fluke vaccines: Vaccination against Fasciolosis by a multivalent vaccine of recombinant stage-specific antigens, Procedia in Vaccinology [E], vol 2, issue 1, Elsevier BV, The Netherlands, pp. 82-85.

Beckham, S.A., Piedrafita, D.M., Phillips, C.I., Samarawickrema, N., Law, R.H.P., Smooker, P.M., Quinsey, N.S., Irving, J.A., Greenwood, D.L., Verhelst, S.H.L., Bogyo, M., Turk, B., Coetzer, T.H., Wijeyewickrema, L.C., Spithill, T.W., Pike, R.N., 2009, 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, International Journal of Biochemistry and Cell Biolog..., vol 41, issue 7, Pergamon, UK, pp. 1601-1612.

Estuningsih, E., Spithill, T.W., Raadsma, H., Law, R.H.P., Adiwinata, G., Meeusen, E.N.T., Piedrafita, D.M., 2009, Development and application of a fecal antigen diagnostic sandwich ELISA for estimating prevalence of fasciola gigantica in cattle in central java, Indonesia, Journal of Parasitology, vol 95, American Society of Parasitologists, USA, pp. 450-455.

Kemp, J.M., Robinson, N.A., Meeusen, E.N.T., Piedrafita, D.M., 2009, The relationship between the rapid rejection of Haemonchus contortus larvae with cells and mediators in abomasal tissues in immune sheep, International Journal for Parasitology [P], vol 39, issue 14, Elsevier Ltd, UK , Australia, pp. 1589-1594.

Jayaraj, R., Piedrafita, D.M., Dynon, K., Grams, R., Spithill, T., Smooker, P., 2009, Vaccination against fasciolosis by a multivalent vaccine of stage-specific antigens, Veterinary Parasitology, vol 160, Elsevier BV, Netherlands, pp. 230-236.

Gonzalez, J.F., Hernandez, A., Molina, J.M., Fernandez, A., Raadsma, H., Meeusen, E.N.T., Piedrafita, D.M., 2008, Comparative experimental Haemonchus contortus infection of two sheep breeds native to the Canary Islands, Veterinary Parasitology, vol 153, issue 304, Elsevier BV, The Netherlands, pp. 374-378.

Smith, R., Spithill, T.W., Pike, R.N., Meeusen, E.N.T., Piedrafita, D.M., 2008, 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, Experimental Parasitology, vol 118, Academic Press Inc Elsevier Science, San Diego, CA, USA, pp. 536-542.

Raadsma, H., Kingsford, N.M., Suharyanta, S., Spithill, T., Piedrafita, D.M., 2008, 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, Veterinary Parasitology, vol 154, issue 3-4, Elsevier BV, Netherlands, pp. 250-261.

Raadsma, H., Kingsford, N.M., Suharyanta, Spithill, T.W., Piedrafita, D.M., 2007, Host responses during experimental infection with Fasciola gigantica or Fasciola hepatica in Merino sheep. I. Comparative immunological and plasma biochemical changes during early infection, Veterinary Parasitology, vol 143, issue 3-4, Elsevier Science BV, Amsterdam Netherlands, pp. 275-286.

Piedrafita, D.M., Estuningsih, E., Pleasance, J.L., Prowse, R., Raadsma, H., Meeusen, E.N.T., Spithill, T.W., 2007, Peritoneal lavage cells of Indonesian thin-tail sheep mediate antibody-dependent superoxide radical cytotoxicity in vitro against newly excysted juvenile Fasciola gigantica but not juvenile Fasciola hepatica, Infection & Immunity, vol 75, issue 4, American Society of Microbiology, Washington DC USA, pp. 1954-1963.

Kennedy, N.J., Spithill, T.W., Tennent, J., Wood, P.R., Piedrafita, D., 2006, DNA vaccines in sheep: CTLA-4 mediated targeting and CpG motifs enhance immunogenicity in a DNA prime/protein boost strategy, Vaccine, vol 24, issue 6 September 2005, Elsevier, Oxford UK, pp. 970-979.

Boscariol, R., Pleasance, J., Piedrafita, D.M., Raadsma, H., Spithill, T.W., 2006, Identification of two allelic forms of ovine CD4 exhibiting a Ser183/Pro183 polymorphism in the coding sequence of domain 3, Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology, vol 113, Elsevier Science BV, Amsterdam Netherlands, pp. 305-312.

Estuningsih, S.E., Widjayanti, S., Adiwinata, G., Piedrafita, D.M., 2004, Detection of coproantigens by sandwich ELISA in sheep experimentally infected with Fasciola gigantica, Tropical Biomedicine, vol 21, issue 2, Malaysian Society of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, Malaysia, pp. 51-56.

Piedrafita, D.M., Raadsma, H.W., Prowse, R., Spithill, T.W., 2004, Immunology of the host-parasite relationship in fasciolosis (Fasciola hepatica and Fasciola gigantica), Canadian Journal of Zoology, vol 82, issue 2, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa Canada, pp. 233-250.

Law, R.H.P., Smooker, P.M., Irving, J.A., Piedrafita, D., Ponting, R., Kennedy, N.J., Whisstock, J.C., Pike, R.N., Spithill, T.W., 2003, Cloning and expression of the major secreted cathepsin B-Iike protein from juvenile Fasciola hepatica and analysis of immunogenicity following liver fluke infection, Infection and Immunity, vol 71, issue 12, American Society for Microbiology, Washington USA, pp. 6921-6932.

Meeusen, E.N.T., Piedrafita, D.M., 2003, Exploiting natural immunity to helminth parasites for the development of veterinary vaccines, International Journal for Parasitology, vol 33, Pergamon-Elsevier Science Ltd, Oxford England, pp. 1285-1290.

Piedrafita, D., Parsons, J.C., Sandeman, R., Wood, P., Estuningsih, S., Partoutomo, S., Spithill, T.W., 2001, Antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity to newly excysted juvenile Fasciola hepatica in vitro is mediated by reactive nitrogen intermediates, Parasite Immunology, vol 23, issue 9, Blackwell Science Ltd, Oxford England, pp. 473-482.

Piedrafita, D., Spithill, T.W., Dalton, J.P., Brindley, P.J., Sandeman, M.R., Wood, P.R., Parsons, J.C., 2000, Juvenile Fasciola hepatica are resistant to killing in vitro by free radicals compared with larvae of Schistosoma mansoni, Parasite Immunology, vol 22 issue 6, Blackwell Science Ltd, Oxford UK, pp. 287-295.

Modha, J., Piedrafita, D.M., Roberts, M.C., Kusel, J.R., Kennedy, M.W., 2000, Secretion of 1L-12 by murine macrophages activated by immunoglobulin receptor-mediated internalization of the surface coat of Trichinella spiralis larvae, Parasite Immunology, vol 22, Blackwell Publishing, Oxon United Kingdom, pp. 115-120.

Spithill, T.W., Piedrafita, D., Smooker, P.M., 1997, Immunological approaches for the control of fasciolosis, International Journal for Parasitology, vol 27, Elsevier Science Ltd., Oxford UK, pp. 1221-1235.

Postgraduate Research Supervisions

Current Supervision

Program of Study:

(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).

Thesis Title:

Biosynthesis of nanoparticles using Solanum lycopersicum: optimisation, characterisation and their potential in formulation of plant-made pharmaceuticals.

Supervisors:

Webster, D (Main), Piedrafita, D (Associate), White, P (Associate), Walmsley, A (Associate).

Program of Study:

(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).

Thesis Title:

Cellular recruitment and antigen trafficking in response to vaccine adjuvants.

Supervisors:

Piedrafita, D (Main), Sandeman, M (Associate).

Program of Study:

(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).

Thesis Title:

Discovering novel vaccine targets for the human blood fluke, Schistosoma japonicum.

Supervisors:

Meeusen, E (Joint-co), Piedrafita, D (Joint), Boag, P (Associate).

Program of Study:

(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).

Thesis Title:

Functional characterisation of cells and mediators correlating with parasite resistance in sheep.

Supervisors:

Piedrafita, D (Main), Meeusen, E (Associate).

Program of Study:

(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).

Thesis Title:

Functional roles of the Th2 cytokines, IL-4 and IL-13, in a sheep model of asthma.

Supervisors:

Bischof, R (Main), Piedrafita, D (Associate).

Program of Study:

(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).

Thesis Title:

Identification of cells and mediators up-regulated in sheep resistant to parasites. .

Supervisors:

Piedrafita, D (Joint), Sandeman, M (Joint-co).

Program of Study:

(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).

Thesis Title:

Immune responses to vaccine adjuvants.

Supervisors:

Piedrafita, D (Main), Sandeman, M (Associate).

Program of Study:

(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).

Thesis Title:

Immunity and vaccine development against parasitic disease.

Supervisors:

Piedrafita, D (Joint-co), De Veer, M (Associate), Meeusen, E (Associate).

Program of Study:

(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).

Thesis Title:

Mucosal delivery of sub-cellularly localized plant made recombinant antigens ESAT-6 and Ag85B of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Supervisors:

Balasubramanian, S (Main), Piedrafita, D (Associate), Webster, D (Associate), Walmsley, A (Associate).

Program of Study:

(DOCTORATE BY RESEARCH).

Thesis Title:

The role of Parasite proteases in infection and disease.

Supervisors:

Greenhill, A (Main), Piedrafita, D (Associate), Sandeman, M (Associate).

Completed Supervision

Student:

Kennedy, N.

Program of Study:

Assessment and enhancement of protein and DNA vaccines using candidate Fasciola antigens. (PHD) 2005.

Supervisors:

Pike, R (Main), Piedrafita, D (Associate), Spithill, T (Associate).

Student:

Khan Ahmad Liravi, B.

Program of Study:

Development of an Enzyme linked (ELISA) for the detection of ovine IL-13. 2011.

Supervisors:

Bischof, R (Joint-Co), Piedrafita, D (Joint).

Student:

Rainczuk, A.

Program of Study:

EVALUATION OF DNA VACCINE TARGETING STRATEGIES AND EXPRESSION LIBRARY IMMUNISATION AGAINST LETHAL ERYTHROCYTIC STAGE MALARIA. (PHD) 2003.

Supervisors:

Pike, R (Main), Piedrafita, D (Associate), Spithill, T (Associate).

Student:

Robinson, N.

Program of Study:

Heomonchus contortus infection: investigation of rejection mechanisms in resistant sheep. (PHD) 2009.

Supervisors:

Meeusen, E (Main), Piedrafita, D (Associate).

Student:

Smith, R.

Program of Study:

Differential gene expression studies in Fasciola species. (PHD) 2006.

Supervisors:

Pike, R (Main), Piedrafita, D (Associate), Spithill, T (Associate).