Coccidiosis caused by Eimeria tenella (E. tenella) poses substantial economic threats to poultry production globally. To enhance vaccine efficacy, this study developed a chimeric subunit vaccine targeting dendritic cells (DCs) via DEC-205 receptor, fusing E. tenella immune-mapped protein 1 C-terminal region (EtIMP1C) to a single-chain variable fragment (scFv) specific for chicken DEC-205 (scFvDEC205). In vitro-expressed recombinant proteins were administered to chickens; immunized birds were challenged with E. tenella to assess vaccine efficacy. Results demonstrated that chimeric subunit vaccine elicited significantly higher IgG and IgA titers (P< 0.05) and enhanced production of IL-2, IL-4, IL-12, and IFN-γ compared to controls. Chimeric subunit vaccine vaccinated birds exhibited improved weight gain, reduced cecal lesion scores, and decreased oocysts shedding (63.4% lower than infected controls). In vitro assays validated the specific targeting capability of scFvDEC205 toward immature DC. These findings demonstrate that DEC-205-targeted delivery of EtIMP1C significantly enhances both humoral and cellular immune responses against E. tenella. The scFvDEC205-EtIMP1C fusion protein represents a promising candidate for developing effective subunit vaccines against avian coccidiosis.

To Cite This Article: Chen R, Mohsin M, Ma S, Su S, Wang L, Wang DF, Wu HY, Guo PP, Yan YT, Afzal Y, Ali F and Yin G, 2026. Evaluation of a dendritic cell–targeted chimeric ETIMP1 vaccine against Eimeria tenella in chickens. Pak Vet J, 46(6): 1611-1617. http://dx.doi.org/10.29261/pakvetj/2026.155