Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Derek J. Matthews, Ryan C. Fries, Nicholas D. Jeffery, Sarah A. Hamer, Ashley B. Saunders
Summary: Trypanosoma cruzi infection causes cardiac damage in dogs, and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) can detect the damage. This study aimed to describe CMR in naturally infected dogs with chronic Chagas disease and evaluate the frequency of abnormalities in CMR and other diagnostic tests. The results suggest that CMR can provide useful information and support the use of naturally infected dogs as an animal model for Chagas disease.
Editorial Material
Microbiology
Aline Araujo Alves, Philippe Bastin
Summary: The protist Trypanosoma cruzi has a long and motile flagellum and a tiny flagellum in its intracellular stage. Recent research shows that the tiny flagellum can beat, and this commentary explores how it is constructed and its impact on the parasite's survival inside the host.
Article
Biology
Carlos-Henrique D. Barbosa, Fabio B. Canto, Ariel Gomes, Layza M. Brandao, Jessica R. Lima, Guilherme A. Melo, Alessandra Granato, Eula G. A. Neves, Walderez O. Dutra, Ana-Carolina Oliveira, Alberto Nobrega, Maria Bellio
Summary: CD4CTLs play an important role in different pathologies, but the mechanisms controlling their generation are poorly understood. In this study, CD4CTLs were found to abundantly differentiate during mouse infection with Trypanosoma cruzi, exhibiting specific cytotoxicity and expressing immunoregulatory and exhaustion markers. The magnitude of the CD4CTL response was found to be controlled by T-cell intrinsic IL-18R/MyD88 signaling.
Article
Immunology
Claudia F. Dick, Nathalia Rocco-Machado, Andre L. A. Dos-Santos, Luiz F. Carvalho-Kelly, Carolina L. Alcantara, Narcisa L. Cunha-E-Silva, Jose R. Meyer-Fernandes, Adalberto Vieyra
Summary: TcIT, a putative 39-kDa Fe transporter in T. cruzi, plays a crucial role in iron metabolism and cellular differentiation. Under iron-depleted conditions, epimastigotes exhibit lower intracellular iron concentration and reduced oxygen consumption, while overexpressing TcIT leads to increased iron content, higher oxygen consumption, elevated ATP levels, enhanced H2O2 production, and stimulated transition to trypomastigotes. Understanding the mechanisms of iron transport at the cellular and molecular levels will provide insights into iron metabolism in T. cruzi and its impact on virulence and infection progression.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Francis M. S. Saraiva, Daniela Cosentino-Gomes, Job D. F. Inacio, Elmo E. Almeida-Amaral, Orlando Louzada-Neto, Ana Rossini, Natalia P. Nogueira, Jose R. Meyer-Fernandes, Marcia C. Paes
Summary: This study investigated the response of T. cruzi epimastigotes to hypoxia and found that under low oxygen conditions, the parasites produced more ROS and used increased glycolysis and fermentation pathways to sustain ATP production, allowing them to survive and proliferate in the insect vector.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Pablo Igor Ribeiro Franco, Jose Rodrigues do Carmo Neto, Marina Pacheco Miguel, Juliana Reis Machado, Mara Rubia Nunes Celes
Summary: This review summarizes the main molecular mechanisms of T. cruzi-related carcinogenesis and the mechanisms associated with tumor protection mediated by different parasite components.
Article
Immunology
Natalia Rego, Maria Gabriela Libisch, Carlos Rovira, Juan Pablo Tosar, Carlos Robello
Summary: Chagas disease, caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, can infect various nucleated cells in mammals. This study focused on the role of microRNAs in the host-T. cruzi interaction and found that miR-146a, miR-708, and miR-1246 consistently respond to T. cruzi infection across different human cell types. The response to parasite infection was broad in macrophages, while changes in microRNAs were modest in epithelial and cardiomyocytes. These findings highlight the importance of considering microRNA changes at the cellular level and suggest miR-1246 and miR-708 as potential biomarkers for Chagas disease.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Hans Desale, Pierre Buekens, Jackeline Alger, Maria Luisa Cafferata, Emily Wheeler Harville, Claudia Herrera, Carine Truyens, Eric Dumonteil
Summary: The study assessed the epigenetic effects of in utero exposure to maternal Trypanosoma cruzi infection. By comparing the DNA methylation patterns of umbilical cord blood cells from uninfected babies with chagasic and uninfected mothers, a differential DNA methylation signature was identified. The genes affected are related to hematopoietic cell differentiation, immune response, and developmental disorders.
Article
Immunology
Camila Victoria Sousa Oliveira, Oscar Moreno-Loaiza, Daniel Figueiredo-Vanzan, Isalira Peroba Ramos, Hilton Mata-Santos, Marcelo Torres Bozza, Claudia Neto Paiva, Emiliano Medei
Summary: This study investigated the role of IL-1 beta in chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy (CCC) using a mouse model. The results showed that the absence of functional IL-1 beta/IL-1R signaling did not prevent or reverse the decrease of cardiac function and the incidence of arrhythmias induced by CCC. Therefore, ruling out the IL-1 beta signaling pathway is an important step to discourage further attempts of IL-1 beta blockade as a therapeutic measure for CCC.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Fanny E. Eberhard, Sven Klimpel, Alessandra A. Guarneri, Nicholas J. Tobias
Summary: The study aimed to detect differences in the intestinal metabolome of the triatomine Rhodnius prolixus and predict exposure status to T. cruzi with high accuracies using logistic regression, a random forest classifier and a gradient boosting machine model. Important features for predicting exposure status and major metabolites for positive classification were identified, highlighting the complex interactions between triatomine vectors and parasites.
COMPUTATIONAL AND STRUCTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Parasitology
Larissa F. Paranaiba, Rodrigo P. Soares, Alessandra A. Guarneri
Summary: The study found that T. cruzi strains from different DTUs were able to infect T. infestans and reach varying parasite densities. The kinetics of migration in the digestive tract may be affected by strain and/or the evolutive form used for infection.
Article
Immunology
Kayla J. J. Rayford, Ayorinde Cooley, Anthony W. W. Strode, Inmar Osi, Ashutosh Arun, Maria F. F. Lima, Smita Misra, Siddharth Pratap, Pius N. N. Nde
Summary: Trypanosoma cruzi is the cause of Chagas Disease, which has significant impacts on health and economics globally. This study investigates the dysregulation of a type of small noncoding RNA called piRNAs during early T. cruzi infection, and predicts their interactions with mRNA. The findings suggest that piRNAs play important roles in infection and pathogenesis, and could potentially be used as biomarkers and therapeutic targets for infectious diseases.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Parasitology
Ester Rose, Aline Moraes, Tatiana Shiroma, Nadjar Nitz, Ana de Cassia Rosa, Riccardo Pratesi, Luciana Hagstrom, Juliana Lott de Carvalho, Mariana Hecht
Summary: Our study found that T. cruzi infection can influence the host cell's response to DNA damage, depending on the strain and H2O2 concentration. Cells infected with Berenice strain showed reduced DNA damage response after treatment with 0.8mM H2O2. Infection with the Colombiana strain prevented the activation of DNA repair pathways in response to 0.8mM and 1.6mM H2O2.
Review
Oncology
Soheil Sadr, Shakila Ghiassi, Narges Lotfalizadeh, Pouria Ahmadi Simab, Ashkan Hajjafari, Hassan Borji
Summary: This study investigates the effects and mechanisms of molecules secreted by Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi) in inhibiting the growth of colon and breast cancer cells. The results reveal that these molecules can trigger an adaptive immune response, exert an antiangiogenic effect, and inhibit cell invasion and migration. They also possess common antigenic determinants with tumor cells, inducing a cross-immune response.
ANTI-CANCER AGENTS IN MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Review
Immunology
Galia Ramirez-Toloza, Lorena Aguilar-Guzman, Carolina Valck, Smrithi S. Menon, Viviana P. Ferreira, Arturo Ferreira
Summary: Chagas' disease, caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, is a parasitic ailment primarily transmitted by triatomine insects, affecting over 6 million people in Latin America. This disease elicits complex immune responses in hosts, with some individuals developing a syndrome affecting various body systems. Understanding the parasite's evasion strategies and potential interventions, such as targeting calreticulin, could be crucial in inhibiting T. cruzi infectivity.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Iracema Luisa Quintino-de-Carvalho, Marcela Helena Goncalves-Pereira, Michele Faria Ramos, Bruno Henrique Goncalves de Aguiar Milhim, Ultimo Libanio Da Costa, Erika Goncalves Santos, Mauricio Lacerda Nogueira, Helton Da Costa Santiago
Summary: ILCs and NK cells are important sources of inflammatory cytokines during acute dengue infection, with distinct profiles associated with different clinical forms.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Cajsa H. Classon, Muzhen Li, Ada Lerma Clavero, Junjie Ma, Xiaogang Feng, Christopher A. Tibbitt, Julian M. Stark, Rebeca Cardoso, Emma Ringqvist, Louis Boon, Eduardo J. Villablanca, Antonio Gigliotti Rothfuchs, Liv Eidsmo, Jonathan M. Coquet, Susanne Nylen
Summary: Infection by strictly intestinal helminths can increase the numbers of CD4(+) T cells in the skin of mice, leading to a skewed T(H)2 cell composition and long-term effects on skin immune responses. This indicates a novel gut-to-skin cell trafficking process and worm-mediated immunosuppression.
MUCOSAL IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Immunology
Pamela Rosa-Goncalves, Flavia Lima Ribeiro-Gomes, Claudio Tadeu Daniel-Ribeiro
Summary: Malaria, caused by the protozoa Plasmodium, is a significant public health issue in tropical and subtropical regions. The disease can present with a range of symptoms, with cerebral malaria being the most severe and lethal complication. Survivors of cerebral malaria may experience neurological, cognitive, and behavioral sequelae. Recent studies suggest immunomodulation as a potential approach to prevent or reverse these neurocognitive sequelae of malaria.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Nuno Rufino de Sousa, Laura Steponaviciute, Lucille Margerie, Karolina Nissen, Midori Kjellin, Bjorn Reinius, Erik Salaneck, Klas Udekwu, Antonio Gigliotti Rothfuchs
Summary: This study detected aerosol transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in rooms occupied by COVID-19 patients in a hospital in Sweden and found infectious SARS-CoV-2 particles in the air. This suggests the need for revising existing infection control frameworks to include airborne transmission.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Camila P. Queiroz-Glauss, Mariana S. Vieira, Marcela Helena Goncalves-Pereira, Stephanie S. Almeida, Rachel H. Freire, Maria A. Gomes, Jacqueline I. Alvarez-Leite, Helton C. Santiago
Summary: This study found that Heligmosomoides polygyrus infection can inhibit high fat diet-induced obesity, improve insulin sensitivity and reduce liver fat accumulation. Infection can also reduce obesity-related inflammation and increase Treg cells in adipose tissue, thereby improving weight and metabolic syndrome.
PLOS NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Biology
Vivian Vasconcelos Costa, Michelle A. Sugimoto, Josy Hubner, Caio S. Bonilha, Celso Martins Queiroz-Junior, Marcela Helena Goncalves-Pereira, Jianmin Chen, Thomas Gobbetti, Gisele Olinto Libanio Rodrigues, Jordana L. Bambirra, Ingredy B. Passos, Carla Elizabeth Machado Lopes, Thaiane P. Moreira, Kennedy Bonjour, Rossana C. N. Melo, Milton A. P. Oliveira, Marcus Vinicius M. Andrade, Lirlandia Pires Sousa, Danielle Gloria Souza, Helton da Costa Santiago, Mauro Perretti, Mauro Martins Teixeira
Summary: This study suggests that altered levels of Annexin A1, a pro-resolving mediator, play a pathological role in dengue infection, and FPR2/ALX agonists may be a therapeutic target for dengue disease.
Review
Microbiology
Helton C. Santiago, Tertuliano A. Pereira-Neto, Marcela H. Goncalves-Pereira, Ana C. B. Terzian, Anna P. Durbin
Summary: This article discusses the development of a Zika virus vaccine, with a focus on the immunological relationship between Zika virus and dengue virus, as well as the challenges posed by the low numbers of Zika virus infections and the use of a controlled human infection model to accelerate vaccine development.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Julia T. Castro, Patrick Azevedo, Marcilio J. Fumagalli, Natalia S. Hojo-Souza, Natalia Salazar, Gregorio G. Almeida, Livia I. Oliveira, Lidia Faustino, Lis R. Antonelli, Tomas G. Marcal, Marconi Augusto, Bruno Valiate, Alex Fiorini, Bruna Rattis, Simone G. Ramos, Mariela Piccin, Osvaldo Campos Nonato, Luciana Benevides, Rubens Magalhaes, Bruno Cassaro, Gabriela Burle, Daniel Doro, Jorge Kalil, Edson Durigon, Andres Salazar, Otavia Caballero, Helton Santiago, Alexandre Machado, Joao S. Silva, Flavio da Fonseca, Ana Paula Fernandes, Santuza R. Teixeira, Ricardo T. Gazzinelli
Summary: This study generated a chimeric protein (SpiN) that can elicit specific T cell responses and provide strong protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection. The results suggest that vaccine formulations that induce effector T cells specific for the nucleocapsid antigen and receptor binding domain of SARS-CoV-2 can improve COVID-19 vaccines and potentially overcome immune escape by variants of concern.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Samudyata, Ana O. Oliveira, Susmita Malwade, Nuno Rufino de Sousa, Sravan K. Goparaju, Jessica Gracias, Funda Orhan, Laura Steponaviciute, Martin Schalling, Steven D. Sheridan, Roy H. Perlis, Antonio G. Rothfuchs, Carl M. Sellgren
Summary: Neuropsychiatric manifestations are common in SARS-CoV-2 infection, but their mechanisms are unknown. Using a brain organoid model, researchers found that SARS-CoV-2 infection triggers neuronal cell death and disrupts circuit integrity through microglia-mediated synapse elimination, potentially contributing to cognitive impairments in COVID-19 patients.
MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY
(2022)
Letter
Construction & Building Technology
Nuno Rufino de Sousa, Laura Steponaviciute, Lucille Margerie, Karolina Nissen, Midori Kjellin, Bjorn Reinius, Erik Salaneck, Klas I. Udekwu, Antonio Gigliotti Rothfuchs
Article
Immunology
Pamela Rosa-Goncalves, Luciana Pereira de Sousa, Aline Barbosa Maia, Flavia Lima Ribeiro-Gomes, Caroline Cristhiani Tavares de Lima Gress, Guilherme Loureiro Werneck, Diogo Onofre Souza, Roberto Farina Almeida, Claudio Tadeu Daniel-Ribeiro
Summary: The study suggests that immunization with immunogens that induce type 2 immune responses may reverse cognitive and behavioral impairments associated with malaria. This finding highlights the potential importance of researching and developing vaccines for the treatment and prevention of post-malaria sequelae.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Pamela Rosa-Goncalves, Luciana Pereira de Sousa, Flavia Lima Ribeiro-Gomes, Leonardo Jose Moura Carvalho, Claudio Tadeu Daniel-Ribeiro
Summary: Malaria, caused by protozoa of the genus Plasmodium, is an ancient parasitic disease characterized by fever, headache, sweating, and chills. Neurological, neurocognitive, and behavioral alterations, as well as poor school performance, can develop in survivors. Neuroinflammation plays a crucial role in the cognitive dysfunctions associated with malaria. Vaccination with type 2 immune response elicitors, such as the tetanus-diphtheria vaccine, may have a beneficial effect in alleviating neuroinflammation and mitigating neurocognitive deficits.
BRAIN BEHAVIOR AND IMMUNITY
(2023)
Review
Immunology
Uyla Ornellas-Garcia, Patricia Cuervo, Flavia Lima Ribeiro-Gomes
Summary: Malaria and leishmaniasis are endemic parasitic diseases in tropical and subtropical countries. Co-infection with Plasmodium spp. and Leishmania spp. can either exacerbate or suppress the immune response, impacting the clinical course and management of these diseases. Addressing the importance of concomitant infections is crucial for accurate diagnosis and treatment.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Parasitology
Yuri Chaves Martins, Flavia Lima Ribeiro-Gomes, Claudio Tadeu Daniel-Ribeiro
Summary: Innate immunity is the first line of defense against pathogens, cancer cells, and toxins. It also plays a crucial role in activating the body's specific immune response. This overview highlights the key findings and ideas that have contributed to the development of innate immunity as a branch of modern immunology.
MEMORIAS DO INSTITUTO OSWALDO CRUZ
(2023)
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Anderson K. Santos, Katia N. Gomes, Ricardo C. Parreira, Sergio Scalzo, Mauro C. X. Pinto, Helton C. Santiago, Alexander Birbrair, Ulrich Sack, Henning Ulrich, Rodrigo R. Resende
Summary: Research has shown that adult neural stem cells have the potential for neural repair, with new neural differentiation methods successfully producing neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes. This provides novel strategies for central nervous system regeneration therapy.
STEM CELL REVIEWS AND REPORTS
(2022)