Article
Microbiology
Hilda N. Rivera, Isabel McAuliffe, TaLesa Aderohunmu, Ryan E. Wiegand, Susan P. Montgomery, Richard S. Bradbury, Sukwan Handali
Summary: This study evaluated a new serologic test method for the diagnosis of chronic Chagas disease and compared it with the CDC algorithm. The results showed good concordance between the test method and the CDC algorithm, with a low cross-reactivity rate. The study suggests that the use of this method will improve the diagnosis of chronic Chagas disease.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Ana Carolina Leao, Laila Almeida Viana, Fernanda Fortes de Araujo, Rodrigo de Lourdes Almeida, Leandro Martins Freitas, Anderson Coqueiro-dos-Santos, Denise da Silveira-Lemos, Mariana Santos Cardoso, Joao Luis Reis-Cunha, Andrea Teixeira-Carvalho, Daniella C. Bartholomeu
Summary: Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas disease, exhibits high genetic and phenotypic diversity. The MASP family, located on the surface of T. cruzi, is involved in host-parasite interaction. Recombinant MASP proteins were used to investigate their immunogenicity in mice infected with different strains of T. cruzi. Flow cytometry analysis showed changes in MASP recognition profile during infection.
MICROBES AND INFECTION
(2022)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Helena Quintero-Pertuz, Ruben Veas-Albornoz, Ileana Carrillo, Fabiola Gonzalez-Herrera, Michel Lapier, Eduino Carbono-Delahoz, Esther del Olmo, Arturo San Feliciano, Ulrike Kemmerling, Claudio Olea-Azar, Carla Delporte, Juan D. Maya
Summary: Research on the Castanedia santamartensis plant in Colombia has identified several compounds with activity against Trypanosoma cruzi, a parasite that causes Chagas disease. Kaurenoic acid was found to be a major component in the plant's extracts, and it may act by disrupting the mitochondrial membrane potential in the parasite. This discovery opens up new avenues for potential treatments for Chagas disease.
BIOMEDICINE & PHARMACOTHERAPY
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Lucia Biscari, Cintia Daniela Kaufman, Cecilia Farre, Victoria Huhn, Maria Florencia Pacini, Camila Bulfoni Balbi, Karina Andrea Gomez, Ana Rosa Perez, Andres Alloatti
Summary: This article presents a vaccination strategy based on dendritic cells (DCs) activated with LPS to enhance CD8(+) T cell responses against specific pathogens. The study found that this immunization scheme provides protection and reduces parasite burden in female mice, but not in male mice.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Iranildo Jose Da Cruz Filho, Jamerson F. De Oliveira, Aline Caroline S. Santos, Valeria R. A. Pereira, Maria Carmo A. De Lima
Summary: This study evaluated the biological potential of eight 4-(4-chlorophenyl)thiazole compounds. In vitro experiments showed that these compounds exhibited antiparasitic activity against Leishmania amazonensis and Trypanosoma cruzi. Thiazole compounds could be used as potential antiparasitic agents in the future.
ANAIS DA ACADEMIA BRASILEIRA DE CIENCIAS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Policarpo Ademar Sales Junior, Carlos Leomar Zani, Ezequias Pessoa de Siqueira, Markus Kohlhoff, Fatima Regina Marques, Alisson Samuel Portes Caldeira, Betania Barros Cota, Daniela Nabak Bueno Maia, Luiza Guimaraes Tunes, Silvane Maria Fonseca Murta, Tania Maria Almeida Alves
Summary: Chagas disease, caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, lacks effective treatment options, highlighting the need for new compounds for chemotherapy. Two new trixikingolides isolated from the plant Trixis vauthieri show promising in vitro activity against T. cruzi, indicating potential as a more potent alternative to existing drugs. Further testing on infected mice is the next step to determine their effectiveness.
NATURAL PRODUCT RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Marina T. Varela, Maiara Amaral, Maiara M. Romanelli, Erica V. de Castro Levatti, Andre G. Tempone, Joao Paulo S. Fernandes
Summary: This study aimed to modify the core structure of the LINS03 series compounds in order to achieve a balance between favorable physicochemical properties and biological activity. The addition of water-solubilizing groups and privileged substructures greatly improved the drug-likeness of the compounds, increased potency, and maintained selectivity towards the parasite.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Nieves Martinez-Peinado, Juan Carlos Gabaldon-Figueira, Ignacio Martinez-Anon, Cristian Rodriguez-Gordo, Raquel Robleda-Castillo, Maria-Jesus Pinazo, Pascal Bigey, Joaquim Gascon, Julio Alonso-Padilla
Summary: The serum parasite inhibition assay is a valuable tool for evaluating changes in Trypanosoma cruzi infection by exposing infective trypomastigotes to serum samples from infected patients. There is a clear correlation between the reactivity of the samples to the whole-parasite lysates by ELISA and the inhibitory effect. This study confirms the importance of the assay for measuring antibody efficacy.
Article
Microbiology
Melissa L. L. Sykes, Emily K. K. Kennedy, Vicky M. M. Avery
Summary: Chagas disease is caused by infection with the protozoan parasite, Trypanosoma cruzi. The disease causes a high number of deaths annually and is classified as one of the neglected tropical diseases. The drug discovery pipeline for Chagas disease faces challenges with few new candidates and high attrition rates.
Article
Cell Biology
Gregory Pedroso dos Santos, Fernanda Midori Abukawa, Normanda Souza-Melo, Laura Maria Alcantara, Paula Bittencourt-Cunha, Carolina Borsoi Moraes, Bijay Kumar Jha, Bradford S. McGwire, Nilmar Silvio Moretti, Sergio Schenkman
Summary: Infection by Trypanosoma cruzi essentially relies on the release of a 19 kDa cyclophilin protein, TcCyp19, which triggers an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in host cells, leading to enhanced parasite proliferation in mammalian hosts.
CELLULAR MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Parasitology
Kazuo Imai, Takashi Murakami, Kazuhisa Misawa, Yuji Fujikura, Akihiko Kawana, Norihito Tarumoto, Shigefumi Maesaki, Takuya Maeda
Summary: This study evaluated the standardized diagnostic methods for Chagas disease in Japan by optimizing and comparing ARCHITECT Chagas assay and in-house ELISA. The results showed that the in-house ELISA had similar sensitivity and specificity to the ARCHITECT Chagas test, supporting its use as a diagnostic tool in clinical settings for Chagas disease in Japan.
PARASITOLOGY INTERNATIONAL
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Matteo Iannone, Elisa Ovidi, Sara Vitalini, Valentina Laghezza Masci, Andrea Marianelli, Marcello Iriti, Antonio Tiezzi, Stefania Garzoli
Summary: In this study, the volatile chemical profile of international hop varieties and craft beers obtained from them were analyzed, and their flavonoid and polyphenol content as well as antioxidant power were evaluated. The results showed the presence of compounds belonging to different chemical classes and differences in the volatile composition of the craft beers. All hop samples exhibited a high scavenging potential against radicals, and a positive correlation was found with polyphenol and flavonoid contents.
Article
Parasitology
Anna Clara Azevedo Silveira, Rayane Cristina de Oliveira, Cassiano Costa Rodrigues, Samuel Cota Teixeira, Bruna Cristina Borges, Claudio Vieira da Silva
Summary: Breast cancer is the most prevalent type of cancer among women worldwide. Triple negative breast cancer is known for its aggressive nature and poor prognosis. Researchers have found that T. cruzi has a preference for tumor cells, and this study aimed to investigate the impact of T. cruzi infection on the proliferation and migration of the triple negative breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231. The results showed that T. cruzi had a high invasion and multiplication rate in MDA-MB-231 cells. The infection promoted cell multiplication, caused continuous cell lysis during in vitro infection, and impaired cell migration. These findings suggest that T. cruzi molecules may have potential use in preventing metastasis by inhibiting host cell migration.
EXPERIMENTAL PARASITOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Melissa L. Sykes, Emily K. Kennedy, Kevin D. Read, Marcel Kaiser, Vicky M. Avery
Summary: Chagas disease and Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT) are parasitic diseases that pose a serious threat to human health. The existing treatment methods are not highly effective, thus there is a need for new therapeutic drugs. Through in vitro assays, compounds with selective activity against these parasites have been identified and evaluated for further research and development.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Michael Schuit, Rebecca Dunning, Denise Freeburger, David Miller, Idris Hooper, Luis Faisca, Victoria Wahl, Paul Dabisch
Summary: This study developed a high-throughput microtitration assay using an Ebola-specific reporter cell line, which showed equivalent sensitivity to a standardized plaque assay for quantifying viral titers. The new assay could be implemented with fewer reagents and processing steps, reduced subjectivity, and higher throughput, making it useful for studies requiring the detection or quantification of infectious Ebola virus in large numbers of samples.
JOURNAL OF VIROLOGICAL METHODS
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Irene Losada Galvan, Julio Alonso-Padilla, Nuria Cortes-Serra, Cristina Alonso-Vega, Joaquim Gascon, Maria Jesus Pinazo
Summary: The text emphasizes the importance of benznidazole as a treatment for Chagas disease and its potential future use with different treatment schemes. Chemical, pharmacokinetic, and pharmacodynamic structures are discussed, along with data from previous studies and ongoing research. Other topics covered include indications for treatment, challenges such as adverse effects and access barriers, and alternative strategies to improve treatment access and safety.
EXPERT REVIEW OF ANTI-INFECTIVE THERAPY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Soledad Natalia Gonzalez, Jonathan J. Mills, Dante Maugeri, Christopher Olaya, Breana L. Laguera, Jeffrey R. Enders, Julian Sherman, Ana Rodriguez, Joshua G. Pierce, Juan Jose Cazzulo, Edward L. D'Antonio
Summary: The study discovered a competitive inhibitor Compound B targeting ribose 5-phosphate isomerase type B (RPI-B), which exhibited significant trypanocidal activity against T. cruzi infective life-stages. By targeting the active site residue Cys-69, this inhibitor provided a proof-of-concept for the development of next generation inhibitors with potential prodrug groups to treat Chagas' disease in the future.
BIOORGANIC & MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Nieves Martinez-Peinado, Clara Martori, Nuria Cortes-Serra, Julian Sherman, Ana Rodriguez, Joaquim Gascon, Jordi Alberola, Maria-Jesus Pinazo, Alheli Rodriguez-Cortes, Julio Alonso-Padilla
Summary: The study found that 17-DMAG has a strong inhibitory effect on T. cruzi, particularly during the intracellular replicative stage of the parasite. Molecular docking results suggest that 17-DMAG may bind T. cruzi Hsp90 homologue Hsp83 with good affinity. However, evaluation in a mouse model of chronic T. cruzi infection did not show parasite growth inhibition, highlighting challenges in transitioning from in vitro assays to preclinical drug development stages.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Pathology
Diana P. Wehrendt, Julio Alonso-Padilla, Bo Liu, Lizeth Rojas Panozo, Silvia Rivera Nina, Lilian Pinto, Daniel Lozano, Albert Picado, Marcelo Abril, Maria J. Pinazo, Joaquim Gascon, Faustino Torrico, Season Wong, Alejandro G. Schijman
Summary: Vertical transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi causes congenital Chagas disease, which requires early diagnosis and treatment. A LAMP technology coupled with automated DNA extraction device showed promise for point-of-care early diagnosis, with high sensitivity and specificity compared to traditional microscopy-based methods.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR DIAGNOSTICS
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Nieves Martinez-Peinado, Nuria Cortes-Serra, Julian Sherman, Ana Rodriguez, Juan M. Bustamante, Joaquim Gascon, Maria-Jesus Pinazo, Julio Alonso-Padilla
Summary: Chagas disease, caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, has its greatest burden in Latin America. Existing treatments present toxicity and variable efficacy, highlighting the urgent need for new therapeutic strategies. Drug repositioning offers a fast and low-cost approach to identify safer and more effective chemotherapies for Chagas disease.
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Scott B. Green, Robert J. Lanier Jr, Shane M. Carey, David R. Morgan, Hanna Gracz, Julian Sherman, Ana Rodriguez, Edward L. D'Antonio
Summary: The screening of eighteen amino sugar analogues against Trypanosoma cruzi glucokinase revealed five on-target confirmed inhibitors, all from the D-GlcN series. Four of these compounds were identified as strong TcGlcK inhibitors, while three showed significant in vitro anti-T. cruzi activity. Compounds 5 and 6 were further evaluated biochemically, with formal Ki values determined and exhibiting competitive inhibition mode for TcGlcK.
BIOORGANIC & MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2021)
Letter
Respiratory System
Marisol Zuniga, Claudia Gomes, Steven E. Carsons, Michael T. Bender, Paolo Cotzia, Qing Robert Miao, David C. Lee, Ana Rodriguez
EUROPEAN RESPIRATORY JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Juan Rivera-Correa, Joseph Verdi, Julian Sherman, Jeremy M. Sternberg, Jayne Raper, Ana Rodriguez
Summary: The study found evidence of autoimmunity against phosphatidylserine in Trypanosoma brucei infected mice and Human African Trypanosomiasis patients, suggesting a potential link between autoimmunity and anemia.
PLOS NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Nieves Martinez-Peinado, Javier E. Ortiz, Maria Jesus Pinazo, Joaquim Gascon, Alejandro Tapia, German Roitman, Jaume Bastida, Gabriela E. Feresin, Julio Alonso-Padilla
Summary: This study identified alkaloids with anti-T. cruzi activity from Habranthus brachyandrus collected in Argentina. The alkaloid ismine showed specific activity against the parasite and low toxicity against liver cells. These findings provide a new direction for the development of drugs for Chagas disease.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Albert Ros-Lucas, Pascal Bigey, Jean-Philippe Chippaux, Joaquim Gascon, Julio Alonso-Padilla
Summary: Snakebite envenomation causes a significant number of deaths each year, and the production of antivenoms is often limited by their variable potency and accessibility. This study presents a method based on sequence conservation and protein structural features to prioritize therapeutic epitopes from snake venom. The selected epitopes are applicable to the most medically important snake species in West Sub-Saharan Africa and can be customized for venom sequence analysis in other regions.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Alba L. Montoya, Elisa G. Carvajal, Uriel Ortega-Rodriguez, Igor L. Estevao, Roger A. Ashmus, Sohan R. Jankuru, Susana Portillo, Cameron C. Ellis, Colin D. Knight, Julio Alonso-Padilla, Luis Izquierdo, Maria-Jesus Pinazo, Joaquim Gascon, Veronica Suarez, Douglas M. Watts, Iliana R. Malo, Janine M. Ramsey, Belkisyole Alarcon De Noya, Oscar Noya, Igor C. Almeida, Katja Michael
Summary: Chagas disease, caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, affects millions of people worldwide. The diagnosis and treatment assessment of Chagas disease is challenging due to parasite diversity and the lack of biomarkers. This study explores the potential of glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored mucins as biomarkers for diagnosis and treatment assessment in Chagas disease patients.
Article
Microbiology
Nieves Martinez-Peinado, Juan Carlos Gabaldon-Figueira, Ignacio Martinez-Anon, Cristian Rodriguez-Gordo, Raquel Robleda-Castillo, Maria-Jesus Pinazo, Pascal Bigey, Joaquim Gascon, Julio Alonso-Padilla
Summary: The serum parasite inhibition assay is a valuable tool for evaluating changes in Trypanosoma cruzi infection by exposing infective trypomastigotes to serum samples from infected patients. There is a clear correlation between the reactivity of the samples to the whole-parasite lysates by ELISA and the inhibitory effect. This study confirms the importance of the assay for measuring antibody efficacy.
Article
Plant Sciences
Javier E. Ortiz, Mauricio Pineiro, Nieves Martinez-Peinado, Patricia Barrera, Miguel Sosa, Jaume Bastida, Julio Alonso-Padilla, Gabriela E. Feresin
Summary: This study evaluated the anti-T. cruzi activity of the alkaloid candimine isolated from a plant, and assessed its combination effect with benznidazole, an existing drug. The results showed that candimine exhibited high anti-parasitic activity, and its combination with benznidazole enhanced its efficacy against T. cruzi, suggesting its potential as a new therapy for Chagas disease.
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Claudia Gomes, Rosauro Varo, Miquel Duran-Frigola, Antonio Sitoe, Rubio Bila, Sonia Machevo, Alfredo Mayor, Quique Bassat, Ana Rodriguez
Summary: Malaria can progress from an uncomplicated infection to a life-threatening severe disease. Early symptoms are often nonspecific, making it difficult to identify patients at high risk. By analyzing the transcriptomic response of human brain microvascular endothelial cells to Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes, several biomarkers have been identified to distinguish uncomplicated from severe malaria, as well as to differentiate children with cerebral malaria within the severe malaria group.