Article
Microbiology
Sergio Castaneda, Marina Munoz, Peter J. Hotez, Maria Elena Bottazzi, Alberto E. Paniz-Mondolfi, Kathryn M. Jones, Rojelio Mejia, Cristina Poveda, Juan David Ramirez
Summary: Chagas disease is caused by Trypanosoma cruzi and has a profound impact on the gastrointestinal tract. Alterations in the gut microbiome caused by the parasite may play a crucial role in host-parasite interactions and immune responses. Understanding this interaction could provide valuable insights into the pathophysiology of the disease and the development of new treatments.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Review
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Edem Fiatsonu, Rachel E. Busselman, Martial L. Ndeffo-Mbah
Summary: This study reviewed mathematical models that investigated the role of dogs in the transmission of Chagas disease. It found that dogs are not only at high risk of infection, but also contribute to the spread of the disease in endemic areas. The study also showed that eliminating infected dogs or regular use of insecticide can nearly interrupt disease transmission.
Article
Parasitology
Cecilia Gomes Barbosa, Cesar Gomez-Hernandez, Marcos Vinicius da Silva, Karine Rezende-Oliveira, Paula Tatiana Mutao Ferreira, Ana Carolina Morais de Oliveira, Chamberttan Souza Desiderio, Fernanda Rodrigues Helmo, Tamires Marielem de Carvalho-Costa, Ingrid Ketlen Pereira dos Santos, Lorena Kelly Alves Saraiva, Carlo Jose Freire de Oliveira, Juliana Reis Machado, Eloisa Amalia Vieira Ferro, Virmondes Rodrigues, Luis Eduardo Ramirez Jr
Summary: This study investigated the infectivity and modulation of immune responses in human placental explants infected with T. cruzi Ia Mexican strains. The findings suggested that TcIa strains parasitize placental tissue, modulate the innate immune system, and cause detachment of the syncytiotrophoblast, potentially contributing to abortion and premature birth events. It was concluded that this genotype may have a low rate of congenital transmission.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Naiara Dutra Barroso Gomes, Emanuel Paula Magalhaes, Lyanna Rodrigues Ribeiro, John Washington Cavalcante, Marcelo Morais Gomes Maia, Felipe Ramon Cunha da Silva, Arif Ali, Marcia Machado Marinho, Emmanuel Silva Marinho, Helcio Silva dos Santos, Alice Maria Costa Martins, Ramon Roseo Paula Pessoa Bezerra de Menezes
Summary: This study evaluated the activity of synthetic p-aminochalcones against T. cruzi and found that they have a trypanocidal effect by causing membrane damage and oxidative stress. Their mechanism of action may be related to inhibition of cruzain and TR.
BIOORGANIC CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Melissa D. Klein, Freddy Tinajeros, Maria Del Carmen Menduina, Edith Malaga, Beth J. Condori, Manuela Verastegui, Federico Urquizu, Robert H. Gilman, Natalie M. Bowman
Summary: The study found that older maternal age, family history of Chagas disease, home conditions, lower educational level, and history of living in a rural area were significantly associated with higher odds of maternal infection. Protective factors against transmission included cesarean delivery and family history of Chagas disease, while twins were significantly more likely to be congenitally infected than singleton births.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Jill M. C. Hakim, Andreea Waltmann, Freddy Tinajeros, Oksana Kharabora, Edith Malaga Machaca, Maritza Calderon, Maria del Carmen Menduina, Jeremy Wang, Daniel Rueda, Mirko Zimic, Manuela Verastegui, Jonathan J. Juliano, Robert H. Gilman, Monica R. Mugnier, Natalie M. Bowman
Summary: Investigating the diversity of parasite strains in congenital Chagas infection, amplicon sequencing of a T. cruzi gene was conducted on clinical samples from Chagas positive mothers and their infected infants. The study found that multiple parasite strains are involved in initiating congenital infection, and the diversity of parasite strains is higher in infants than in mothers. These findings suggest that the probability of vertical transmission is influenced by parasite factors.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Juan M. Bustamante, Brooke E. White, Gregory K. Wilkerson, Carolyn L. Hodo, Lisa D. Auckland, Wei Wang, Stephanie McCain, Sarah A. Hamer, Ashley B. Saunders, Rick L. Tarleton
Summary: This study demonstrates that higher dose, intermittent administration of benznidazole can effectively treat Trypanosoma cruzi infection. Administration twice a week, for more than 4 months, provides the best chance for parasitological cure.
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS AND CHEMOTHERAPY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Lorraine Martins Rocha Orlando, Leonardo da Silva Lara, Guilherme Curty Lechuga, Giseli Capaci Rodrigues, Omar Ginoble Pandoli, Druval Santos de Sa, Mirian Claudia de Souza Pereira
Summary: Therapeutic alternatives for Chagas disease are urgently needed due to limitations and adverse effects of current drugs. Triazole analogues show promise in treating T. cruzi.
Article
Immunology
Gabriela Rodrigues Leite, Denise da Gama Jaen Batista, Ana Lia Mazzeti, Rosemeire Aparecida Silva, Ademar Benevolo Lugao, Maria de Nazare Correia Soeiro
Summary: The synthetic peptides PepA and PepB were found to reduce the intracellular parasitism of T. cruzi in macrophages (PMM), but were ineffective against cardiac cells. However, they did not exhibit trypanocidal effects on bloodstream trypomastigotes, nor showed in vivo efficacy when administered after parasite inoculation.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Maria Carmo P. Nunes, Lewis F. Buss, Jose Luiz P. Silva, Larissa Natany A. Martins, Claudia Di Lorenzo Oliveira, Clareci Silva Cardoso, Bruno Oliveira de Figueiredo Brito, Ariela Mota Ferreira, Lea Campos Oliveira, Ana Luiza Bierrenbach, Fabio Fernandes, Michael P. Busch, Viviane Tiemi Hotta, Luiz Mario Baptista Martinelli, Maria Carolina F. Almeida Soeiro, Adriana Brentegani, Vera M. C. Salemi, Marcia M. Menezes, Antonio Luiz P. Ribeiro, Ester Cerdeira Sabino
Summary: This study provides a comprehensive description of the natural history of T. cruzi seropositivity in a contemporary patient population, highlighting the central importance of anti-T. cruzi antibody titer as a marker of Chagas disease activity and risk of progression.
Article
Immunology
Yves Carlier, Carine Truyens, Eric Muraille
Summary: This study discusses the potential role of antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) in the trans-placental parasite transmission or the development of severe and fatal clinical forms of congenital/neonatal Chagas disease in newborns of T. cruzi-infected mothers. It highlights the importance of understanding how antibodies transmitted from infected pregnant women may influence the neonatal immune response to the parasite.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Omar Cantillo-Barraza, Cesil Solis, Alexander Zamora, Rafael Herazo, Maria Isabel Osorio, Edilson Garces, Samanta Xavier, Ana Maria Mejia-Jaramillo, Omar Triana-Chavez
Summary: This study investigates the epidemiological parameters of T. cruzi transmission in the Department of Vichada, Colombia, focusing on the transmission cycle of R. prolixus and Didelphis marsupialis in sylvatic environments.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Gerd Wallukat, Fernando Antonio Botoni, Manoel Otavio da Costa Rocha, Vitoria Louise, Johannes Mueller, Andre Talvani
Summary: The study found that dogs infected by Trypanosoma cruzi generate agonistic beta 1ARAb, beta 2ARAb, and M2RAb antibodies. Different strains of T. cruzi infection may impact the antibody activities. In cardiomyocytes culture, the antibodies recognized epitopes similar to those seen in human chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Marvin Stanley Rodriguez, Yuko Nitahara, Michelle Cornejo, Kevin Siliezar, Rafael Grande, Ana Gonzalez, Kotaro Tasaki, Yu Nakagama, Yu Michimuko, Yoko Onizuka, Junko Nakajima-Shimada, Jose Eduardo Romero, Jose Ricardo Palacios, Carmen Elena Arias, William Mejia, Yasutoshi Kido, Ricardo Cardona Alvarenga
Summary: This study revealed a high prevalence of T. cruzi infection in T. dimidiata in El Salvador, indicating potential active transmission of Chagas disease. Strengthened surveillance for both vector and human infection is required to truly eliminate the risk of T. cruzi transmission in Central America.
INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF POVERTY
(2022)
Review
Microbiology
Alba Abras, Cristina Ballart, Anna Fernandez-Arevalo, Maria-Jesus Pinazo, Joaquim Gascon, Carmen Munoz, Montserrat Gallego
Summary: Population movements have made Chagas disease a global public health issue. Despite efforts to control transmission in Latin American countries where the disease is endemic, congenital Chagas disease remains a significant challenge.
CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Antonio Gomez-Rios, Antonio Ortega-Pacheco, Eduardo Gutierrez-Blanco, Karla Y. Acosta-Viana, Eugenia Guzman-Marin, Marcelino D. Guiris-Andrade, Ivonne B. Hernandez-Cortazar, Ruben Lopez-Alonso, Epigmenio Cruz-Aldan, Matilde Jimenez-Coello
VECTOR-BORNE AND ZOONOTIC DISEASES
(2019)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Adrian Baez-Ortega, Kevin Gori, Andrea Strakova, Janice L. Allen, Karen M. Allum, Leontine Bansse-Issa, Thinlay N. Bhutia, Jocelyn L. Bisson, Cristobal Briceno, Artemio Castillo Domracheva, Anne M. Corrigan, Hugh R. Cran, Jane T. Crawford, Eric Davis, Karina F. de Castro, Andrigo B. de Nardi, Anna P. de Vos, Laura Delgadillo Keenan, Edward M. Donelan, Adela R. Espinoza Huerta, Ibikunle A. Faramade, Mohammed Fazil, Eleni Fotopoulou, Skye N. Fruean, Fanny Gallardo-Arrieta, Olga Glebova, Pagona G. Gouletsou, Rodrigo F. Hafelin Manrique, Joaquim J. G. P. Henriques, Rodrigo S. Horta, Natalia Ignatenko, Yaghouba Kane, Cathy King, Debbie Koenig, Ada Krupa, Steven J. Kruzeniski, Young-Mi Kwon, Marta Lanza-Perea, Mihran Lazyan, Adriana M. Lopez Quintana, Thibault Losfelt, Gabriele Marino, Simon Martinez Castaneda, Mayra F. Martinez-Lopez, Michael Meyer, Edward J. Migneco, Berna Nakanwagi, Karter B. Neal, Winifred Neunzig, Maire Ni Leathlobhair, Sally J. Nixon, Antonio Ortega-Pacheco, Francisco Pedraza-Ordonez, Maria C. Peleteiro, Katherine Polak, Ruth J. Pye, John F. Reece, Jose Rojas Gutierrez, Haleema Sadia, Sheila K. Schmeling, Olga Shamanova, Alan G. Sherlock, Maximilian Stammnitz, Audrey E. Steenland-Smit, Alla Svitich, Lester J. Tapia Martinez, Ismail Thoya Ngoka, Cristian G. Torres, Elizabeth M. Tudor, Mirjam G. Van der Wel, Bogdan A. Vitalaru, Sevil A. Vural, Oliver Walkinton, Jinhong Wang, Alvaro S. Wehrle-Martinez, Sophie A. E. Widdowson, Michael R. Stratton, Ludmil B. Alexandrov, Inigo Martincorena, Elizabeth P. Murchison
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Guohui Hu, Lizette Rios, Zhengwei Yan, Angela M. Jasper, Dezzarae Luera, Shiwen Luo, Hai Rao
BIOCHEMICAL AND BIOPHYSICAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS
(2020)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Lizette Rios, E. Emanuel Campos, Ramkumar Menon, M. Paola Zago, Nisha J. Gar
BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-MOLECULAR BASIS OF DISEASE
(2020)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Antonio Ortega-Pacheco, Mildred A. Lezama-Garcia, Rafael Colin-Flores, Matilde Jimenez-Coello, Carlos Acevedo-Arcique, Eduardo Gutierrez-Blanco
REPRODUCTION IN DOMESTIC ANIMALS
(2020)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Andrea Strakova, Thomas J. Nicholls, Adrian Baez-Ortega, Maire Ni Leathlobhair, Alexander T. Sampson, Katherine Hughes, Isobelle A. G. Bolton, Kevin Gori, Jinhong Wang, Ilona Airikkala-Otter, Janice L. Allen, Karen M. Allum, Clara L. Arnold, Leontine Bansse-Issa, Thinlay N. Bhutia, Jocelyn L. Bisson, Kelli Blank, Cristobal Briceno, Artemio Castillo Domracheva, Anne M. Corrigan, Hugh R. Cran, Jane T. Crawford, Stephen M. Cutter, Eric Davis, Karina F. de Castro, Andrigo B. De Nardi, Anna P. de Vos, Laura Delgadillo Keena, Edward M. Donelan, Adela R. Espinoza Huerta, Ibikunle A. Faramade, Mohammed Fazil, Eleni Fotopoulou, Skye N. Fruean, Fanny Gallardo-Arrieta, Olga Glebova, Pagona G. Gouletsou, Rodrigo F. Hafelin Manrique, Joaquim J. G. P. Henriques, Rodrigo S. Horta, Natalia Ignatenko, Yaghouba Kane, Cathy King, Debbie Koenig, Ada Krupa, Steven J. Kruzeniski, Marta Lanza-Perea, Mihran Lazyan, Adriana M. Lopez Quintana, Thibault Losfelt, Gabriele Marino, Simon Martinez Castaneda, Mayra F. Martinez-Lopez, Bedan M. Masuruli, Michael Meyer, Edward J. Migneco, Berna Nakanwagi, Karter B. Neal, Winifred Neunzig, Sally J. Nixon, Antonio Ortega-Pacheco, Francisco Pedraza-Ordonez, Maria C. Peleteiro, Katherine Polak, Ruth J. Pye, Juan C. Ramirez-Ante, John F. Reece, Jose Rojas Gutierrez, Haleema Sadia, Sheila K. Schmeling, Olga Shamanova, Alan G. Sherlock, Audrey E. Steenland-Smit, Alla Svitich, Lester J. Tapia Martinez, Ismail Thoya Ngoka, Cristian G. Torres, Elizabeth M. Tudor, Mirjam G. van der Wel, Bogdan A. Vitalaru, Sevil A. Vural, Oliver Walkinton, Alvaro S. Wehrle-Martinez, Sophie A. E. Widdowson, Irina Zvarich, Patrick F. Chinnery, Maria Falkenberg, Claes M. Gustafsson, Elizabeth P. Murchison
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2020)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Perla I. Velazquez-Delgado, Eduardo Gutierrez-Blanco, Felipe de J. Torres-Acosta, Antonio Ortega-Pacheco, Armando J. Aguilar-Caballero, Brighton T. Dzikiti
Summary: Propofol and isoflurane, combined with a constant-rate infusion of fentanyl-lidocaine-ketamine, produced satisfactory quality of anesthesia in goats undergoing abomasotomy, with minimal impact on cardiopulmonary function. However, recovery from anesthesia induced by propofol may be of poor quality.
Review
Immunology
Subhadip Choudhuri, Lizette Rios, Juan Carlos Vazquez-Chagoyan, Nisha Jain Garg
Summary: Administering therapeutic vaccines can be a viable option for combating persistent parasitemia in Chagas disease by providing a rapid, short-term stimulation of type 1 cell-mediated immunity. Additionally, adjunct therapies could be crucial for preserving mitochondrial metabolism and cardiac muscle contractility in Chagas disease. A combined therapy approach using antigen-based vaccines and small molecules to control oxidative damage may effectively preserve cardiac structure and function in Chagas disease.
EXPERT REVIEW OF VACCINES
(2021)
Article
Parasitology
Antonio Ortega-Pacheco, Anabel Poot-Ramos, Jose I. Chan-Perez, Eduardo Gutierrez-Blanco, Carlos M. Acevedo-Arcique, Carlos M. Baak-Baak, Matilde Jimenez-Coello
Summary: The study demonstrates that a single oral dose of fluralaner in dogs can result in 100% mortality of adult R. prolixus for a period of time, with a sustained high efficacy residual effect. This could be a valuable strategy in controlling the transmission of Chagas disease in dogs and reducing peri-domestic transmission cycle, especially in hyperendemic areas.
PARASITOLOGY INTERNATIONAL
(2022)
Article
Pathology
Lizette E. Rios, Nandadeva Lokugamage, Nisha J. Garg
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the effects of T. cruzi infection on fertility rate and health of newborn pups in pregnant mice. The results showed that T. cruzi infection delayed pregnancy, decreased fertility rate, and led to vertical transmission to the pups. Pups born to infected dams exhibited decreased survival rate, birth weight, and growth rate.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Juquan Song, Imran H. Chowdhury, Subhadip Choudhuri, Amina E. I. Ayadi, Lizette E. Rios, Steven E. Wolf, Joseph C. Wenke, Nisha J. Garg
Summary: Burn injury leads to muscle wasting, and this study found that high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) plays an important role in the hyper-inflammatory response and subsequent muscle impairment after burn. Neutralizing HMGB1 with antibodies reduced burn wound size and preserved muscle weight, while also decreasing cell death and autophagy markers. Furthermore, the antibodies inhibited inflammatory activation of bone marrow and T cells, and reduced inflammatory infiltrate in muscle tissues. Neutralization of HMGB1-dependent proteolytic and inflammatory responses may have beneficial effects in preventing muscle loss after severe burn injury.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Daniel Nunez-Avellaneda, Rosa Carmina Cetina-Trejo, Emily Zamudio-Moreno, Carlos Baak-Baak, Nohemi Cigarroa-Toledo, Guadalupe Reyes-Solis, Antonio Ortega-Pacheco, Gerardo Suzan, Chandra Tandugu, Julian E. Garcia-Rejon, Bradley J. Blitvich, Carlos Machain-Williams
Summary: Research indicates that pigs can seroconvert after exposure to Zika virus and may serve as sentinels. Additionally, pigs have been shown to be susceptible to natural Zika virus infection, as antibodies were found in domestic pigs in Yucatan, Mexico. Furthermore, Zika virus RNA was detected in mosquitoes from five different species collected inside pigpens.
EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)