Article
Infectious Diseases
Jingfan Qiu, Yanci Xie, Chenlu Shao, Tianye Shao, Min Qin, Rong Zhang, Xinjian Liu, Zhipeng Xu, Yong Wang
Summary: In this study, it was found that a peptide from Toxoplasma gondii microneme protein MIC3 triggered immune responses in mouse macrophages via the TLR11/MyD88/NF-kappa B pathway. However, the same peptide failed to induce such responses in human macrophages lacking TLR11. The amino acid sequence, simulated tertiary structure, and immune responses of MIC3 were completely different from the well-known TLR11 ligand profilin. These findings provide important insights into the pathogenesis and evolutionary roles of T. gondii and other TLR11 sensing pathogens.
PLOS NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Aarin M. Huffman, Joseph A. Ayariga, Audrey Napier, Boakai K. Robertson, Daniel A. Abugri
Summary: This study reports the anti-Toxoplasma and anti-invasion properties of Dihydroquinine (DHQ). DHQ has high selective parasiticidal effects against the growth of T. gondii tachyzoites. DHQ has the potential to be an effective and safe lead for the treatment of toxoplasmosis.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Yu Nan Lu, Xin Yu Shen, Jing Mei Lu, Guang Nan Jin, Hui Wen Lan, Xiang Xu, Lian Xun Piao
Summary: This study demonstrates the inhibitory effects of resveratrol (RSV) on the proliferation of Toxoplasma gondii and T.g.HSP70 expression, as well as the amelioration of lung injury caused by T. gondii infection through the intervention of T.g.HSP70 and HMGB1-mediated TLR4/NF-kappa B signaling pathway activation.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Adam J. Wolpaw, Liron D. Grossmann, Jessica L. Dessau, May M. Dong, Bailey J. Aaron, Patricia A. Brafford, Darya Volgina, Guillem Pascual-Pasto, Alba Rodriguez-Garcia, Yasin Uzun, Marie Arsenian-Henriksson, Daniel J. Powell, Kristopher R. Bosse, Andrew Kossenkov, Kai Tan, Michael D. Hogarty, John M. Maris, Chi V. Dang
Summary: By investigating inflammatory signaling pathways in neuroblastoma, researchers have identified heterogeneity in dsRNA sensing and intratumoral inflammatory signaling, which has significant implications for immunotherapeutic strategies in this aggressive childhood cancer.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ziyin N. Huang, Cassandra E. Callmann, Lisa E. Cole, Shuya Wang, Chad A. Mirkin
Summary: This study presents a method for synthesizing SNAs that can activate multiple TLR pathways simultaneously, leading to enhanced immunostimulation in various antigen-presenting cells. The codelivery of TLR agonists using SNAs provides a strategy for potently activating immune cells and increasing the efficiency of their activation.
Article
Immunology
Rafael Ricci-Azevedo, Flavia Costa Mendonca-Natividade, Ana Carolina Santana, Juliana Alcoforado Diniz, Maria Cristina Roque-Barreira
Summary: The protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii secretes proteins that modulate host cell responses, with MIC1 and MIC4 triggering both pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory host cell responses by interacting with TLR2 and TLR4. The ability of these proteins to induce macrophages to produce IL-10 depends on TLR4 internalization. This study reveals a previously unidentified mechanism by which defined T. gondii components inhibit a host inflammatory response.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Immunology
Julia Blay-Cadanet, Alice Pedersen, Christian Kanstrup Holm
Summary: Cellular nucleic acid sensors detect pathogen-derived DNA or RNA, triggering the release of anti-microbial interferons and cytokines for protection. However, excessive activation of these sensors can lead to inflammatory diseases. Recent studies have shown that metabolic pathways can influence nucleic acid sensing through metabolic reprogramming, regulating immune cell responses.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Parasitology
Xiaofeng Wang, Miao Cheng, Shuqi Yang, Chen Xing, Qian Li, Yating Zhu, Yongsheng Ji, Yinan Du
Summary: A rapid, sensitive, and time-saving DNA detection method for Toxoplasma gondii was established using CRISPR/Cas12a and RPA technologies targeting the B1 gene and 529 bp repeat element. The method demonstrated a detection limit of 1.5 cp/μl for T. gondii and showed high sensitivity and specificity. It was suitable for various strains, including RH, and did not cross-react with other protozoa DNA with similar habits. T. gondii-infected mouse blood samples were consistently positive at 1, 3, and 5 days post-infection, indicating the effectiveness of the detection method.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Shilan Zhu, Jinmiao Lu, Zhibing Lin, Asmaa M. I. Abuzeid, Xiaoyu Chen, Tingting Zhuang, Haiyan Gong, Rongsheng Mi, Yan Huang, Zhaoguo Chen, Guoqing Li
Summary: This study reveals that exosomes derived from dendritic cells infected with Toxoplasma gondii inhibit macrophage polarization to the M2 phenotype and regulate SOCS1 expression through the delivery of functional miR-155-5p. These findings provide new insights for colorectal cancer immunotherapy.
FRONTIERS IN ONCOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Alessandra Monteiro Rosini, Samuel Cota Teixeira, Iliana Claudia Balga Milian, Rafaela Jose Silva, Guilherme de Souza, Luana Carvalho Luz, Angelica Oliveira Gomes, Jose Roberto Mineo, Tiago Wilson Patriarca Mineo, Eloisa Amalia Vieira Ferro, Bellisa Freitas Barbosa
Summary: This study investigated the influence of the Toll-like receptor (TLR)-4 pathways on Toxoplasma gondii infection in different cells and tissues. The results showed that the TLR4 pathway is important for controlling the infection and its regulation is dependent on TRIF, MyD88, NF-kappa B, and cytokines.
Article
Microbiology
Qiao-Ni Ma, Meng Wang, Lai-Bao Zheng, Zi-Qin Lin, Muhammad Ehsan, Xing-Xing Xiao, Xing-Quan Zhu
Summary: Toxoplasmosis, caused by Toxoplasma gondii, is a significant parasitic zoonosis globally. The newly developed RAA-Cas12a-Tg system showed high sensitivity and specificity in detecting T. gondii oocysts in soil samples within an hour, providing a rapid and efficient method for on-site detection of the parasite.
Article
Parasitology
Ashok Patidar, Divanshu Shukla, Neelam Bodhale, Bhaskar Saha
Summary: The expression profiles of TLRs on T cells may have an immunomodulatory role.
EXPERIMENTAL PARASITOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Medicinal
Aline Cristina Abreu Moreira-Souza, Robson Coutinho-Silva
Summary: Toxoplasmosis is a neglected disease caused by infection with Toxoplasma gondii. Approximately one-third of the global population is expected to be infected. Immune responses play a crucial role in the development of the disease, with varying outcomes depending on different regions and individual immune statuses.
CURRENT TOPICS IN MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Review
Dentistry, Oral Surgery & Medicine
Xiao Ji, Lan Zhang, Fan Yang, Ding-Ming Huang
Summary: This review examines the role of nucleic acid sensors in endodontic infection and provides a summary analysis of their significance in disease pathogenesis and treatment strategies.
INTERNATIONAL ENDODONTIC JOURNAL
(2022)
Review
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Darshan Badal, Naresh Sachdeva, Deep Maheshwari, Preetam Basak
Summary: This review discusses the involvement of various nucleic acid sensors in autoimmunity and how aberrant recognition of self-nucleic acids by their sensors activates the innate immune responses during the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes (T1D).
WORLD JOURNAL OF DIABETES
(2021)
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
Chemistry, Analytical
Anthony F. La Marca, Robson da S. Lopes, Anna Diva P. Lotufo, Daniella C. Bartholomeu, Carlos R. Minussi
Summary: The public health system relies heavily on vaccines to prevent infectious diseases, but accurate diagnostic methods for developing and monitoring these vaccines are necessary. Current experimental methods are laborious and time-consuming, motivating researchers to develop prediction methods using machine learning. However, the existing tools and methods still have limitations in accuracy and offline training. Therefore, this study proposes a neural network-based prediction method that outperforms other tools in terms of accuracy and provides online training capabilities.
Article
Immunology
Danielle Rodrigues Cortez, Fabio Mitsuo Lima, Joao Luis Reis-Cunha, Daniella Castanheira Bartholomeu, Rolando Andre Rios Villacis, Silvia Regina Rogatto, Andre Guilherme Costa-Martins, Fernanda Sycko Marchiano, Rafaela Andrade do Carmo, Jose Franco da Silveira, Marjorie Mendes Marini
Summary: In this study, the genetic differences between two lineages of Chagas disease-causing parasite T. cruzi were analyzed using intraspecific array-based comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH). The results showed that clone D11 had more chromosomal gains and losses compared to the parental G strain. These genomic changes suggest a dynamic genome in clone D11 that responds to environmental stress by altering gene copy numbers and generating segmental aneuploidy.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Parasitology
Fabricio Marcus Silva Oliveira, Lucas Kraemer, Caroline Cavalcanti da Silva, Denise Silva Nogueira, Ana Clara Gazzinelli-Guimaraes, Pedro Henrique Gazzinelli-Guimaraes, Fernando Sergio Barbosa, Nathalia Maria Resende, Marcelo Vidigal Caliari, Soraya Torres Gaze, Daniella Castanheira Bartholomeu, Ricardo Toshio Fujiwara, Lilian Lacerda Bueno
Summary: This study found that nitric oxide (NO) plays an important role in controlling parasitic load during ascariasis. Mice lacking the iNOS gene showed reduced inflammation and tissue damage during liver larval migration, which was associated with lower levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the serum.
EXPERIMENTAL PARASITOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Parasitology
Jessica Hickson, Lucas Felipe Almeida Athayde, Thaina Godinho Miranda, Policarpo Ademar Sales Junior, Anderson Coqueiro Dos Santos, Lucia Maria da Cunha Galvao, Antonia Claudia Jacome da Camara, Daniella Castanheira Bartholomeu, Rita de Cassia Moreira de Souza, Silvane Maria Fonseca Murta, Laila Alves Nahum
Summary: This study investigates the genes coding for iron superoxide dismutase (FeSOD) in T. cruzi strains from an evolutionary perspective. The results reveal the molecular biodiversity of T. cruzi FeSODs and identify potential drug targets.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Hugo O. Valdivia, Bruno M. Roatt, Rodrigo de Paula Baptista, Jennifer Ottino, Anderson Coqueiro-dos-Santos, Mandy J. Sanders, Alexandre B. Reis, James A. Cotton, Daniella C. Bartholomeu
Summary: Visceral leishmaniasis, an important global health problem, is particularly prevalent in Brazil. This study reveals a turnover of parasite populations in a re-emergent focus in Brazil, which presents new challenges for disease control efforts.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Felipe D. Rego, Camila D. A. Cardoso, Paulo Otavio L. Moreira, Paula M. Nogueira, Marcio S. Araujo, Valeria Matos Borges, Marcia D. Laurenti, Daniella C. Bartholomeu, Alexandre B. Reis, Rubens L. D. Monte-Neto, Rodrigo P. Soares
Summary: LPG, the major glycoconjugate of Leishmania, induces pro-inflammatory/immunosuppressive innate immune responses. This study evaluated the functional/biochemical properties of LPG from different strains of Leishmania amazonensis and found that they have different pro-inflammatory profiles and susceptibility to antileishmanial agents.
CELL BIOLOGY INTERNATIONAL
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Joseane C. Castro, Luisa MD. Magalhaes, Raquel M. Almeida, Fabricio MS. Oliveira, Denise S. Nogueira, Ana Clara Gazzinelli-Guimaraes, Lucas Kraemer, Fernando S. Barbosa, Flavianne Vieira Santos, Elaine C. Minighin, Lilian L. Bueno, Daniella C. Bartholomeu, Renata A. Labanca, Ricardo T. Fujiwara
Summary: This study aimed to establish a protocol of oral immunization against ascariasis. The results showed that oral immunization significantly reduced larval burden in the lungs and alleviated histopathological lesions.
MICROBES AND INFECTION
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Joao Luis Reis-Cunha, Anderson Coqueiro-dos-Santos, Samuel Alexandre Pimenta-Carvalho, Larissa Pinheiro Marques, Gabriela F. Rodrigues-Luiz, Rodrigo P. Baptista, Laila Viana de Almeida, Nathan Ravi Medeiros Honorato, Francisco Pereira Lobo, Vanessa Gomes Fraga, Lucia Maria da Cunha Galvao, Lilian Lacerda Bueno, Ricardo Toshio Fujiwara, Mariana Santos Cardoso, Gustavo Coutinho Cerqueira, Daniella C. Bartholomeu
Summary: Repetitive elements in complex eukaryotic genomes cause assembly fragmentation and limit the study of their variability. A read-based approach was developed to estimate the sequence variability and copy number variation of multigene families. The study on Trypanosoma cruzi revealed that hybrid strains have higher variability, and the immune response is focused on conserved sequences.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Ana Maria Murta Santi, Juliana Martins Ribeiro, Joao Luis Reis-Cunha, Gabriela de Assis Burle-Caldas, Isabella Fernandes Martins Santos, Paula Alves Silva, Daniela de Melo Resende, Daniella Castanheira Bartholomeu, Santuza Maria Ribeiro Teixeira, Silvane Maria Fonseca Murta
Summary: In this study, the deletion of PGFS in T. cruzi did not affect the parasites' susceptibility to drugs but resulted in changes in oxidative stress tolerance and infectivity.
PLOS NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Leticia de Almeida, Alexandre L. N. da Silva, Tamara S. Rodrigues, Samuel Oliveira, Adriene Y. Ishimoto, Amanda A. Seribelli, Amanda Becerra, Warrison A. Andrade, Marco A. Ataide, Camila C. S. Caetano, Keyla S. G. de Sa, Natalia Pelisson, Ronaldo B. Martins, Juliano de Paula Souza, Eurico Arruda, Sabrina S. Batah, Ricardo Castro, Fabiani G. Frantz, Fernando Q. Cunha, Thiago M. Cunha, Alexandre T. Fabro, Larissa D. Cunha, Paulo Louzada-Junior, Rene D. R. de Oliveira, Dario S. Zamboni
Summary: This study identifies niclosamide as a potential FDA-approved drug for treating COVID-19 by inhibiting inflammasome activation and SARS-CoV-2 replication. Niclosamide shows strong inhibitory effects on inflammasome activation in human monocytes and PBMCs from COVID-19 patients in vitro, as well as in an in vivo mouse model of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Article
Parasitology
Ana Maria Ravena Severino Carvalho, Isabela de Andrade Ferraz, Natalia Satchiko Hojo-Souza, Fernanda Alvarenga Cardoso Medeiros, Laila Almeida Viana, Daniella Castanheira Bartholomeu, Ana Thereza Chaves, Thiago Miranda de Souza, Matheus Fernandes Costa e Silva, Tiago Antonio de Oliveira Mendes, Mariana Costa Duarte, Manoel Otavio da Costa Rocha, Daniel Menezes-Souza
Summary: The pathogenesis of Chronic Chagas Cardiomyopathy (CCC) remains unclear, and the persistence of the parasite in tissues is crucial for the development of heart disease. The study found that monocytes from CCC patients are more susceptible to infection and replication by intracellular amastigotes. Additionally, the stimulation of CD4+ T-cells in CCC patients induces a regulatory response, which may contribute to parasite control inefficiency and the development of severe heart disease.
Article
Cell Biology
Espiridion Ramos-Martinez, Angel E. Vega-Sanchez, Gloria Perez-Rubio, Mayra Mejia, Ivette Buendia-Roldan, Montserrat Gonzalez-Perez, Heidegger N. Mateos-Toledo, Warrison A. Andrade, Ramces Falfan-Valencia, Jorge Rojas-Serrano
Summary: Anti-synthetase syndrome (ASSD) is characterized by inflammatory interstitial lung disease (ILD). This study compared the concentrations of cytokines and molecules associated with inflammasome activation in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) of ASSD patients and systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients. Higher levels of caspase-1 and LDH activity were observed in ASSD patients, indicating cell death and inflammasome pathway activation. There were significant differences in IL-18 and IFN-gamma levels between the two groups.
Article
Parasitology
Williane Fernanda Siqueira, Mariana Santos Cardoso, Marianna de Carvalho Climaco, Ana Luiza Teixeira Silva, Benjamin Heidt, Kasper Eersels, Bart van Grinsven, Daniella Castanheira Bartholomeu, Lilian Lacerda Bueno, Thomas Cleij, Ricardo Toshio Fujiwara
Summary: This study investigated the use of a recombinant protein (Dyn-1) as a potential target antigen for the serodiagnosis of canine leishmaniasis. The results showed that the Dyn-1-based ELISA assay had high sensitivity and specificity, and was able to identify all asymptomatic dogs.
Article
Microbiology
Gabriela de A. Burle-Caldas, Nailma S. A. dos Santos, Julia T. de Castro, Fernanda L. B. Mugge, Viviane Grazielle-Silva, Antonio Edson R. Oliveira, Milton C. A. Pereira, Joao Luis Reis-Cunha, Anderson Coqueiro dos Santos, Dawidson Assis Gomes, Daniella C. Bartholomeu, Nilmar S. Moretti, Sergio Schenkman, Ricardo T. Gazzinelli, Santuza M. R. Teixeira
Summary: Trans-sialidases play a crucial role in the virulence of Trypanosoma cruzi, and using CRISPR-Cas9, aTS mutant parasites were generated which lost infectivity in vivo but provided full protection against a challenge infection with a virulent strain.