Review
Microbiology
Gema Alvarez Garcia, Rebecca Davidson, Pikka Jokelainen, Siv Klevar, Furio Spano, Frank Seeber
Summary: The role of oocysts in infections is not well studied despite its relevance. Only few diagnostic antigens can differentiate parasite stages. The paper provides an extensive overview of antigens and serological assays for detecting oocyst-driven infections in humans and animals.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Iti Saraav, Luisa Cervantes-Barragan, Philipp Olias, Yong Fu, Qiuling Wang, Leran Wang, Yi Wang, Matthias Mack, Megan T. Baldridge, Thaddeus Stappenbeck, Marco Colonna, L. David Sibley
Summary: Oral infection with Toxoplasma gondii exacerbates damage to the colon caused by chemical irritant and impairs wound healing by suppressing stem cell regeneration. Enhanced tissue damage is due to inflammatory monocytes releasing inflammatory mediators.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Review
Food Science & Technology
Pablo-Jesus Marin-Garcia, Nuria Planas, Lola Llobat
Summary: This article reviews the detection methods, prevalence, and control measures of Toxoplasma gondii in the food industry. T. gondii is a common parasite that causes infection through food contamination, but standardized detection methods are currently lacking in the industry. The main detection methods include bioassays, cell culture, molecular and microscopic techniques, and serological methods. Due to the high prevalence of T. gondii in many food products, standardized detection methods and control measures are necessary.
Article
Immunology
Mohammad Mahdi Jafari, Zahra Azimzadeh Tabrizi, Mohammad Saaid Dayer, Nazanin Atieh Kazemi-Sefat, Mahshid Mohtashamifard, Rahimeh Mohseni, Atefeh Bagheri, Saeed Bahadory, Amir Karimipour-Saryazdi, Fatemeh Ghaffarifar
Summary: Toxoplasma gondii infection is associated with immune response, which can be used as prognosis markers. Immunotherapy has become a new approach for toxoplasmosis treatment.
INTERNATIONAL IMMUNOPHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Parasitology
Jing Zhang, Zhenke Yang, Hangbin Ma, Xiaowei Tian, Jiani Li, Zihang Zhang, Longxin Yang, Mengchuang Feng, Xuefang Mei, Zhenchao Zhang, Xingrui Li, Shuai Wang
Summary: In this study, recombinant T. gondii Calreticulin (rTgCRT) was successfully expressed and used as a subunit vaccine against T. gondii infection in mice. The results showed that rTgCRT can induce strong cellular and humoral immune responses, providing protection against acute and chronic toxoplasmosis.
Article
Immunology
Guilherme de Souza, Samuel Cota Teixeira, Aryani Felixa Fajardo Martinez, Rafaela Jose Silva, Luana Carvalho Luz, Joed Pires de Lima Junior, Alessandra Monteiro Rosini, Natalia Carine Lima dos Santos, Rafael Martins de Oliveira, Marina Paschoalino, Matheus Carvalho Barbosa, Rosiane Nascimento Alves, Angelica Oliveira Gomes, Claudio Vieira da Silva, Eloisa Amalia Vieira Ferro, Bellisa Freitas Barbosa
Summary: In this study, the impact of T. cruzi and recombinant P21 on T. gondii infection was investigated in BeWo cells and human placental explants. The results showed that T. cruzi infection and rP21 can increase the invasion and decrease the intracellular proliferation of T. gondii in BeWo cells. In human placental villi, rP21 can either increase or decrease T. gondii proliferation, while T. cruzi infection increases T. gondii proliferation. These findings highlight the importance of neonatal screening for both diseases and suggest P21 as a potential therapeutic target for Chagas disease.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Parasitology
Jiaofeng Huang, Jiaolong Zheng, Bang Liu, Lingling Lu, Haicong Wu, Su Lin, Dongliang Li
Summary: This study found that Toxoplasma gondii infection is associated with higher mortality in the general population, and this association is related to age and sex. This suggests that Toxoplasma gondii infection may be an important public health issue.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Syrian G. Sanchez, Emilie Bassot, Aude Cerutti, Hoa Mai Nguyen, Amel Aida, Nicolas Blanchard, Sebastien Besteiro
Summary: Toxoplasma gondii is responsible for toxoplasmosis, a disease that can be serious when contracted during pregnancy, but can also be a threat for immunocompromised individuals. The study finds that targeting the apicoplast in bradyzoites, the latent form of the parasite, leads to a loss of long-term viability, suggesting the apicoplast as a potential therapeutic target.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Hira Mohyuddin, Blanca Laffon, Joao P. Teixeira, Solange Costa, Armanda Teixeira-Gomes, Eduardo Pasaro, Niel Constantine, Aline Dagdag, Heidi K. Ortmeyer, Boris Tizenberg, Liubov Afram, Poyu Yen, Christopher Marano, Christopher A. Lowry, Andrew J. Hoisington, Jill A. Rachbeisel, Vanessa Valdiglesias, Carlota Lema-Arranz, Natalia Fernandez-Bertolez, Ana Maseda, Jose C. Millan-Calenti, Elizabeth J. Kovacs, Johanna M. Gostner, Dietmar Fuchs, Lisa A. Brenner, Laura Lorenzo-Lopez, Teodor T. Postolache
Summary: This study revealed an association between Toxoplasma gondii and frailty, but further research is needed for validation. Certain biomarkers related to inflammaging were associated with both Toxoplasma gondii and frailty, but they did not fully mediate the association between the two.
JOURNALS OF GERONTOLOGY SERIES A-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES AND MEDICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Amy C. Schumacher, Lina Elbadawi, Traci DeSalvo, Anne Straily, Daniel Ajzenberg, David Letzer, Ellen Moldenhauer, Tammy L. Handly, Dolores Hill, Marie-Laure Darde, Christelle Pomares, Karine Passebosc-Faure, Kristine Bisgard, Carlos A. Gomez, Cindy Press, Stephanie Smiley, Jose G. Montoya, James J. Kazmierczak
Summary: In 2017, an outbreak of toxoplasmosis was linked to undercooked venison served at a retreat in Wisconsin. Most of the attendees experienced illness, with laboratory results showing atypical features for toxoplasmosis. The strain of T. gondii found in the venison was a unique genotype, highlighting the potential risks of consuming undercooked game meat in North America.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Thais Cabral Monica, Fernanda Evers, Beatriz Souza Lima Nino, Fernanda Pinto-Ferreira, Jose Wander Bregano, Mariana Ragassi Urbano, Guita Rubinsky-Elefant, Roberta Lemos Freire, Italmar Teodorico Navarro, Regina Mitsuka-Bregano
Summary: The study examined the seroprevalence and risk factors of toxoplasmosis and toxocariasis in schoolchildren in Jataizinho, Parana, revealing associations with factors such as the mother's education level, age, presence of cats in the household, income, and presence of dogs. There was also an association between the two zoonoses, highlighting the importance of implementing control measures to reduce the incidence and risks of sequelae in children.
TRANSBOUNDARY AND EMERGING DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ragab M. Fereig, Yoshifumi Nishikawa
Summary: In this study, the cyto-nuclear and mitochondrial localization of TgPrx1 and TgPrx3 proteins in Toxoplasma gondii were revealed. Knocking out TgPrx1 and TgPrx3 genes in T. gondii resulted in decreased survival rate in mice infected with TgPrx3KO strain compared to TgPrx1KO and control strains. Additionally, TgPrx1KO and TgPrx3KO induced high levels of interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) and increased IL-6 and IL-12p40 production in infected mice and murine macrophages. These findings suggest that TgPrx3 may be a potential sub-unit vaccine candidate for controlling toxoplasmosis in susceptible humans and animals.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Lokman Galal, Frederic Ariey, Meriadeg Ar Gouilh, Marie-Laure Darde, Azra Hamidovic, Franck Letourneur, Franck Prugnolle, Aurelien Mercier
Summary: This study analyzes 156 genomes of Toxoplasma gondii and provides estimates of the parasite's mutation rate and generation time. It reveals that a specific haplotype is associated with the spread of the parasite through cats, indicating its role in sexual reproduction.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Rajib Acharjee, Keith K. Talaam, Endah D. Hartuti, Yuichi Matsuo, Takaya Sakura, Bundutidi M. Gloria, Shinya Hidano, Yasutoshi Kido, Mihoko Mori, Kazuro Shiomi, Masakazu Sekijima, Tomoyoshi Nozaki, Kousuke Umeda, Yoshifumi Nishikawa, Shinjiro Hamano, Kiyoshi Kita, Daniel K. Inaoka
Summary: Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite that infects a large portion of the global human population. A new potential drug target, TgMQO, has been identified in this study, and a novel expression system was developed to study its characteristics. Ferulenol, an MQO inhibitor, showed promising inhibitory effects on TgMQO, with distinct binding sites from other known inhibitors.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Parasitology
Abdelbaset E. Abdelbaset, Mostafa F. N. Abushahba, Makoto Igarashi
Summary: This article reviews the epidemiological situation and potential risk factors of Toxoplasma gondii infection in Japan, emphasizing the need for a nationwide investigation of the infection and assessment of its socioeconomic impact.
PARASITOLOGY INTERNATIONAL
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lucyna Holec-Gasior, Bartosz Dominiak-Gorski, Jozef Kur
ANNALS OF AGRICULTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE
(2015)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Dorota Drapala, Lucyna Holec-Gasior, Jozef Kur
DIAGNOSTIC MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE
(2015)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Lucyna Holec-Gasior, Bartlomiej Ferra, Justyna Czechowska, Illia E. Serdiuk, Karol Krzyminski, Jozef Kur
DIAGNOSTIC MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE
(2016)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Lucyna Holec-Gasior, Bartlomiej Ferra, Justyna Czechowska, Illia E. Serdiuk, Karol Krzyminski
DIAGNOSTIC MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE
(2018)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Roman Kotlowski, Lucyna Holec-Gasior
ACTA BIOCHIMICA POLONICA
(2019)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Karolina Tarasiuk, Lucyna Holec-Gasior, Bartlomiej Ferra, Andrzej Rapak
BMC VETERINARY RESEARCH
(2019)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Bartlomiej Tomasz Ferra, Lucyna Holec-Gasior, Justyna Gatkowska, Bozena Dziadek, Katarzyna Dzitko, Weronika Grazlewska, Dariusz Lautenbach
Article
Immunology
Justyna Gatkowska, Katarzyna Dzitko, Bartlomiej Tomasz Ferra, Lucyna Holec-Gasior, Malwina Kawka, Bozena Dziadek
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Lucyna Holec-Gasior, Bartlomiej Ferra, Weronika Grazlewska
Article
Microbiology
Bartlomiej Ferra, Lucyna Holec-Gasior, Justyna Gatkowska, Bozena Dziadek, Katarzyna Dzitko
Review
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Bartlomiej Ferra, Lucyna Holec-Gasior, Weronika Grazlewska
Article
Immunology
Justyna Gatkowska, Katarzyna Dzitko, Bartlomiej Tomasz Ferra, Lucyna Holec-Gasior, Malwina Kawka, Bozena Dziadek
Article
Microbiology
Weronika Grazlewska, Bartlomiej Ferra, Monika Rudzinska, Lucyna Holec-Gasior
Summary: The current diagnosis of Lyme disease relies mostly on two-tiered serologic testing, which may have limitations. New chimeric proteins expressed in E. coli show potential in discriminating between serum samples of Lyme disease patients and healthy individuals. Promising results suggest that these chimeric proteins could be a valuable tool in improving the accuracy of borreliosis diagnosis.
Review
Immunology
Lucyna Holec-Gasior, Karolina Solowinska
Summary: This article discusses the diagnosis issue of Toxoplasma gondii infection, focusing on the IgG avidity test. The test serves as a useful serological indicator for confirming or excluding the active form of toxoplasmosis. Furthermore, the article presents current research topics related to the use of parasite recombinant antigens to improve the performance of IgG avidity tests.
Article
Veterinary Sciences
K. Tarasiuk, G. Wozniakowski, L. Holec-Gasior
POLISH JOURNAL OF VETERINARY SCIENCES
(2015)