Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Karolina Kot, Natalia Lanocha-Arendarczyk, Michal Ptak, Aleksandra Lanocha, Elzbieta Kalisinska, Danuta Kosik-Bogacka
Summary: This review discusses the biochemical and molecular mechanisms in kidneys infected with protozoan parasites like Leishmania spp., Plasmodium spp., Toxoplasma gondii, and Acanthamoeba spp. Pathomechanisms of Leishmania spp. and Plasmodium spp. infections have been deeply investigated, providing insight into novel treatments, while Toxoplasma gondii and Acanthamoeba spp. infections in the kidneys require further research to understand their mechanisms. Gaps in the pathophysiology of renal toxoplasmosis and acanthamoebiasis are highlighted, indicating the need for more studies in this area.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Immunology
Jing Zhang, Ying Sun, Jingtong Zheng
Summary: Protozoan parasite infection leads to severe diseases in humans and animals, with natural immunity serving as the first line of defense. Extracellular traps (ETs) play a crucial role in immune resistance against various extracellular pathogens, including those induced by protozoan parasite infections. Further research on natural host immunity and understanding the mechanisms of ET formation may contribute to the prevention and treatment of parasitic diseases.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Clinical Neurology
Amy A. Pruitt
Summary: This review article summarizes the epidemiology, clinical presentations, and diagnostic strategies for central nervous system infections in immunocompromised patients, focusing on differences in neuroimaging and CSF abnormalities between immunocompromised and immunocompetent patients. Infections in immunocompromised patients can lead to the emergence of neurotropic antibodies or inflammatory conditions due to cancer immunotherapies. Unbiased metagenomic assays are helpful in identifying obscure pathogens and navigating the range of conditions affecting patients with altered immunity in clinical practice.
CURRENT NEUROLOGY AND NEUROSCIENCE REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Pediatrics
Alistair D. Calder, Giulia Perucca, Sarah May Johnson, Ashwin R. Pandey, Karyn Moshal, Maaike A. Kusters
Summary: Pulmonary infection is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised children. This comprehensive review focuses on imaging findings and imaging-based management of lung infections. It includes an overview of respiratory tract immune defenses, etiologies of immune defects in children, features of specific infections, important differential diagnoses, and diagnostic strategies using imaging and non-imaging techniques.
PEDIATRIC RADIOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Microbiology
Natalia Tiberti, Silvia Stefania Longoni, Valery Combes, Chiara Piubelli
Summary: Blood and tissue protozoan infections pose a significant burden in tropical and subtropical regions, with potential impacts even in high-income countries due to migration and travel. The lack of proper therapeutic interventions and effective vaccine strategies remains a challenge in controlling these diseases, while the pathophysiological mechanisms behind them are still not fully understood. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have garnered interest for their role in modulating interactions between parasites and hosts, offering potential insights for disease mechanisms and diagnostic markers.
Review
Microbiology
Onur Ceylan, Xuenan Xuan, Ferda Sevinc
Summary: Ticks in Turkey pose a significant challenge to animal production due to the endemic parasitic diseases they carry, including theileriosis, babesiosis, hepatozoonosis, cytauxzoonosis, anaplasmosis, and ehrlichiosis. These diseases have a major impact on the economy and animal health, especially for ruminants, and are controlled primarily through treatment and tick control measures.
Article
Dermatology
Duarte Flor, Joana Xara, Sofia Pereira, Sara Brandao, Maria M. Brites, Jose C. Cardoso
Summary: We present a case of a 74-year-old immunosuppressed man with multiple skin lesions on his right upper limb. Histological examination revealed pseudocarcinomatous hyperplasia of the epidermis and a dermal granulomatous suppurative infiltrate with aggregates of Gram-positive microorganisms compatible with a grain-forming infection.
CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL DERMATOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Emile Sylvestre, Michele Prevost, Patrick Smeets, Gertjan Medema, Jean-Baptiste Burnet, Philippe Cantin, Manuela Villion, Caroline Robert, Sarah Dorner
Summary: Appropriately conservative statistical distributions are needed to predict microbial peak events in drinking water sources. Poisson and mixed Poisson distributions were used to model data from 30 drinking water treatment plants, showing small differences in estimates but significant disparities in confidence intervals. Improper model choice may mislead assessment of treatment requirements and health risks.
Review
Parasitology
Dana A. May, Fatima Taha, Matthew A. Child, Sarah E. Ewald
Summary: Protozoan pathogens pose a significant threat to global health, causing high-mortality, acute and chronic diseases. Investigating the interactions between the parasites and their hosts, and understanding the factors that limit infection and promote chronic infection, can provide insights into parasite biology.
TRENDS IN PARASITOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Emanuele Palomba, Arianna Liparoti, Anna Tonizzo, Valeria Castelli, Laura Alagna, Giorgio Bozzi, Riccardo Ungaro, Antonio Muscatello, Andrea Gori, Alessandra Bandera
Summary: This article presents the cases of six patients diagnosed with nocardiosis, discussing the predisposing conditions, clinical manifestation, diagnostic workup, and treatment course. It also provides a brief literature review on Nocardia infections in immunocompromised hosts, focusing on solid-organ transplant recipients and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation recipients, and highlighting risk factors, clinical presentations, diagnostic tools, as well as current treatment and prophylaxis guidelines.
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Silvia Stefania Longoni, Natalia Tiberti, Zeno Bisoffi, Chiara Piubelli
Summary: This article discusses the research progress in using mAbs for infectious disease treatment, focusing on the potential strengths and weaknesses of biological treatments in controlling protozoan diseases such as leishmaniasis, Chagas disease, malaria, and toxoplasmosis. Currently, only four mAbs are being used for infectious disease treatment, while protozoan infections remain a neglected area.
FRONTIERS IN MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Alfredo Juarez-Saldivar, Nuria E. Campillo, Eyra Ortiz-Perez, Alma D. Paz-Gonzalez, Emma Saavedra, Gildardo Rivera
Summary: In this study, three ontology-based approaches were used to compare the proteomes of five species of protozoa, leading to the identification of 12 potential drug targets for the development of new broad-spectrum antiprotozoal drugs.
MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Karima Al-Akioui Sanz, Carlos Echecopar Parente, Cristina Ferreras, Marta Menendez Ribes, Alfonso Navarro, Carmen Mestre, Laura Clares, Jose Luis Vicario, Antonio Balas, Raquel De Paz, Eduardo Lopez Granados, Elena Sanchez Zapardiel, Carlos Jimenez, Maria Lopez-Oliva, Esther Ramos, Francisco Hernandez-Oliveros, Antonio Perez-Martinez
Summary: Immunocompromised patients are susceptible to high-risk opportunistic infections and malignant diseases. Transfer of pathogen-specific memory T-cells has shown effectiveness in treating infections, but regulatory issues, high cost, and absence of public cell banks limit its use. CD45RA(-) cells containing memory T-cells offer a cheaper and safer alternative. Preliminary data from six patients showed that infusions of CD45RA(-) cells led to pathogen clearance, symptom resolution, and increased lymphocyte count.
FRONTIERS IN MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Transplantation
Martin Windpessl, Myrto Kostopoulou, Richard Conway, Ilay Berke, Annette Bruchfeld, Maria Jose Soler, Martina Sester, Andreas Kronbichler
Summary: The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted our limited understanding of infectious complications and strategies to mitigate severe infections in patients with glomerular diseases. This review provides an overview of six different infectious complications commonly encountered in these patients and focuses on recent advancements in vaccine development and specific antimicrobial prophylaxis.
NEPHROLOGY DIALYSIS TRANSPLANTATION
(2023)
Article
Pediatrics
Laura Olivier-Gougenheim, Nicolas Rama, Damien Dupont, Paul Saultier, Guy Leverger, Wadih AbouChahla, Catherine Paillard, Virginie Gandemer, Alexandre Theron, Claire Freycon, Claire Pluchart, Pascale Blouin, Isabelle Pellier, Sandrine Thouvenin-Doulet, Claire Desplantes, Stephane Ducassou, Caroline Oudot, Jeremie Rouger-Gaudichon, Nathalie Cheikh, Maryline Poiree, Pascale Schneider, Genevieve Plat, Audrey Contet, Fanny Rialland, Elodie Gouache, Benoit Brethon, Yves Bertrand, Carine Domenech
Summary: The study provides a national overview of epidemiology and management of invasive fungal infections in severely immunocompromised children treated for acute leukemia or allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in France. Emergent fungi and antifungal resistance are important factors to consider in IFI management in this population.
JOURNAL OF PEDIATRICS
(2021)
Article
Parasitology
John Ellis, Joel Barratt, Alexa Kaufer, Lauren Pearn, Brigette Armstrong, Michael Johnson, Yasunori Park, Lara Downey, Maisie Cao, Levina Neill, Rogan Lee, Bethany Ellis, Kevin Tyler, Zhao-Rong Lun, Damien Stark
Summary: Through PCR and deep amplicon sequencing, it was found that Chtonobdella bilineata leeches carry up to five lineages of Trypanosoma sp., closely related to T. cyclops; blood-meal analysis revealed that these leeches primarily feed on blood from swamp wallabies, humans, or horses; the study suggests that Trypanosoma cyclops australiensis can be considered a subspecies of T. cyclops based on genetic similarity and biogeography considerations.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Brooke Clemons, Joel Barratt, Meredith Lane, Yvonne Qvarnstrom, Allen E. Teal, Greicy Zayas, Susan Madison-Antenucci
Summary: For complex clinical cases where a parasitic infection is suspected, it can be difficult for clinicians to recommend an appropriate laboratory test. However, a recently described assay called universal parasite diagnostic (UPDx) has shown promise for the detection of various blood parasites, with results largely concordant to real-time PCR assays. This suggests that as next-generation sequencing (NGS) becomes more affordable, assays like UPDx can become increasingly useful in clinical settings.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF TROPICAL MEDICINE AND HYGIENE
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Joel Barratt, Lauren Ahart, Marion Rice, Katelyn Houghton, Travis Richins, Vitaliano Cama, Michael Arrowood, Yvonne Qvarnstrom, Anne Straily
Summary: The CDC's developed Cyclosporagenotyping method was used to investigate cyclosporiasis outbreaks in 2020, detecting clusters related to the largest outbreak. Opportunities for improving the tool were also highlighted. Cyclosporiasis, caused by the foodborne parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis, has been increasing in the US, leading to the development of genotyping tools. The recently developed Cyclospora genotyping system showed good performance in epidemiologic investigations, but there is potential for enhancing cluster detection by including additional markers.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Parasitology
Tsung Yu Pai, Wieland Meyer, Fraser R. Torpy, Shannon L. Donahoe, John Ellis, Richard Malik, Rogan Lee
Summary: This study investigates the transmission dynamics of Angiostrongylus cantonensis, a parasitic nematode, focusing on the migration and distribution of larvae within the snail host. The results show that infective larvae are mainly distributed in the anterior cephalopedal mass and the mantle skirt of the snail. Additionally, the study finds that free-swimming third-stage larvae can retain viability for 4 to 8 weeks under laboratory conditions.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
David Jacobson, Yueli Zheng, Mateusz M. Plucinski, Yvonne Qvarnstrom, Joel L. N. Barratt
Summary: Multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) is widely used to investigate genetic relationships among eukaryotic taxa. Alignment-based phylogenetic methods have some limitations, and haplotype-based methods may be an alternative. This study evaluated seven distance statistics and found that Barratt's heuristic definition of genetic distance was the most robust. Barratt's heuristic represents a useful approach for challenging MLST datasets.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Stephen J. Goodswen, Paul J. Kennedy, John T. Ellis
Summary: The article discusses the significant impact of parasitic infections as a top cause of death in low-income countries. It emphasizes the importance of vaccination as an effective tool to prevent infectious diseases and highlights the potential of immunogenic proteins sourced from disease-causing parasites as vaccine components. The study aims to identify parasite proteins that induce a protective response in animal models using machine learning and natural language processing.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Editorial Material
Parasitology
J. R. Stothard, J. T. Ellis
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Ineka Gow, Nicholas Smith, Damien Stark, John Ellis
Summary: Neglected tropical diseases, such as leishmaniasis, disproportionately affect people in poorer nations around the world. Molecular detection provides accurate and fast diagnosis, and advancements in technology have made it accessible in various healthcare settings. Overcoming traditional limitations, new technologies and techniques are ensuring that molecular diagnostics are available to resource-limited nations. The current pandemic presents an opportunity to further progress in this field.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF TROPICAL MEDICINE AND HYGIENE
(2023)
Review
Parasitology
Ineka Gow, Nicholas C. Smith, Damien Stark, John Ellis
Summary: Leishmania infections pose a significant health issue, primarily affecting impoverished regions. Research on accurate diagnosis and prevention using molecular methods like polymerase chain reaction is of great importance.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2022)
Article
Parasitology
Joel Leonard Nicholas Barratt, John Shen, Katelyn Houghton, Travis Richins, Sarah G. H. Sapp, Vitaliano Cama, Michael J. Arrowood, Anne Straily, Yvonne Qvarnstrom
Summary: A study on the genotypes of Cyclospora cayetanensis in the United States and China revealed two lineages, A and B, and discovered a new lineage in China, named lineage C. Retrospective analysis of epidemiological data also showed associations between different lineages and the geographic distribution and timing of infections.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Stephen J. Goodswen, Paul J. Kennedy, John T. Ellis
Summary: Discovering vaccines against eukaryotic parasites, especially subunit vaccines, is challenging. In silico vaccine discovery, which predicts vaccine candidates using computer algorithms, is a promising approach but lacks standardized guidelines. This study integrates knowledge on protozoan parasites to develop a workflow representing a state-of-the-art approach.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Meredith Lane, Mitra Kashani, Joel LN. Barratt, Yvonne Qvarnstrom, Michael J. Yabsley, Kayla B. Garrett, Richard S. Bradbury
Summary: This study evaluated the efficacy of nUPDx in detecting parasitic infections in animals. nUPDx was able to detect parasitic infections in various animal samples, and identified co-infections that were not detected by other methods.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-PARASITES AND WILDLIFE
(2023)
Review
Immunology
L. A. de Couvreur, M. J. Cobo, P. J. Kennedy, J. T. Ellis
Summary: This study provides a comprehensive analysis of parasite vaccinology using bibliometric tools, revealing the research themes and future directions in this field.
Review
Microbiology
Stephen J. Goodswen, Paul J. Kennedy, John T. Ellis
Summary: Reverse vaccinology is a computational approach to predict vaccine candidates by starting from the pathogen's genomic sequence and ending with a list of potential proteins or peptides. This process has evolved over the years and now involves multiple steps and numerous bioinformatics tools. It can be challenging for new practitioners to determine the appropriate workflow steps and tools. This review provides an overview of the current understanding and usage of reverse vaccinology, serving as a valuable guideline for researchers in the field.
FEMS MICROBIOLOGY REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Parasitology
John T. Ellis, Michael P. Reichel
Summary: This study explored the use of Twitter as the main platform for social media communication in parasitology. A dataset of tweets was collected using keyword searches, and exploratory data analysis was conducted on tweet content, including language, usernames, and hashtags. The study found an increase in the number of tweets mentioning parasitology keywords from 2011 to 2020, with English as the most commonly used language. Various individuals and organizations were associated with Twitter activity, including journals and professional societies. The study also raised concerns about the quality of information disseminated by social media influencers who may lack scientific training.
CURRENT RESEARCH IN PARASITOLOGY & VECTOR-BORNE DISEASES
(2023)