The Preclinical Validation of 405 nm Light Parasiticidal Efficacy on in Ex Vivo Platelets in a Rag2 Mouse Model.

Violet-blue light of 405 nm in the visible spectrum at a dose of 270 J/cm alone has been shown to be an effective microbicidal tool for inactivating several bacteria, HIV-1, and in ex vivo plasma and platelets. Unlike chemical- and ultraviolet (UV)-based pathogen inactivation methods for plasma and platelet safety, 405 nm light is shown to be less toxic to host cells at light doses that are microbicidal. In this report, we evaluated the parasiticidal activity of a 405 nm light treatment on platelets spiked with the parasite.

knockout parasites promote M1-polarizing metabolic changes.

Leishmaniasis is a tropical disease prevalent in 90 countries. Presently, there is no approved vaccine for human use. We developed a live attenuated strain as a vaccine candidate that showed excellent efficacy, characterized by reduced Th2 and enhanced Th1 responses in C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice, respectively, compared to wild-type WT infection.

knock-out parasites reprogram tryptophan metabolism to induce a pro-inflammatory response.

Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease that is prevalent in 90 countries, and yet no licensed human vaccine exists against it. Toward control of leishmaniasis, we have developed gene deletion mutant strains () as a live attenuated vaccine, which induces a strong IFN-γ-mediated protection to the host. However, the immune mechanisms of such protection remain to be understood.