Improved serodiagnosis of Trypanosoma vivax infections in cattle reveals high infection rates in the livestock regions of Argentina.

Bovine trypanosomosis, caused by Trypanosoma vivax, currently affects cattle and has a significant economic impact in sub-Saharan Africa and South America. The development of new diagnostic antigens is essential to improve and refine existing methods. Our study evaluated the efficacy of two recombinant antigens in detecting specific antibodies in cattle.

Assessment of a combined treatment with a therapeutic vaccine and benznidazole for the Trypanosoma cruzi chronic infection.

The difficulties encountered in achieving treatments for chronic Chagas disease have promoted the investigation of new therapeutic strategies. In this study, we used two murine models of Trypanosoma cruzi chronic infection to determine the usefulness of applying a therapeutic vaccine alone or followed by benznidazole (Bz) chemotherapy. A vaccine formulation based on an N-terminal fragment of Trans-sialidase (TS) and Immunostimulant Particle Adjuvant (ISPA) - TSNt-ISPA was obtained.

Targeting Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells to Enhance a Trans-Sialidase-Based Vaccine Against .

() is a hemoflagellate protozoan parasite that causes Chagas disease, a neglected tropical disease that affects more than 6 million people around the world, mostly in Latin America. Despite intensive research, there is no vaccine available; therefore, new approaches are needed to further improve vaccine efficacy. It is well established that experimental infection induces a marked immunosuppressed state, which includes notably increases of CD11b+ GR-1+ myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) in the spleen, liver and heart of infected mice.

Different kinetoplast degradation patterns in American Trypanosoma vivax strains: Multiple independent origins or fast evolution?

We analyzed the kinetoplast (mitochondrial genome) of Trypanosoma vivax strains from America and Africa to determine their precise architecture and to understand their adaptive response to mechanical transmission. The use of long-read based assemblies that retain individuality of tandem repeats, without erasing inter-copy variability, allowed us to investigate the evolutionary dynamics of repetitive kinetoplast-DNA. This analysis revealed that repeat elements located in edges of repeat clusters are less active in terms of renewal, whereas internal copies appear to undergo a permanent process of birth-and-death.

Recombinant Mycobacterium bovis BCG is a promising platform to develop vaccines against Trypansoma cruzi infection.

Chagas disease, caused by the hemoflagelate parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, is one of the most prevalent endemic parasitoses, affecting 7-8 million people. Due to the complexity of the infection, no vaccines are available at present. The extraordinary adjuvant capacity of bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) was explored in this work to develop a vaccine candidate to protect against T.