American tegumentary leishmaniasis (TL) caused by is characterized by a spectrum of clinical presentations, ranging from localized cutaneous ulcers (CL), mucosal (ML), or disseminated (DL) disease, to a subclinical (SC) asymptomatic form. Current diagnosis based on parasite culture and/or microscopy lacks sensitivity and specificity. Previous studies showed that patients with CL and ML have very high levels of -specific anti-α-Gal antibodies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMosquito physiology and immunity are integral determinants of malaria vector competence. This includes the principal role of hormonal signaling in Anopheles gambiae initiated shortly after blood-feeding, which stimulates immune induction and promotes vitellogenesis through the function of 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E). Previous studies demonstrated that manipulating 20E signaling through the direct injection of 20E or the application of a 20E agonist can significantly impact Plasmodium infection outcomes, reducing oocyst numbers and the potential for malaria transmission.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChagas disease (ChD), caused by the hemoflagellate parasite , affects six to seven million people in Latin America. Lately, it has become an emerging public health concern in nonendemic regions such as North America and Europe. There is no prophylactic or therapeutic vaccine as yet, and current chemotherapy is rather toxic and has limited efficacy in the chronic phase of the disease.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMethods Mol Biol
July 2019
Chagas disease (ChD), caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, affects millions of people worldwide. Chemotherapy is restricted to two drugs, which are partially effective and may cause severe side effects, leading to cessation of treatment in a significant number of patients. Currently, there are no biomarkers to assess therapeutic efficacy of these drugs in the chronic stage.
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