Publications by authors named "Luana C Luz"

Toxoplasmosis is an alarming public health problem that affects more than one-third of the world's population. In our work, we investigated the antiparasitic effects of catalytically active [BpMP-I and Jararhagin (Jar)] and catalytically inactive [Jararhagin-C (Jar-C)] snake venom metalloproteinases (SVMPs) in human HeLa cells. These toxins impaired the parasite invasion and intracellular growth, and modulated IL-6, IL-8, and MIF cytokines that control the cell susceptibility and response against .

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Neglected tropical diseases caused by helminths such as strongyloidiasis and those caused by protozoa such as toxoplasmosis are public health problems, especially in poorer countries. Considering that helminthic infections can alter susceptibility to other parasites, it is important to study the impact of this interaction in different scenarios/models, such as the maternal-fetal interface. This research aims to evaluate the role of saline extract (SE) of Taenia crassiceps cysticerci during Toxoplasma gondii infection in human villous trophoblastic cells of the BeWo lineage.

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Galectin-3 (Gal-3) is a β-galactoside-binding lectin expressed in cells of the placental microenvironment. This lectin is involved in various biological processes, such as modulation of the immune system and control of parasitic illness. infection can lead to congenital transmission and cause miscarriages, prematurity and fetal anomalies.

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Congenital Chagas disease (CCD) is a worldwide neglected problem with significant treatment limitations. This study aimed to evaluate the potential of Copaifera spp. oleoresins (ORs) against Trypanosoma cruzi infection in trophoblast cells (BeWo lineage) and human chorionic villous explants (HCVE).

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Introduction: is the etiologic agent of toxoplasmosis, a disease that affects about one-third of the human population. Most infected individuals are asymptomatic, but severe cases can occur such as in congenital transmission, which can be aggravated in individuals infected with other pathogens, such as HIV-positive pregnant women. However, it is unknown whether infection by other pathogens, such as , the etiologic agent of Chagas disease, as well as one of its proteins, P21, could aggravate infection.

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Congenital toxoplasmosis, caused by the opportunistic protozoan parasite T. gondii, can cause stillbirths, miscarriages and fetal abnormalities, as well as encephalitis and chorioretinitis in newborns. Available treatment options rely on antiparasitic drugs that have been linked to serious side effects, high toxicity and the development of drug-resistant parasites.

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We evaluated the influence of the Toll-like receptor (TLR)-4 pathways on BeWo, JEG-3 and HTR-8/SVneo cells, as well as in human villous explants infected with Toxoplasma gondii. Cells and explants were stimulated with LPS for 24 or 48 h and processed for the MTT assay, and expression of TLR4 was evaluated by confocal microscopy. In addition, we used peptides that inhibit MyD88 or TRIF, and inhibitor to NF-κB.

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The combination of sulfadiazine and pyrimethamine plus folinic acid is the conventional treatment for congenital toxoplasmosis. However, this classical treatment presents teratogenic effects and bone marrow suppression. In this sense, new therapeutic strategies are necessary to reduce these effects and improve the control of infection.

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