Immunization with -Deficient Does Not Protect against Homologous Challenge.

Immunization with various species lacking induces robust immunity against a homologous and heterologous virulent challenge, making mutants a putative candidate for a leishmaniasis vaccine. Centrin is a calcium-binding cytoskeletal protein involved in centrosome duplication in higher eukaryotes and spp. lacking centrin are unable to replicate and are non-pathogenic.

Serodiagnosis and therapeutic monitoring of New-World tegumentary leishmaniasis using synthetic type-2 glycoinositolphospholipid-based neoglycoproteins.

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.

Immune Response to LinB13, a Lutzomyia Intermedia Salivary Protein Correlates With Disease Severity in Tegumentary Leishmaniasis.

Background: We have previously shown that seropositivity to rLinB-13, a salivary protein from Lutzomyia intermedia, predicted sand fly exposure and was associated with increased risk of developing cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL).

Methods: Here, we investigated the cellular immune response to saliva from Lu. intermedia, using rLinB-13 as a surrogate antigen in naturally exposed individuals presenting positive serology to LinB-13.

Targeted Deletion of Centrin in Using CRISPR-Cas9-Based Editing.

is the main causative agent of Tegumentary Leishmaniasis in the Americas. However, difficulties related to genome manipulation, experimental infection, and parasite growth have so far limited studies with this species. CRISPR-Cas9-based technology has made genome editing more accessible, and here we have successfully employed the LeishGEdit approach to attenuate .

A pilot and open trial to evaluate topical Bacterial Cellulose bio-curatives in the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by L. braziliensis.

The treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in Brazil using pentavalent antimony (Sb) is associated with a high failure rate and long time to heal. Moreover, standard Sb treatment cures only 50-60% of the cases. In this pilot clinical trial, we evaluated the topical use of bacterial cellulose (BC) bio-curatives + Sb in the treatment of CL caused by L.

The Long Pentraxin 3 (PTX3) Suppresses Immunity to Cutaneous Leishmaniasis by Regulating CD4 T Helper Cell Response.

The long pentraxin 3 (PTX3) plays a critical role in inflammation, tissue repair, and wound healing. Here, we show that PTX3 regulates disease pathogenesis in cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL). PTX3 expression increases in skin lesions in patients and mice during CL, with higher expression correlating with severe disease.

Photodynamic inactivation of Leishmania braziliensis doubly sensitized with uroporphyrin and diamino-phthalocyanine activates effector functions of macrophages in vitro.

Photodynamic inactivation of Leishmania has been shown to render them non-viable, but retain their immunological activities. Installation of dual photodynamic mechanisms ensures complete inactivation of species in the Leishmania subgenus, raising the prospect of their safe and effective application as whole-cell vaccines against leishmaniasis. Here, we report the successful extension of this approach to L.

Generation and Characterization of a Dual-Reporter Transgenic Line Expressing eGFP and Luciferase.

In this study, we generated a transgenic strain of , an etiological agent associated with a diversity of clinical manifestations of leishmaniasis ranging from localized cutaneous to mucocutaneous to disseminated disease. Transgenic parasites expressing reporter proteins are valuable tools for studies of parasite biology, host-pathogen interactions, and anti-parasitic drug development. To this end, we constructed an line stably expressing the reporters eGFP and luciferase (eGFP-LUC .

Photodynamic Vaccination of BALB/c Mice for Prophylaxis of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Caused by .

Photosensitizers (PS), like porphyrins and phthalocyanines (PC) are excitable by light to generate cytotoxic singlet oxygen and other reactive oxygen species in the presence of atmospheric O. Photodynamic inactivation of by this means renders them non-viable, but preserves their effective use as vaccines. can be photo-inactivated after PS-sensitization by loading via their endocytic uptake of PC or endogenous induction of transgenic mutants with delta-aminolevulinate (ALA) to accumulate cytosolic uroporphyrin I (URO).

Insecticidal action of sodium anacardate from Brazilian cashew nut shell liquid against Aedes aegypti.

Aedes aegypti is the major vector of 1 of the most concerning arboviruses of the world, the dengue fever. The only effective way of reducing the incidence of dengue fever is to control the vector mosquito, mainly by application of insecticides to its breeding places. This study was aimed at assessing the insecticidal activity of sodium anacardate, isolated from Brazilian cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL), against the eggs, 3rd instars or pupae of Ae.