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Vergara HD, Gómez CH, Faccini-Martínez ÁA, Herrera AC, López MJ, Camacho C, Muñoz L, Cruz-Saavedra L, Hernández C, Ramírez JD. Acute Chagas Disease Outbreak among Military Personnel, Colombia, 2021. Emerg Infect Dis 2023; 29:1882-1885. [PMID: 37610186 PMCID: PMC10461683 DOI: 10.3201/eid2909.230886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/24/2023] Open
Abstract
We report an acute Chagas disease outbreak among soldiers in Colombia. Trypanosoma cruzi infection was confirmed through parasitology, serology, and molecular methods. Among 9 affected soldiers, 2 died; 7 were hospitalized and received benznidazole treatment, which produced favorable outcomes. Personnel patrolling rural areas in Colombia could be at increased risk for Chagas disease.
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Dadé MM, Daniele M, Reyes-Novelo E, Rodriguez-Vivas RI. Lethal and repellent effect of amitraz, eugenol and thymol against Triatoma infestans, the main vector of Trypanosoma cruzi in the southern of America. MEDICAL AND VETERINARY ENTOMOLOGY 2023; 37:574-580. [PMID: 37052250 DOI: 10.1111/mve.12655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
The lethal and repellent effect of the synthetic insecticide amitraz and the botanical insecticides eugenol and thymol separately and together in binary mixtures was tested against late-stage nymphs of a susceptible strain of Triatoma infestans, the main vector of Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas disease, in the Southern Cone of America. For the lethality study, the LD50 was determined for each insecticide alone and in binary mixture by topical application. The combination index (CI) was established to quantify interactions occurring between the insecticides. The repellent effect was tested using the area preference technique. The lethal effect of amitraz was 11 and 34 times more potent than that of thymol and eugenol, respectively. Only the combination of eugenol and amitraz at high concentrations showed a synergistic effect (CI: 0.3). The repellent activity of monoterpenes after 30 min of exposure was significant at 780 and 78 μg/cm2 for eugenol and thymol, respectively. The residual repellent effect of eugenol lasted for one week at the concentrations of 1170 and 1560 μg/cm2 , whereas thymol managed to retain its repellent effect for two weeks at concentrations of 1560 and 3900 μg/cm2 .
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Affiliation(s)
- Martín M Dadé
- Universidad Nacional Arturo Jauretche, Instituto de Ciencias de la Salud, Florencio Varela, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Sede Alto Valle y Valle Medio, Escuela de Veterinaria y Produccion Agroindustrial, Universidad Nacional de Río Negro, Choele Choel, Rio Negro, Argentina
- Cátedra de Farmacología Básica, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Carrera de Veterinaria, Universidad de Ciencias Empresariales y Sociales (UCES), Cañuelas, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Martin Daniele
- Sede Alto Valle y Valle Medio, Escuela de Veterinaria y Produccion Agroindustrial, Universidad Nacional de Río Negro, Choele Choel, Rio Negro, Argentina
- Carrera de Veterinaria, Universidad de Ciencias Empresariales y Sociales (UCES), Cañuelas, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Enrique Reyes-Novelo
- Centro de Investigaciones Regionales "Dr Hideyo Noguchi", Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Yucatán, Mexico
| | - Roger I Rodriguez-Vivas
- Campus de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Yucatán, Mexico
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Poveda C, Leão AC, Mancino C, Taraballi F, Chen YL, Adhikari R, Villar MJ, Kundu R, Nguyen DM, Versteeg L, Strych U, Hotez PJ, Bottazzi ME, Pollet J, Jones KM. Heterologous mRNA-protein vaccination with Tc24 induces a robust cellular immune response against Trypanosoma cruzi, characterized by an increased level of polyfunctional CD8 + T-cells. CURRENT RESEARCH IN IMMUNOLOGY 2023; 4:100066. [PMID: 37534309 PMCID: PMC10393535 DOI: 10.1016/j.crimmu.2023.100066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Tc24 is a Trypanosoma cruzi-derived flagellar protein that, when formulated with a TLR-4 agonist adjuvant, induces a balanced immune response in mice, elevating IgG2a antibody titers and IFN-γ levels. Furthermore, vaccination with the recombinant Tc24 protein can reduce parasite levels and improve survival during acute infection. Although some mRNA vaccines have been proven to elicit a stronger immune response than some protein vaccines, they have not been used against T. cruzi. This work evaluates the immunogenicity of a heterologous prime/boost vaccination regimen using protein and mRNA-based Tc24 vaccines. Mice (C57BL/6) were vaccinated twice subcutaneously, three weeks apart, with either the Tc24-C4 protein + glucopyranosyl A (GLA)-squalene emulsion, Tc24 mRNA Lipid Nanoparticles, or with heterologous protein/mRNA or mRNA/protein combinations, respectively. Two weeks after the last vaccination, mice were euthanized, spleens were collected to measure antigen-specific T-cell responses, and sera were collected to evaluate IgG titers and isotypes. Heterologous presentation of the Tc24 antigen generated antigen-specific polyfunctional CD8+ T cells, a balanced Th1/Th2/Th17 cytokine profile, and a balanced humoral response with increased serum IgG, IgG1 and IgG2c antibody responses. We conclude that heterologous vaccination using Tc24 mRNA to prime and Tc24-C4 protein to boost induces a broad and robust antigen-specific immune response that was equivalent or superior to two doses of a homologous protein vaccine, the homologous mRNA vaccine and the heterologous Tc24-C4 Protein/mRNA vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Poveda
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ana Carolina Leão
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Chiara Mancino
- Center for Musculoskeletal Regeneration, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, USA
- Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Francesca Taraballi
- Center for Musculoskeletal Regeneration, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, USA
- Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Yi-Lin Chen
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Rakesh Adhikari
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Maria Jose Villar
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Rakhi Kundu
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Duc M. Nguyen
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Leroy Versteeg
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Houston, TX, USA
- Cell Biology and Immunology Group, Wageningen University & Research, the Netherlands
| | - Ulrich Strych
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Peter J. Hotez
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, TX, USA
| | - Maria Elena Bottazzi
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, TX, USA
| | - Jeroen Pollet
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Kathryn M. Jones
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
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Valdés-Soto M, Burgdorf-Moisuk A, Raines J, Connolly M, Allen KE, Lineberry MW, Garner MM. TRYPANOSOMA CRUZI INFECTION IN THREE SLENDER-TAILED MEERKATS ( SURICATA SURICATTA). J Zoo Wildl Med 2023; 54:394-400. [PMID: 37428705 DOI: 10.1638/2022-0060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Trypanosoma cruzi is a protozoan parasite primarily transmitted by triatomine insects (Hemiptera: subfamily Reduviidae) and is the cause of Chagas disease (CD). This report describes three cases of CD in a mob of five slender-tailed meerkats (Suricata suricatta) living in an outdoor exhibit at one zoological institution in Texas. The index case was a 9.5-yr-old female that presented with ataxia, lethargy, and pleural effusion. This case was diagnosed with CD postmortem via cytology, T. cruzi PCR of whole blood and lung fluid, and histology. Blood was opportunistically collected from the remaining four meerkats 28 d after the death of the index case and tested by PCR and serology. The second case was a clinically normal 7.5-yr-old male that tested PCR and antibody positive and the third case was a clinically normal 9-yr-old female that tested PCR positive. The second animal presented depressed, with pneumonia, and with continuous shivering 53 d after blood collection, and clinically improved after treatment with antibiotics and supportive care. Fifteen days later, the animal was found minimally responsive and died shortly thereafter. Histologic examination revealed Trypanosoma sp. amastigotes in the myocardium and the tissue was positive for T. cruzi DNA. The third meerkat, which received two separate courses of benznidazole over a span of almost 2 yr, was monitored routinely by PCR and serology and appeared clinically normal until found dead on exhibit 93 d after completion of the second treatment. Myocardium was positive for T. cruzi DNA. To the authors' knowledge, this case series is the first to document Chagas disease in meerkats and features associated cytologic and histologic findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcela Valdés-Soto
- Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Francisco Villa S/ N Col. Ex Hacienda el Canadá, Escobedo, Nuevo León, México, 66050
| | | | | | | | - Kelly E Allen
- Oklahoma State University's College of Veterinary Medicine, OK 74078, USA
| | - Megan W Lineberry
- Oklahoma State University's College of Veterinary Medicine, OK 74078, USA
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Arrua EC, Hartwig O, Loretz B, Murgia X, Ho DK, Bastiat G, Lehr CM, Salomón CJ. Formulation of benznidazole-lipid nanocapsules: Drug release, permeability, biocompatibility, and stability studies. Int J Pharm 2023:123120. [PMID: 37307960 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2023.123120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Benznidazole, a poorly soluble in water drug, is the first-line medication for the treatment of Chagas disease, but long treatment periods at high dosages cause several adverse effects with insufficient activity in the chronic phase. According to these facts, there is a serious need for novel benznidazole formulations for improving the chemotherapy of Chagas disease. Thus, this work aimed to incorporate benznidazole into lipid nanocapsules for improving its solubility, dissolution rate in different media, and permeability. Lipid nanocapsules were prepared by the phase inversion technique and were fully characterized. Three formulations were obtained with a diameter of 30, 50, and 100 nm and monomodal size distribution with a low polydispersity index and almost neutral zeta potential. Drug encapsulation efficiency was between 83 and 92% and the drug loading was between 0.66 and 1.04%. Loaded formulations were stable under storage for one year at 4 °C. Lipid nanocapsules were found to protect benznidazole in simulated gastric fluid and provide a sustained release platform for the drug in a simulated intestinal fluid containing pancreatic enzymes. The small size and the almost neutral surface charge of these lipid nanocarriers improved their penetration through mucus and such formulations showed a reduced chemical interaction with gastric mucin glycoproteins. LNCs. The incorporation of benznidazole in lipid nanocapsules improved the drug permeability across intestinal epithelium by 10-fold compared with the non-encapsulated drug while the exposure of the cell monolayers to these nanoformulations did not affect the integrity of the epithelium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva C Arrua
- Institute of Chemistry, IQUIR-CONICET, National Council Research, Suipacha 531, 2000 Rosario, Argentina
| | - Olga Hartwig
- Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Saarland University, 66123 Saarbruecken, Germany; Pharmacy Department, Faculty of Pharmaceutical and Biochemical Sciences, National University of Rosario, Suipacha, 531, 2000 Rosario, Argentina
| | - Brigitta Loretz
- Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Saarland University, 66123 Saarbruecken, Germany
| | - Xabier Murgia
- Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Saarland University, 66123 Saarbruecken, Germany
| | - Duy-Khiet Ho
- Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Saarland University, 66123 Saarbruecken, Germany
| | - Guillaume Bastiat
- LUNAM Université, Micro et Nanomédecines Biomimétiques, F-49933, Angers, France and Inserm, U1066 IBS-CHU, 4 rue Larrey, F-49933 Angers Cédex 9, France
| | - Claus-Michael Lehr
- Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Saarland University, 66123 Saarbruecken, Germany; Department of Pharmacy, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbruecken, Germany
| | - Claudio J Salomón
- Institute of Chemistry, IQUIR-CONICET, National Council Research, Suipacha 531, 2000 Rosario, Argentina; Pharmacy Department, Faculty of Pharmaceutical and Biochemical Sciences, National University of Rosario, Suipacha, 531, 2000 Rosario, Argentina.
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Caroli AP, Mansoldo FRP, Cardoso VS, Lage CLS, Carmo FL, Supuran CT, Beatriz Vermelho A. Are patents important indicators of innovation for Chagas disease treatment? Expert Opin Ther Pat 2023; 33:193-209. [PMID: 36786067 DOI: 10.1080/13543776.2023.2176219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/15/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Chagas disease is a neglected, endemic disease in 21 countries, spreading to non-endemic countries too. Like other neglected diseases affecting primarily low- and middle-income countries, low investment and the absence of new chemical entities from the industry occurred. Increased knowledge about the parasite, drug targets, and vector control has been observed, but this was not translated into new drugs. The partnerships of pharmaceutical companies with academies and consolidated networks to increment the new drugs and treatment research in Chagas disease are shown. The current review analyzes in detail the patents dealing with compounds candidates for new drugs and treatment. The patent search was performed using Orbit Intelligence® software in the 2001-2021 period. AREAS COVERED The author focused specifically on patents for the treatment, the new candidates disclosed in the patents, and the barriers to innovation. EXPERT OPINION Patents in Chagas disease have been increasing in the last years, although they do not bring new compounds to an effective treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Pestana Caroli
- Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Institute of Microbiology Paulo de Góes, BIOINOVAR - Biocatalysis, Bioproducts and Bioenergy, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Felipe R P Mansoldo
- Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Institute of Microbiology Paulo de Góes, BIOINOVAR - Biocatalysis, Bioproducts and Bioenergy, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Veronica S Cardoso
- Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Institute of Microbiology Paulo de Góes, BIOINOVAR - Biocatalysis, Bioproducts and Bioenergy, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Celso Luiz Salgueiro Lage
- National Institute of Intellectual Property (INPI), Graduate and Research Division, Rio de Janeiro-RJ, Brazil
| | - Flavia L Carmo
- Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Institute of Microbiology Paulo de Góes, LEMM - Molecular Microbial Ecology Laboratory
| | - Claudiu T Supuran
- NEUROFARBA Department Sezione di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Sesto Fiorentino (Florence), Italy
| | - Alane Beatriz Vermelho
- Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Institute of Microbiology Paulo de Góes, BIOINOVAR - Biocatalysis, Bioproducts and Bioenergy, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Small molecule mediated inhibition of protein cargo recognition by peroxisomal transport receptor PEX5 is toxic to Trypanosoma. Sci Rep 2022; 12:14705. [PMID: 36038611 PMCID: PMC9424529 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-18841-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Trypanosomiases are life-threatening infections of humans and livestock, and novel effective therapeutic approaches are needed. Trypanosoma compartmentalize glycolysis into specialized organelles termed glycosomes. Most of the trypanosomal glycolytic enzymes harbor a peroxisomal targeting signal-1 (PTS1) which is recognized by the soluble receptor PEX5 to facilitate docking and translocation of the cargo into the glycosomal lumen. Given its pivotal role in the glycosomal protein import, the PEX5–PTS1 interaction represents a potential target to inhibit import of glycolytic enzymes and thus kill the parasite. We developed a fluorescence polarization (FP)-based assay for monitoring the PEX5–PTS1 interaction and performed a High Throughput Screening (HTS) campaign to identify small molecule inhibitors of the interaction. Six of the identified hits passed orthogonal selection criteria and were found to inhibit parasite growth in cell culture. Our results validate PEX5 as a target for small molecule inhibitors and provide scaffolds suitable for further pre-clinical development of novel trypanocidal compounds.
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Martínez-Duncker I, Chiodo F, Mora-Montes HM, Vasta GR. Editorial: The Role of Glycans in Infectious Disease. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:921436. [PMID: 35633661 PMCID: PMC9134239 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.921436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Iván Martínez-Duncker
- Laboratorio de Glicobiología Humana y Diagnóstico Molecular, Centro de Investigación en Dinámica Celular, Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias Básicas y Aplicadas, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Cuernavaca, Mexico
- *Correspondence: Iván Martínez-Duncker
| | - Fabrizio Chiodo
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, National Research Council (CNR) Pozzuoli Napoli, Pozzuoli Napoli, Italy
| | - Héctor M. Mora-Montes
- División de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Departamento de Biología, Universidad de Guanajuato, Guanajuato, Mexico
| | - Gerardo R. Vasta
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, UMB and Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Gerardo R. Vasta
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