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Papadakos SP, Chatzikalil E, Vakadaris G, Reppas L, Arvanitakis K, Koufakis T, Siakavellas SI, Manolakopoulos S, Germanidis G, Theocharis S. Exploring the Role of GITR/GITRL Signaling: From Liver Disease to Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:2609. [PMID: 39061246 PMCID: PMC11275207 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16142609] [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: 06/12/2024] [Revised: 07/17/2024] [Accepted: 07/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer and presents a continuously growing incidence and high mortality rates worldwide. Besides advances in diagnosis and promising results of pre-clinical studies, established curative therapeutic options for HCC are not currently available. Recent progress in understanding the tumor microenvironment (TME) interactions has turned the scientific interest to immunotherapy, revolutionizing the treatment of patients with advanced HCC. However, the limited number of HCC patients who benefit from current immunotherapeutic options creates the need to explore novel targets associated with improved patient response rates and potentially establish them as a part of novel combinatorial treatment options. Glucocorticoid-induced TNFR-related protein (GITR) belongs to the TNFR superfamily (TNFRSF) and promotes CD8+ and CD4+ effector T-cell function with simultaneous inhibition of Tregs function, when activated by its ligand, GITRL. GITR is currently considered a potential immunotherapy target in various kinds of neoplasms, especially with the concomitant use of programmed cell-death protein-1 (PD-1) blockade. Regarding liver disease, a high GITR expression in liver progenitor cells has been observed, associated with impaired hepatocyte differentiation, and decreased progenitor cell-mediated liver regeneration. Considering real-world data proving its anti-tumor effect and recently published evidence in pre-clinical models proving its involvement in pre-cancerous liver disease, the idea of its inclusion in HCC therapeutic options theoretically arises. In this review, we aim to summarize the current evidence supporting targeting GITR/GITRL signaling as a potential treatment strategy for advanced HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stavros P. Papadakos
- First Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece; (S.P.P.); (E.C.)
| | - Elena Chatzikalil
- First Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece; (S.P.P.); (E.C.)
| | - Georgios Vakadaris
- First Department of Internal Medicine, AHEPA University Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece; (G.V.); (K.A.)
- Basic and Translational Research Unit (BTRU), Special Unit for Biomedical Research and Education (BRESU), Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Lampros Reppas
- 4th Department of Internal Medicine, Attikon University Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, 11527 Athens, Greece;
| | - Konstantinos Arvanitakis
- First Department of Internal Medicine, AHEPA University Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece; (G.V.); (K.A.)
- Basic and Translational Research Unit (BTRU), Special Unit for Biomedical Research and Education (BRESU), Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Theocharis Koufakis
- 2nd Propedeutic Department of Internal Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Hippokration General Hospital, 54642 Thessaloniki, Greece;
| | - Spyros I. Siakavellas
- 2nd Academic Department of Internal Medicine, Liver-GI Unit, General Hospital of Athens “Hippocration”, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 114 Vas. Sofias str, 11527 Athens, Greece; (S.I.S.); (S.M.)
| | - Spilios Manolakopoulos
- 2nd Academic Department of Internal Medicine, Liver-GI Unit, General Hospital of Athens “Hippocration”, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 114 Vas. Sofias str, 11527 Athens, Greece; (S.I.S.); (S.M.)
| | - Georgios Germanidis
- First Department of Internal Medicine, AHEPA University Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece; (G.V.); (K.A.)
- Basic and Translational Research Unit (BTRU), Special Unit for Biomedical Research and Education (BRESU), Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Stamatios Theocharis
- First Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece; (S.P.P.); (E.C.)
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Salgado CL, Corea AFM, Covre LP, Fonseca-Martins AMD, Falqueto A, Guedes HLDM, Rossi-Bergmann B, Gomes DCO. Intranasal delivery of LaAg vaccine improves immunity of aged mice against visceral Leishmaniasis. Acta Trop 2024; 252:107125. [PMID: 38280636 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2024.107125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 01/29/2024]
Abstract
There are no approved vaccines yet for human visceral leishmaniasis (VL), the most severe form of the leishmaniasis clinical manifestations that is fatal in over 95 % of untreated cases. It is well-accepted that immunological changes during aging have deleterious impact on the efficacy of vaccines and response to infections. In this work, we compared the response of young and aged mice to intranasal vaccination with killed Leishmania amazonensis promastigote antigens (LaAg) that were then challenged with L. infantum infection, a species that causes visceral leishmaniasis. Intranasal vaccination with LaAg induced a similar reduction in parasitism and hepatosplenomegaly in both young and aged mice compared to their unvaccinated counterparts. Following infection, there was also a less prominent inflammatory profile particularly in the vaccinated aged group, with lower production of TNF-α and nitrite compared to the respective unvaccinated group. Interestingly, the LaAg intranasal vaccination promoted increased production of IFN-γ that was observed in both young- and aged vaccinated groups. Additionally, CD4+ and CD8+T cells from both vaccinated groups presented decreased expression of the inhibitory receptors PD-1 and KLRG1 compared to their unvaccinated controls. Interestingly, a strong positive correlation was observed between the expression of both inhibitory receptors PD-1 and KLRG1 and parasitism, which was more conspicuous in the unvaccinated-aged mice than in the others. Overall, this study helps define new strategies to improve vaccine effectiveness and provides a perspective for prophylactic alternatives against leishmaniasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caio Loureiro Salgado
- Núcleo de Doenças Infecciosas, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitoria, Brazil
| | | | - Luciana Polaco Covre
- Núcleo de Doenças Infecciosas, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitoria, Brazil; Division of Medicine, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Aloisio Falqueto
- Departamento de Medicina Social, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitoria, Brazil
| | - Herbert Leonel de Matos Guedes
- Instituto de Microbiologia Professor Paulo de Goes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Bartira Rossi-Bergmann
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Daniel Cláudio Oliviera Gomes
- Núcleo de Doenças Infecciosas, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitoria, Brazil; Núcleo de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitoria, Brazil.
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Hernández-Ramírez VI, Estrada-Figueroa LA, Medina Y, Lizarazo-Taborda MR, Toledo-Leyva A, Osorio-Trujillo C, Morales-Mora D, Talamás-Rohana P. A monoclonal antibody against a Leishmania mexicana COX-like enzymatic activity also recognizes similar proteins in different protozoa of clinical importance. Parasitol Res 2023; 122:479-492. [PMID: 36562799 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-022-07746-7] [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: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
In Leishmania mexicana, the protease gp63 has been documented as the protein responsible for cyclooxygenase (COX) activity. The present work aimed to obtain a monoclonal antibody capable of recognizing this protein without blocking the COX-like enzymatic activity. The antibody produced by the selected hybridoma was named D12 mAb. The antigen recognized by the D12 mAb was characterized by the determination of COX activity associated with immune complexes in the presence of exogenous arachidonic acid (AA) using the commercial Activity Assay Abcam kit. LSM-SMS analysis validated the identity of the antigen associated with the D12 mAb as the L. mexicana protease gp63. Confocal microscopy assays with the D12 mAb detected, by cross-recognition, similar proteins in other protozoan parasites. COX-like molecules are located in vesicular structures, homogeneously distributed throughout the cytoplasm in amastigotes (intracellular infectious phase) and promastigotes of L. mexicana, and trophozoites of Entamoeba histolytica, Acanthamoeba castellanii, and Naegleria fowleri. However, in Giardia duodenalis trophozoites, the distribution of the COX-like molecule was also in perinuclear areas. In comparison, in Trypanosoma cruzi trypomastigotes, the distribution was mainly observed in the plasma membrane. Structural analyses of COX-2-like antigens revealed continuous and discontinuous epitopes for B cells, which could be relevant in the cross-reaction of D12 mAb with the analyzed parasites. These results indicate that the D12 mAb against the L. mexicana gp63 also recognizes a COX-like molecule in several protozoan parasites, suggesting that this D12 mAb could potentially be used in combined therapies against infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verónica I Hernández-Ramírez
- Departamento de Infectómica y Patogénesis Molecular, Centro de Investigación y Estudios Avanzados, CINVESTAV-IPN, Ciudad de México, CP, 07360, México
| | - Luis A Estrada-Figueroa
- Instituto Mexicano de la Propiedad Industrial, Arenal Número 550, Primer piso, Pueblo Santa María, Ciudad de México, CP16020, México
| | - Yolanda Medina
- Laboratorio de Anticuerpos Monoclonales Unidad de Desarrollo Tecnológico e Investigación Molecular INDRE, Francisco de P. Miranda 177, Lomas de Plateros, Álvaro Obregón, Ciudad México, CP 01480, México
| | - Mélida R Lizarazo-Taborda
- Programa de Maestría en Microbiología Médica, Departamento de Microbiología y Patología, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Jalisco, México
| | - Alfredo Toledo-Leyva
- Instituto Nacional de Cancerología., Av. San Fernando 22, Belisario Domínguez Secc 16, Tlalpan, Ciudad de México, CP 14080, México
| | - Carlos Osorio-Trujillo
- Departamento de Infectómica y Patogénesis Molecular, Centro de Investigación y Estudios Avanzados, CINVESTAV-IPN, Ciudad de México, CP, 07360, México
| | - Daniel Morales-Mora
- Departamento de Infectómica y Patogénesis Molecular, Centro de Investigación y Estudios Avanzados, CINVESTAV-IPN, Ciudad de México, CP, 07360, México
| | - Patricia Talamás-Rohana
- Departamento de Infectómica y Patogénesis Molecular, Centro de Investigación y Estudios Avanzados, CINVESTAV-IPN, Ciudad de México, CP, 07360, México.
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Keerti, Yadav NK, Joshi S, Ratnapriya S, Sahasrabuddhe AA, Dube A. Combined immunotherapeutic effect of Leishmania-derived recombinant aldolase and Ambisome against experimental visceral leishmaniasis. JOURNAL OF MICROBIOLOGY, IMMUNOLOGY, AND INFECTION = WEI MIAN YU GAN RAN ZA ZHI 2023; 56:163-171. [PMID: 35835687 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmii.2022.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Revised: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Available therapeutics for visceral leishmaniasis (VL), a deadly parasitic infection, are usually associated with inadequate efficacy and adverse aftereffects. Further, the primary site of Leishmania parasite are host macrophages resulting in compromised immunity; ensuing marked T-cell immunosuppression. Such settings emphasize the exploration of chemo-immunotherapeutic strategies for improvising the infected person's immune status with better resolution of infection. METHODS Present work employs the immunization of Leishmania-infected hamsters with Leishmania-derived recombinant aldolase (rLdAld) and enolase (rLdEno) proteins in consort with the sub-optimal dose of Ambisome (2.5 mg/kg). After the completion of immunization, hamsters were sacrificed on day 60 and 90 post infection and different organ samples were collected to perform immunological assay for evaluating the therapeutic efficacy and modulation in protective cellular immune responses. RESULTS Combining these proteins, particularly rLdAld with Ambisome (2.5 mg/kg), has significantly reduced the parasitic load (∼80%) with remarkable enhancement in DTH and lymphoproliferative responses compared to the infected control and only Ambisome treated groups. Moreover, cytokine levels at RNA and protein levels were noticed to be inclined towards Th-1 phenotype through up-regulation of IFN-γ and TNF-α with significant down-regulation in IL-10 and TGF-β expression, an indication towards the generation of protective immunity against experimental VL. CONCLUSION Our experimental findings demonstrated that the chemo-immunotherapeutic approach could be an effective way of controlling human VL infection at minimal dosages of antileishmanial with reduced side-effects and propensity of drug resistance emergence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keerti
- Divisions of Molecular and Structural Biology, CSIR-CDRI, Lucknow 226031, India
| | | | - Sumit Joshi
- Parasitology, CSIR-CD-RI, Lucknow 226031, India
| | - Sneha Ratnapriya
- Divisions of Molecular and Structural Biology, CSIR-CDRI, Lucknow 226031, India
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Saini I, Joshi J, Kaur S. Unwelcome prevalence of leishmaniasis with several other infectious diseases. Int Immunopharmacol 2022; 110:109059. [DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2022.109059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Revised: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Mazire PH, Saha B, Roy A. Immunotherapy for visceral leishmaniasis: A trapeze of balancing counteractive forces. Int Immunopharmacol 2022; 110:108969. [PMID: 35738089 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2022.108969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Revised: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The protozoan parasite Leishmania donovani, residing and replicating within the cells of the monocyte-macrophage (mono-mac) lineage, causes visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in humans. While, Leishmania infantum, is the main causative agent for zoonotic VL, where dogs are the main reservoirs of the disease. The chemotherapy is a serious problem because of restricted repertoire of drugs, drug-resistant parasites, drug-toxicity and the requirement for parenteral administration, which is a problem in resource-starved countries. Moreover, immunocompromised individuals, particularly HIV-1 infected are at higher risk of VL due to impairment in T-helper cell and regulatory cell responses. Furthermore, HIV-VL co-infected patients report poor response to conventional chemotherapy. Recent efforts are therefore directed towards devising both prophylactic and therapeutic immunomodulation. As far as prophylaxis is concerned, although canine vaccines for the disease caused by Leishmania infantum or Leishmania chagasi are available, no vaccine is available for use in humans till date. Therefore, anti-leishmanial immunotherapy triggering or manipulating the host's immune response is gaining momentum during the last two decades. Immunomodulators comprised of small molecules, anti-leishmanial peptides, complex ligands for host receptors, cytokines or their agonists and antibodies have been given trials both in experimental models and in humans. However, the success of immunotherapy in humans remains a far-off target. We, therefore, propose that devising a successful immunotherapy is an act of balancing enhanced beneficial Leishmania-specific responses and deleterious immune activation/hyperinflammation just as the swings in a trapeze.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priyanka H Mazire
- Department of Biotechnology, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Ganeshkhind Road, Pune 411007, India
| | - Bhaskar Saha
- National Centre for Cell Science, Ganeshkhind Road, Pune 411007, India
| | - Amit Roy
- Department of Biotechnology, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Ganeshkhind Road, Pune 411007, India.
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Seth A, Kar S. Host-directed antileishmanial interventions: Harvesting unripe fruits to reach fruition. Int Rev Immunol 2022; 42:217-236. [PMID: 35275772 DOI: 10.1080/08830185.2022.2047670] [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: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is an exemplary paradigm of immune evasion, fraught with the perils of limited clinical assistance, escalating costs of treatment and made worse with the lack of suitable vaccine. While drugs remain central to large-scale disease control, the growing emergence of parasite resistance necessitates the need for combination therapy involving host-directed immunological agents. Also, since prolonged disease progression is associated with strong immune suppression of the host, augmentation of host immunity via restoration of the immunoregulatory circuit involving antigen-presenting cells and T-cells, activation of macrophage function and/or CD4+ T helper 1 cell differentiation may serve as an ideal approach to resolve severe cases of leishmaniasis. As such, therapies that embody a synergistic approach that involve direct killing of the parasite in addition to elevating host immunity are likely to pave the way for widespread elimination of leishmaniasis in the future. With this review, we aim to recapitulate the various immunotherapeutic agents found to hold promise in antileishmanial treatment both in vitro and in vivo. These include parasite-specific antigens, dendritic cell-targeted therapy, recombinant inhibitors of various components intrinsic to immune cell signaling and agonists or antagonists to immune cells and cytokines. We also summarize their abilities to direct therapeutic skewing of the host cell-immune response and review their potential to combat the disease either alone, or as adjunct modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anuradha Seth
- Division of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Susanta Kar
- Division of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, India
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Bustamante C, Muskus C, Ochoa R. Rational computational approaches to predict novel drug candidates against leishmaniasis. ANNUAL REPORTS IN MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.armc.2022.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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Novais FO, Amorim CF, Scott P. Host-Directed Therapies for Cutaneous Leishmaniasis. Front Immunol 2021; 12:660183. [PMID: 33841444 PMCID: PMC8032888 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.660183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Cutaneous leishmaniasis exhibits a wide spectrum of clinical presentations from self-resolving infections to severe chronic disease. Anti-parasitic drugs are often ineffective in the most severe forms of the disease, and in some cases the magnitude of the disease can result from an uncontrolled inflammatory response rather than unrestrained parasite replication. In these patients, host-directed therapies offer a novel approach to improve clinical outcome. Importantly, there are many anti-inflammatory drugs with known safety and efficacy profiles that are currently used for other inflammatory diseases and are readily available to be used for leishmaniasis. However, since leishmaniasis consists of a wide range of clinical entities, mediated by a diverse group of leishmanial species, host-directed therapies will need to be tailored for specific types of leishmaniasis. There is now substantial evidence that host-directed therapies are likely to be beneficial beyond autoimmune diseases and cancer and thus should be an important component in the armamentarium to modulate the severity of cutaneous leishmaniasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda O Novais
- Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Camila Farias Amorim
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Phillip Scott
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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GHAFARIFAR F, MOLAIE S, ABAZARI R, HASAN ZM, FOROUTAN M. Fe3O4@Bio-MOF Nanoparticles Combined with Artemisinin, Glucantime®, or Shark Cartilage Extract on Iranian Strain of Leishmania major (MRHO/IR/75/ER): An In-Vitro and In-Vivo Study. IRANIAN JOURNAL OF PARASITOLOGY 2020; 15:537-548. [PMID: 33884011 PMCID: PMC8039492 DOI: 10.18502/ijpa.v15i4.4859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2020] [Accepted: 04/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In the present study, we examined the effects of Fe3O4@bio-MOF nanoparticle (Nano-FO) plus artemisinin (Art) and glucantime (Glu) or shark cartilage extract (ShCE) on Leishmania major in vitro and in vivo. METHODS This experimental study was conducted at the laboratory of Department of Parasitology, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran during 2016-2017. The promastigote and amastigote assays were performed were conducted at the presence of 3.12-400 μg/mL of the drug combinations. According to in vitro IC50 results, the combinations of 12.5μg/mL Nano-FO with 25 μg/mL Art as well as 200 μg/mL Glu and 0.5 mL of 20 mg/kg of ShCE were used to treat BALB/c mice. During and at the end of the treatment, the lesion sizes were measured. Parasite loads, cytokine levels were evaluated at the end of the treatment. RESULTS The IC50 of Fe3O4@bio-MOF-Artemisinin (Nano-FO/Art), Fe3O4@bio-MOF-Glucantime (Nano-FO/Glu), and Fe3O4@bio-MOF-Shark cartilage extract (Nano-FO/ShCE) on promasitigotes were 12.58±0.12, 235±0.17, and 18.54±0.15, respectively. These results on amastigotes were 10.32±0.01, 187±0.03, and 338±0.07 μg/mL, respectively. The apoptosis percentage of these combinations were 32.54%, 20.59%, and 15.68% in promastigotes and 15.68%, 12.84%, and 3.51% in infected macrophages, respectively with no toxicity on uninfected macrophages. In vivo results showed that the size of lesions significantly decreased against all drugs combinations, but Nano-FO/Art combination with Selectivity Index of 23.62 value was safe, and more effective on healing of lesions than other drugs combinations (P=0.003). CONCLUSION This study suggested that Nano-FO/Art combination can be considered as an anti-leishmania combination therapy in CL induced by L. major.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh GHAFARIFAR
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Soheila MOLAIE
- Arthropod Born Diseases Research Center, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran
| | - Reza ABAZARI
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Zoheir-Mohammad HASAN
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Masoud FOROUTAN
- Faculty of Medical Sciences, Abadan University of Medical Sciences, Abadan, Iran
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Hooft van Huijsduijnen R, Kojima S, Carter D, Okabe H, Sato A, Akahata W, Wells TNC, Katsuno K. Reassessing therapeutic antibodies for neglected and tropical diseases. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2020; 14:e0007860. [PMID: 31999695 PMCID: PMC6991954 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
In the past two decades there has been a significant expansion in the number of new therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that are approved by regulators. The discovery of these new medicines has been driven primarily by new approaches in inflammatory diseases and oncology, especially in immuno-oncology. Other recent successes have included new antibodies for use in viral diseases, including HIV. The perception of very high costs associated with mAbs has led to the assumption that they play no role in prophylaxis for diseases of poverty. However, improvements in antibody-expression yields and manufacturing processes indicate this is a cost-effective option for providing protection from many types of infection that should be revisited. Recent technology developments also indicate that several months of protection could be achieved with a single dose. Moreover, new methods in B cell sorting now enable the systematic identification of high-quality antibodies from humanized mice, or patients. This Review discusses the potential for passive immunization against schistosomiasis, fungal infections, dengue, and other neglected diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Dee Carter
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences and The Marie Bashir Institute, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | | | | - Wataru Akahata
- VLP Therapeutics, Gaithersburg, Maryland, United States of America
| | | | - Kei Katsuno
- Global Health Innovative Technology Fund, Tokyo, Japan
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
- Nagasaki University School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki, Japan
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Guegan H, Ory K, Belaz S, Jan A, Dion S, Legentil L, Manuel C, Lemiègre L, Vives T, Ferrières V, Gangneux JP, Robert-Gangneux F. In vitro and in vivo immunomodulatory properties of octyl-β-D-galactofuranoside during Leishmania donovani infection. Parasit Vectors 2019; 12:600. [PMID: 31870416 PMCID: PMC6929453 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-019-3858-0] [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: 06/26/2019] [Accepted: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The chemotherapeutic arsenal available to treat visceral leishmaniasis is currently limited, in view of many drawbacks such as high cost, toxicity or emerging resistance. New therapeutic strategies are particularly needed to improve the management and the outcome in immunosuppressed patients. The combination of an immunomodulatory drug to a conventional anti-Leishmania treatment is an emerging concept to reverse the immune bias from Th2 to Th1 response to boost healing and prevent relapses. METHODS Here, immunostimulating and leishmanicidal properties of octyl-β-D-galactofuranose (Galf) were assessed in human monocyte-derived macrophages (HM) and in a murine model, after challenge with Leishmania donovani promastigotes. We recorded parasite loads and expression of various cytokines and immune effectors in HM and mouse organs (liver, spleen, bone marrow), following treatment with free (Galf) and liposomal (L-Galf) formulations. RESULTS Both treatments significantly reduced parasite proliferation in HM, as well as liver parasite burden in vivo (Galf, P < 0.05). Consistent with in vitro results, we showed that Galf- and L-Galf-treated mice displayed an enhanced Th1 immune response, particularly in the spleen where pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-12 were significantly overexpressed compared to control group. The hepatic recruitment of myeloid cells was also favored by L-Galf treatment as evidenced by the five-fold increase of myeloperoxidase (MPO) induction, which was associated with a higher number of MPO-positive cells within granulomas. By contrast, the systemic level of various cytokines such as IL-1β, IL-6, IL-17A or IL-27 was drastically reduced at the end of treatment. CONCLUSIONS Overall, these results suggest that Galf could be tested as an adjuvant in combination with current anti-parasitic drugs, to restore an efficient immune response against infection in a model of immunosuppressed mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hélène Guegan
- CHU Rennes, Inserm, EHESP IRSET (Institut de Recherche en Santé Environnement et Travail) - UMR_S 1085, University of Rennes, 35000, Rennes, France
| | - Kevin Ory
- Inserm, EHESP, IRSET (Institut de Recherche en Santé Environnement et Travail) - UMR_S 1085, University of Rennes, 35000, Rennes, France
| | - Sorya Belaz
- CHU Rennes, Inserm, EHESP IRSET (Institut de Recherche en Santé Environnement et Travail) - UMR_S 1085, University of Rennes, 35000, Rennes, France
| | - Aurélien Jan
- Inserm, EHESP, IRSET (Institut de Recherche en Santé Environnement et Travail) - UMR_S 1085, University of Rennes, 35000, Rennes, France
| | - Sarah Dion
- Inserm, EHESP, IRSET (Institut de Recherche en Santé Environnement et Travail) - UMR_S 1085, University of Rennes, 35000, Rennes, France
| | - Laurent Legentil
- Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie, CNRS, UMR 6226, University of Rennes, avenue du Général Leclerc CS 50837, 35708, Rennes cedex 7, France
| | - Christelle Manuel
- Inserm, EHESP, IRSET (Institut de Recherche en Santé Environnement et Travail) - UMR_S 1085, University of Rennes, 35000, Rennes, France
| | - Loïc Lemiègre
- Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie, CNRS, UMR 6226, University of Rennes, avenue du Général Leclerc CS 50837, 35708, Rennes cedex 7, France
| | - Thomas Vives
- Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie, CNRS, UMR 6226, University of Rennes, avenue du Général Leclerc CS 50837, 35708, Rennes cedex 7, France
| | - Vincent Ferrières
- Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie, CNRS, UMR 6226, University of Rennes, avenue du Général Leclerc CS 50837, 35708, Rennes cedex 7, France
| | - Jean-Pierre Gangneux
- CHU Rennes, Inserm, EHESP IRSET (Institut de Recherche en Santé Environnement et Travail) - UMR_S 1085, University of Rennes, 35000, Rennes, France
| | - Florence Robert-Gangneux
- CHU Rennes, Inserm, EHESP IRSET (Institut de Recherche en Santé Environnement et Travail) - UMR_S 1085, University of Rennes, 35000, Rennes, France.
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Sousa JKT, Antinarelli LMR, Mendonça DVC, Lage DP, Tavares GSV, Dias DS, Ribeiro PAF, Ludolf F, Coelho VTS, Oliveira-da-Silva JA, Perin L, Oliveira BA, Alvarenga DF, Chávez-Fumagalli MA, Brandão GC, Nobre V, Pereira GR, Coimbra ES, Coelho EAF. A chloroquinoline derivate presents effective in vitro and in vivo antileishmanial activity against Leishmania species that cause tegumentary and visceral leishmaniasis. Parasitol Int 2019; 73:101966. [PMID: 31362122 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2019.101966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2018] [Revised: 06/27/2019] [Accepted: 07/26/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The identification of new therapeutics to treat leishmaniasis is desirable, since available drugs are toxic and present high cost and/or poor availability. Therefore, the discovery of safer, more effective and selective pharmaceutical options is of utmost importance. Efforts towards the development of new candidates based on molecule analogs with known biological functions have been an interesting and cost-effective strategy. In this context, quinoline derivatives have proven to be effective biological activities against distinct diseases. In the present study, a new chloroquinoline derivate, AM1009, was in vitro tested against two Leishmania species that cause leishmaniasis. The present study analyzed the necessary inhibitory concentration to preclude 50% of the Leishmania promastigotes and axenic amastigotes (EC50 value), as well as the inhibitory concentrations to preclude 50% of the murine macrophages and human red blood cells (CC50 and RBC50 values, respectively). In addition, the treatment of infected macrophages and the inhibition of infection using pre-treated parasites were also investigated, as was the mechanism of action of the molecule in L. amazonensis. To investigate the in vivo therapeutic effect, BALB/c mice were infected with L. amazonensis and later treated with AM1009. Parasitological and immunological parameters were also evaluated. Clioquinol, a known antileishmanial quinoline derivate, and amphotericin B (AmpB), were used as molecule and drug controls, respectively. Results in both in vitro and in vivo experiments showed a better and more selective action of AM1009 to kill the in vitro parasites, as well as in treating infected mice, when compared to results obtained using clioquinol or AmpB. AM1009-treated animals presented significantly lower average lesion diameter and parasite burden in the infected tissue and organs evaluated in this study, as well as a more polarized antileishmanial Th1 immune response and low renal and hepatic toxicity. This result suggests that AM1009 should be considered a possible therapeutic target to be evaluated in future studies for treatment against leishmaniasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica K T Sousa
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 30130-100 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Luciana M R Antinarelli
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 30130-100 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Débora V C Mendonça
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 30130-100 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Daniela P Lage
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 30130-100 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Grasiele S V Tavares
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 30130-100 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Daniel S Dias
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 30130-100 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Patrícia A F Ribeiro
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 30130-100 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Ludolf
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 30130-100 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Vinicio T S Coelho
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 30130-100 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - João A Oliveira-da-Silva
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 30130-100 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Luísa Perin
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 30130-100 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Bianka A Oliveira
- Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais, Departamento de Física e Química, Instituto de Ciências Exatas e Informática, 30535-901 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Denis F Alvarenga
- Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais, Departamento de Física e Química, Instituto de Ciências Exatas e Informática, 30535-901 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Miguel A Chávez-Fumagalli
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 30130-100 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Geraldo C Brandão
- Escola de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, 35400-000 Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Vandack Nobre
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 30130-100 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Guilherme R Pereira
- Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais, Departamento de Física e Química, Instituto de Ciências Exatas e Informática, 30535-901 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Elaine S Coimbra
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Microbiologia e Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, 36036-900 Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Eduardo A F Coelho
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 30130-100 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil; Departamento de Patologia Clínica, COLTEC, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
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Systematic Review of Host-Mediated Activity of Miltefosine in Leishmaniasis through Immunomodulation. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2019; 63:AAC.02507-18. [PMID: 31036692 PMCID: PMC6591591 DOI: 10.1128/aac.02507-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2018] [Accepted: 04/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Host immune responses are pivotal for the successful treatment of the leishmaniases, a spectrum of infections caused by Leishmania parasites. Previous studies speculated that augmenting cytokines associated with a type 1 T-helper cell (Th1) response is necessary to combat severe forms of leishmaniasis, and it has been hypothesized that the antileishmanial drug miltefosine is capable of immunomodulation and induction of Th1 cytokines. Host immune responses are pivotal for the successful treatment of the leishmaniases, a spectrum of infections caused by Leishmania parasites. Previous studies speculated that augmenting cytokines associated with a type 1 T-helper cell (Th1) response is necessary to combat severe forms of leishmaniasis, and it has been hypothesized that the antileishmanial drug miltefosine is capable of immunomodulation and induction of Th1 cytokines. A better understanding of the immunomodulatory effects of miltefosine is central to providing a rationale regarding synergistic mechanisms of activity to combine miltefosine optimally with other conventional and future antileishmanials that are currently under development. Therefore, a systematic literature search was performed to evaluate to what extent and how miltefosine influences the host Th1 response. Miltefosine’s effects observed in both a preclinical and a clinical context associated with immunomodulation in the treatment of leishmaniasis are evaluated in this review. A total of 27 studies were included in the analysis. Based on the current evidence, miltefosine is not only capable of inducing direct parasite killing but also of modulating the host immunity. Our findings suggest that miltefosine-induced activation of Th1 cytokines, particularly represented by increased gamma interferon (IFN-γ) and interleukin 12 (IL-12), is essential to prevail over the Leishmania-driven Th2 response. Differences in miltefosine-induced host-mediated effects between in vitro, ex vivo, animal model, and human studies are further discussed. All things considered, an effective treatment with miltefosine is acquired by enhanced functional Th1 cytokine responses and may further be enhanced in combination with immunostimulatory agents.
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15
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Immunotherapy in clinical canine leishmaniosis: a comparative update. Res Vet Sci 2019; 125:218-226. [PMID: 31280121 DOI: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2019.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2018] [Revised: 05/22/2019] [Accepted: 06/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Leishmaniosis due to Leishmania infantum is a complex infection that can affect both humans and dogs, and present a wide range of clinical signs and clinicopathological abnormalities. The conventional treatment of this disease is challenging due to the fact that complete parasitological cure commonly does not occur. Furthermore, treatment of the disease with the conventionally used drugs has several shortcomings. These include the need for long-term treatment, side effects and the formation of drug resistance. Moreover, it is important to highlight that the host immune responses play a crucial role in the outcome of this infection. For this reason, the use of immunotherapy in clinical leishmaniosis to improve the result of treatment with the conventional anti-leishmanial drugs by enhancing the immune response is imperative. The aim of this review is to provide a comparative overview of the wide range of immunotherapeutical approaches and strategies for the treatment of L. infantum infection in animals focusing on dogs.
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Asad M, Sabur A, Shadab M, Das S, Kamran M, Didwania N, Ali N. EB1-3 Chain of IL-35 Along With TGF-β Synergistically Regulate Anti-leishmanial Immunity. Front Immunol 2019; 10:616. [PMID: 31031744 PMCID: PMC6474326 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.00616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2018] [Accepted: 03/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunosuppression is a characteristic feature of chronic leishmaniasis. The dynamicity and the functional cross talks of host immune responses during Leishmania infection are still not clearly understood. Here we explored the functional aspects of accumulation of immune suppressive cellular and cytokine milieu during the progression of murine visceral leishmaniasis. In addition to IL-10 and TGF-β, investigation on the responses of different subunit chains of IL-12 family revealed a progressive elevation of EBI-3 and p35 chains of IL-35 with Leishmania donovani infection in BALB/c mice. The expansion of CD25 and FoxP3 positive T cells is associated with loss of IFN-γ and TNF-α response in advanced disease. Ex-vivo and in vivo neutralization of TGF-β and EBI-3 suggests a synergism in suppression of host anti-leishmanial immunity. The down-regulation of EBI-3 and TGF-β is crucial for re-activation of JAK-STAT pathway for induction as well as restoration of protective immunity against L. donovani infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Asad
- Infectious Diseases and Immunology Division, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (CSIR-IICB), Kolkata, India
| | - Abdus Sabur
- Infectious Diseases and Immunology Division, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (CSIR-IICB), Kolkata, India
| | - Mohammad Shadab
- Infectious Diseases and Immunology Division, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (CSIR-IICB), Kolkata, India
| | - Sonali Das
- Infectious Diseases and Immunology Division, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (CSIR-IICB), Kolkata, India
| | - Mohd Kamran
- Infectious Diseases and Immunology Division, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (CSIR-IICB), Kolkata, India
| | - Nicky Didwania
- Infectious Diseases and Immunology Division, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (CSIR-IICB), Kolkata, India
| | - Nahid Ali
- Infectious Diseases and Immunology Division, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (CSIR-IICB), Kolkata, India
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Dayakar A, Chandrasekaran S, Kuchipudi SV, Kalangi SK. Cytokines: Key Determinants of Resistance or Disease Progression in Visceral Leishmaniasis: Opportunities for Novel Diagnostics and Immunotherapy. Front Immunol 2019; 10:670. [PMID: 31024534 PMCID: PMC6459942 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.00670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 124] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2018] [Accepted: 03/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease of humans, highly prevalent in parts of the tropics, subtropics, and southern Europe. The disease mainly occurs in three different clinical forms namely cutaneous, mucocutaneous, and visceral leishmaniasis (VL). The VL affects several internal organs and is the deadliest form of the disease. Epidemiology and clinical manifestations of VL are variable based on the vector, parasite (e.g., species, strains, and antigen diversity), host (e.g., genetic background, nutrition, diversity in antigen presentation and immunity) and the environment (e.g., temperature, humidity, and hygiene). Chemotherapy of VL is limited to a few drugs which is expensive and associated with profound toxicity, and could become ineffective due to the parasites developing resistance. Till date, there are no licensed vaccines for humans against leishmaniasis. Recently, immunotherapy has become an attractive strategy as it is cost-effective, causes limited side-effects and do not suffer from the downside of pathogens developing resistance. Among various immunotherapeutic approaches, cytokines (produced by helper T-lymphocytes) based immunotherapy has received great attention especially for drug refractive cases of human VL. Therefore, a comprehensive knowledge on the molecular interactions of immune cells or components and on cytokines interplay in the host defense or pathogenesis is important to determine appropriate immunotherapies for leishmaniasis. Here, we summarized the current understanding of a wide-spectrum of cytokines and their interaction with immune cells that determine the clinical outcome of leishmaniasis. We have also highlighted opportunities for the development of novel diagnostics and intervention therapies for VL.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Suresh V Kuchipudi
- Animal Diagnostic Laboratory, Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Suresh K Kalangi
- Department of Biosciences, School of Sciences, Indrashil University, Mehsana, India
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Ashwin H, Seifert K, Forrester S, Brown N, MacDonald S, James S, Lagos D, Timmis J, Mottram JC, Croft SL, Kaye PM. Tissue and host species-specific transcriptional changes in models of experimental visceral leishmaniasis. Wellcome Open Res 2019; 3:135. [PMID: 30542664 PMCID: PMC6248268 DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.14867.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Human visceral leishmaniasis, caused by infection with Leishmania donovani or L. infantum, is a potentially fatal disease affecting 50,000-90,000 people yearly in 75 disease endemic countries, with more than 20,000 deaths reported. Experimental models of infection play a major role in understanding parasite biology, host-pathogen interaction, disease pathogenesis, and parasite transmission. In addition, they have an essential role in the identification and pre-clinical evaluation of new drugs and vaccines. However, our understanding of these models remains fragmentary. Although the immune response to Leishmania donovani infection in mice has been extensively characterized, transcriptomic analysis capturing the tissue-specific evolution of disease has yet to be reported. Methods: We provide an analysis of the transcriptome of spleen, liver and peripheral blood of BALB/c mice infected with L. donovani. Where possible, we compare our data in murine experimental visceral leishmaniasis with transcriptomic data in the public domain obtained from the study of L. donovani-infected hamsters and patients with human visceral leishmaniasis. Digitised whole slide images showing the histopathology in spleen and liver are made available via a dedicated website, www.leishpathnet.org. Results: Our analysis confirms marked tissue-specific alterations in the transcriptome of infected mice over time and identifies previously unrecognized parallels and differences between murine, hamster and human responses to infection. We show commonality of interferon-regulated genes whilst confirming a greater activation of type 2 immune pathways in infected hamsters compared to mice. Cytokine genes and genes encoding immune checkpoints were markedly tissue specific and dynamic in their expression, and pathways focused on non-immune cells reflected tissue specific immunopathology. Our data also addresses the value of measuring peripheral blood transcriptomics as a potential window into underlying systemic disease. Conclusions: Our transcriptomic data, coupled with histopathologic analysis of the tissue response, provide an additional resource to underpin future mechanistic studies and to guide clinical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen Ashwin
- Centre for Immunology and Infection, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Karin Seifert
- Department of Immunology and Infection, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Sarah Forrester
- Centre for Immunology and Infection, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Najmeeyah Brown
- Centre for Immunology and Infection, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Sandy MacDonald
- Bioscience Technology Facility, Deptartment of Biology, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Sally James
- Bioscience Technology Facility, Deptartment of Biology, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Dimitris Lagos
- Centre for Immunology and Infection, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Jon Timmis
- Dept of Electronic Engineering, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Jeremy C Mottram
- Centre for Immunology and Infection, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Simon L. Croft
- Department of Immunology and Infection, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Paul M. Kaye
- Centre for Immunology and Infection, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK
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Ashwin H, Seifert K, Forrester S, Brown N, MacDonald S, James S, Lagos D, Timmis J, Mottram JC, Croft SL, Kaye PM. Tissue and host species-specific transcriptional changes in models of experimental visceral leishmaniasis. Wellcome Open Res 2018; 3:135. [PMID: 30542664 PMCID: PMC6248268 DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.14867.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Human visceral leishmaniasis, caused by infection with Leishmania donovani or L. infantum, is a potentially fatal disease affecting 50,000-90,000 people yearly in 75 disease endemic countries, with more than 20,000 deaths reported. Experimental models of infection play a major role in understanding parasite biology, host-pathogen interaction, disease pathogenesis, and parasite transmission. In addition, they have an essential role in the identification and pre-clinical evaluation of new drugs and vaccines. However, our understanding of these models remains fragmentary. Although the immune response to Leishmania donovani infection in mice has been extensively characterized, transcriptomic analysis capturing the tissue-specific evolution of disease has yet to be reported. Methods: We provide an analysis of the transcriptome of spleen, liver and peripheral blood of BALB/c mice infected with L. donovani. Where possible, we compare our data in murine experimental visceral leishmaniasis with transcriptomic data in the public domain obtained from the study of L. donovani-infected hamsters and patients with human visceral leishmaniasis. Digitised whole slide images showing the histopathology in spleen and liver are made available via a dedicated website, www.leishpathnet.org. Results: Our analysis confirms marked tissue-specific alterations in the transcriptome of infected mice over time and identifies previously unrecognized parallels and differences between murine, hamster and human responses to infection. We show commonality of interferon-regulated genes whilst confirming a greater activation of type 2 immune pathways in infected hamsters compared to mice. Cytokine genes and genes encoding immune checkpoints were markedly tissue specific and dynamic in their expression, and pathways focused on non-immune cells reflected tissue specific immunopathology. Our data also addresses the value of measuring peripheral blood transcriptomics as a potential window into underlying systemic disease. Conclusions: Our transcriptomic data, coupled with histopathologic analysis of the tissue response, provide an additional resource to underpin future mechanistic studies and to guide clinical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen Ashwin
- Centre for Immunology and Infection, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Karin Seifert
- Department of Immunology and Infection, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Sarah Forrester
- Centre for Immunology and Infection, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Najmeeyah Brown
- Centre for Immunology and Infection, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Sandy MacDonald
- Bioscience Technology Facility, Deptartment of Biology, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Sally James
- Bioscience Technology Facility, Deptartment of Biology, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Dimitris Lagos
- Centre for Immunology and Infection, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Jon Timmis
- Dept of Electronic Engineering, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Jeremy C Mottram
- Centre for Immunology and Infection, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Simon L. Croft
- Department of Immunology and Infection, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Paul M. Kaye
- Centre for Immunology and Infection, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK
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Abstract
INTRODUCTION Parasitic diseases that pose a threat to human life include leishmaniasis - caused by protozoan parasite Leishmania species. Existing drugs have limitations due to deleterious side effects like teratogenicity, high cost and drug resistance. This calls for the need to have an insight into therapeutic aspects of disease. Areas covered: We have identified different drug targets via. molecular, imuunological, metabolic as well as by system biology approaches. We bring these promising drug targets into light so that they can be explored to their maximum. In an effort to bridge the gaps between existing knowledge and prospects of drug discovery, we have compiled interesting studies on drug targets, thereby paving the way for establishment of better therapeutic aspects. Expert opinion: Advancements in technology shed light on many unexplored pathways. Further probing of well established pathways led to the discovery of new drug targets. This review is a comprehensive report on current and emerging drug targets, with emphasis on several metabolic targets, organellar biochemistry, salvage pathways, epigenetics, kinome and more. Identification of new targets can contribute significantly towards strengthening the pipeline for disease elimination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shyam Sundar
- Department of Medicine, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi-221 005, UP, India
| | - Bhawana Singh
- Department of Medicine, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi-221 005, UP, India
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Ribeiro PAF, Dias DS, Lage DP, Costa LE, Martins VT, Tavares GSV, Mendonça DVC, Lima MP, Oliveira JS, Steiner BT, Machado-de-Ávila RA, Roatt BM, Chávez-Fumagalli MA, Menezes-Souza D, Duarte MC, Teixeira AL, Coelho EAF. Evaluation of a Leishmania hypothetical protein administered as DNA vaccine or recombinant protein against Leishmania infantum infection and its immunogenicity in humans. Cell Immunol 2018; 331:67-77. [PMID: 29871740 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellimm.2018.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2018] [Revised: 05/25/2018] [Accepted: 05/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a fatal disease when acute and untreated. The treatment against this disease is long and presents toxicity and/or high costs. Moreover, parasite resistance has been increasing. Therefore, alternative control measures to avoid the spread of disease should be considered. It is accepted that the development of the T helper (Th)1 immune response, based on the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, is required for the control of parasites. Although recombinant protein-based vaccines have been tested against VL, they require supplementation with immune adjuvants. In addition, there is a scarcity of studies that comparatively evaluate the efficacy of the immunogens when administered by different delivery systems in mammalian hosts. In the present study, a Leishmania hypothetical protein, LiHyR, was cloned and evaluated by immunization as a plasmid deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) vaccine or in a recombinant format plus saponin against Leishmania infantum infection. Results showed that both vaccination regimens induced a Th1 cell-based immunity, since high levels of interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), interleukin (IL)-2, IL-12, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) were found, and were associated with the low production of IL-4, IL-10, and anti-parasite immunoglobulin (IgG)1 isotype. In addition, significant reductions in the parasite load were found in the evaluated organs of the DNA LiHyR or rLiHyR/saponin-vaccinated animals. No significant difference was achieved between groups vaccinated with DNA or the recombinant protein. The antigen proved to be also immunogenic in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) collected from healthy subjects and from untreated and treated VL patients. A higher IgG2 isotype was also found in sera samples of these subjects, thus demonstrating its possible use as a human vaccine. This study demonstrates the protective efficacy of a new Leishmania protein against VL, when it is administered as a DNA vaccine or a recombinant protein plus saponin, and points out its use as a human vaccine against disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrícia A F Ribeiro
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Daniel S Dias
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Daniela P Lage
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Lourena E Costa
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Vívian T Martins
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Grasiele S V Tavares
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Débora V C Mendonça
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Mariana P Lima
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Jamil S Oliveira
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Bethina T Steiner
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense, Criciúma, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Ricardo A Machado-de-Ávila
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense, Criciúma, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Bruno M Roatt
- Laboratório de Imunopatologia, Núcleo de Pesquisas em Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Miguel A Chávez-Fumagalli
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Daniel Menezes-Souza
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil; Departamento de Patologia Clínica, COLTEC, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Mariana C Duarte
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil; Departamento de Patologia Clínica, COLTEC, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Antonio L Teixeira
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil; Neuropsychiatry Program, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Eduardo A F Coelho
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil; Departamento de Patologia Clínica, COLTEC, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
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22
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Adriaensen W, Dorlo TPC, Vanham G, Kestens L, Kaye PM, van Griensven J. Immunomodulatory Therapy of Visceral Leishmaniasis in Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Coinfected Patients. Front Immunol 2018; 8:1943. [PMID: 29375567 PMCID: PMC5770372 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.01943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2017] [Accepted: 12/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Patients with visceral leishmaniasis (VL)–human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) coinfection experience increased drug toxicity and treatment failure rates compared to VL patients, with more frequent VL relapse and death. In the era of VL elimination strategies, HIV coinfection is progressively becoming a key challenge, because HIV-coinfected patients respond poorly to conventional VL treatment and play an important role in parasite transmission. With limited chemotherapeutic options and a paucity of novel anti-parasitic drugs, new interventions that target host immunity may offer an effective alternative. In this review, we first summarize current views on how VL immunopathology is significantly affected by HIV coinfection. We then review current clinical and promising preclinical immunomodulatory interventions in the field of VL and discuss how these may operate in the context of a concurrent HIV infection. Caveats are formulated as these interventions may unpredictably impact the delicate balance between boosting of beneficial VL-specific responses and deleterious immune activation/hyperinflammation, activation of latent provirus or increased HIV-susceptibility of target cells. Evidence is lacking to prioritize a target molecule and a more detailed account of the immunological status induced by the coinfection as well as surrogate markers of cure and protection are still required. We do, however, argue that virologically suppressed VL patients with a recovered immune system, in whom effective antiretroviral therapy alone is not able to restore protective immunity, can be considered a relevant target group for an immunomodulatory intervention. Finally, we provide perspectives on the translation of novel theories on synergistic immune cell cross-talk into an effective treatment strategy for VL–HIV-coinfected patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wim Adriaensen
- Unit of HIV and Neglected Tropical Diseases, Department of Clinical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Thomas P C Dorlo
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Guido Vanham
- Unit of Virology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Luc Kestens
- Unit of Immunology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Paul M Kaye
- Centre for Immunology and Infection, Department of Biology, Hull York Medical School, University of York, Heslington, York, United Kingdom
| | - Johan van Griensven
- Unit of HIV and Neglected Tropical Diseases, Department of Clinical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
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23
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Garde E, Ramírez L, Corvo L, Solana JC, Martín ME, González VM, Gómez-Nieto C, Barral A, Barral-Netto M, Requena JM, Iborra S, Soto M. Analysis of the Antigenic and Prophylactic Properties of the Leishmania Translation Initiation Factors eIF2 and eIF2B in Natural and Experimental Leishmaniasis. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2018; 8:112. [PMID: 29675401 PMCID: PMC5895769 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2018.00112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2018] [Accepted: 03/21/2018] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Different members of intracellular protein families are recognized by the immune system of the vertebrate host infected by parasites of the genus Leishmania. Here, we have analyzed the antigenic and immunogenic properties of the Leishmania eIF2 and eIF2B translation initiation factors. An in silico search in Leishmania infantum sequence databases allowed the identification of the genes encoding the α, β, and γ subunits and the α, β, and δ subunits of the putative Leishmania orthologs of the eukaryotic initiation factors F2 (LieIF2) or F2B (LieIF2B), respectively. The antigenicity of these factors was analyzed by ELISA using recombinant versions of the different subunits. Antibodies against the different LieIF2 and LieIF2B subunits were found in the sera from human and canine visceral leishmaniasis patients, and also in the sera from hamsters experimentally infected with L. infantum. In L. infantum (BALB/c) and Leishmania major (BALB/c or C57BL/6) challenged mice, a moderate humoral response against these protein factors was detected. Remarkably, these proteins elicited an IL-10 production by splenocytes derived from infected mice independently of the Leishmania species employed for experimental challenge. When DNA vaccines based on the expression of the LieIF2 or LieIF2B subunit encoding genes were administered in mice, an antigen-specific secretion of IFN-γ and IL-10 cytokines was observed. Furthermore, a partial protection against murine CL development due to L. major infection was generated in the vaccinated mice. Also, in this work we show that the LieIF2α subunit and the LieIF2Bβ and δ subunits have the capacity to stimulate IL-10 secretion by spleen cells from naïve mice. B-lymphocytes were identified as the major producers of this anti-inflammatory cytokine. Taking into account the data found in this study, it may be hypothesized that these proteins act as virulence factors implicated in the induction of humoral responses as well as in the production of the down-regulatory IL-10 cytokine, favoring a pathological outcome. Therefore, these proteins might be considered markers of disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther Garde
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias, Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)-Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura Ramírez
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias, Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)-Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura Corvo
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias, Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)-Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - José C. Solana
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias, Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)-Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - M. Elena Martín
- Departamento de Bioquímica-Investigación, Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
| | - Víctor M. González
- Departamento de Bioquímica-Investigación, Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlos Gómez-Nieto
- Parasitology Unit, LeishmanCeres Laboratory, Veterinary Faculty, University of Extremadura, Cáceres, Spain
| | - Aldina Barral
- Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-FIOCRUZ, Salvador, Brazil
| | - Manoel Barral-Netto
- Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-FIOCRUZ, Salvador, Brazil
| | - José M. Requena
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias, Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)-Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Salvador Iborra
- Immunobiology of Inflammation Laboratory, Department of Vascular Biology and Inflammation, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Health Research Institute (imas12), Ciudad Universitaria, Madrid, Spain
- *Correspondence: Salvador Iborra
| | - Manuel Soto
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias, Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)-Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), Madrid, Spain
- Manuel Soto
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Didwania N, Shadab M, Sabur A, Ali N. Alternative to Chemotherapy-The Unmet Demand against Leishmaniasis. Front Immunol 2017; 8:1779. [PMID: 29312309 PMCID: PMC5742582 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.01779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2017] [Accepted: 11/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a neglected protozoan disease that mainly affects the tropical as well as subtropical countries of the world. The primary option to control the disease still relies on chemotherapy. However, a hindrance to treatments owing to the emergence of drug-resistant parasites, enormous side effects of the drugs, their high cost, and requirement of long course hospitalization has added to the existing problems of leishmaniasis containment program. This review highlights the prospects of immunotherapy and/or immunochemotherapy to address the limitations for current treatment measures for leishmaniasis. In addition to the progress in alternate therapeutic strategies, the possibility and advances in developing preventive measures against the disease have been pointed. The review highlights our recent understandings of the protective immunology that can be exploited to develop an effective vaccine against leishmaniasis. Moreover, an update on the approaches that have evolved over the recent years are predominantly focused to overcome the current challenges in developing immunotherapeutic as well as prophylactic antileishmanial vaccines is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicky Didwania
- Infectious Diseases and Immunology Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata, India
| | - Md Shadab
- Infectious Diseases and Immunology Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata, India
| | - Abdus Sabur
- Infectious Diseases and Immunology Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata, India
| | - Nahid Ali
- Infectious Diseases and Immunology Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata, India
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25
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Kumar R, Chauhan SB, Ng SS, Sundar S, Engwerda CR. Immune Checkpoint Targets for Host-Directed Therapy to Prevent and Treat Leishmaniasis. Front Immunol 2017; 8:1492. [PMID: 29167671 PMCID: PMC5682306 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.01492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2017] [Accepted: 10/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniasis encompasses a group of diseases caused by protozoan parasites belonging to the genus Leishmania. These diseases range from life threatening visceral forms to self-healing cutaneous lesions, and each disease manifestations can progress to complications involving dissemination of parasites to skin or mucosal tissue. A feature of leishmaniasis is the key role host immune responses play in disease outcome. T cells are critical for controlling parasite growth. However, they can also contribute to disease onset and progression. For example, potent regulatory T cell responses can develop that suppress antiparasitic immunity. Alternatively, hyperactivated CD4+ or CD8+ T cells can be generated that cause damage to host tissues. There is no licensed human vaccine and drug treatment options are often limited and problematic. Hence, there is an urgent need for new strategies to improve the efficacy of current vaccine candidates and/or enhance both antiparasitic drug effectiveness and subsequent immunity in treated individuals. Here, we describe our current understanding about host immune responses contributing to disease protection and progression in the various forms of leishmaniasis. We also discuss how this knowledge may be used to develop new strategies for host-directed immune therapy to prevent or treat leishmaniasis. Given the major advances made in immune therapy in the cancer and autoimmune fields in recent years, there are significant opportunities to ride on the back of these successes in the infectious disease domain. Conversely, the rapid progress in our understanding about host immune responses during leishmaniasis is also providing opportunities to develop novel immunotherapy strategies that could have broad applications in diseases characterized by inflammation or immune dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajiv Kumar
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
| | - Shashi Bhushan Chauhan
- Department of Medicine, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
| | - Susanna S. Ng
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Shyam Sundar
- Department of Medicine, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
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A third generation vaccine for human visceral leishmaniasis and post kala azar dermal leishmaniasis: First-in-human trial of ChAd63-KH. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2017; 11:e0005527. [PMID: 28498840 PMCID: PMC5443534 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0005527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2016] [Revised: 05/24/2017] [Accepted: 03/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Visceral leishmaniasis (VL or kala azar) is the most serious form of human leishmaniasis, responsible for over 20,000 deaths annually, and post kala azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) is a stigmatizing skin condition that often occurs in patients after successful treatment for VL. Lack of effective or appropriately targeted cell mediated immunity, including CD8+ T cell responses, underlies the progression of VL and progression to PKDL, and can limit the therapeutic efficacy of anti-leishmanial drugs. Hence, in addition to the need for prophylactic vaccines against leishmaniasis, the development of therapeutic vaccines for use alone or in combined immuno-chemotherapy has been identified as an unmet clinical need. Here, we report the first clinical trial of a third-generation leishmaniasis vaccine, developed intentionally to induce Leishmania-specific CD8+ T cells. METHODS We conducted a first-in-human dose escalation Phase I trial in 20 healthy volunteers to assess the safety, tolerability and immunogenicity of a prime-only adenoviral vaccine for human VL and PKDL. ChAd63-KH is a replication defective simian adenovirus expressing a novel synthetic gene (KH) encoding two Leishmania proteins KMP-11 and HASPB. Uniquely, the latter was engineered to reflect repeat domain polymorphisms and arrangements identified from clinical isolates. We monitored innate immune responses by whole blood RNA-Seq and antigen specific CD8+ T cell responses by IFNγ ELISPOT and intracellular flow cytometry. FINDINGS ChAd63-KH was safe at intramuscular doses of 1x1010 and 7.5x1010 vp. Whole blood transcriptomic profiling indicated that ChAd63-KH induced innate immune responses characterized by an interferon signature and the presence of activated dendritic cells. Broad and quantitatively robust CD8+ T cell responses were induced by vaccination in 100% (20/20) of vaccinated subjects. CONCLUSION The results of this study support the further development of ChAd63-KH as a novel third generation vaccine for VL and PKDL. TRIAL REGISTRATION This clinical trial (LEISH1) was registered at EudraCT (2012-005596-14) and ISRCTN (07766359).
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Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a vector-borne infectious disease caused by multiple Leishmania (L.) species with diverse clinical manifestations. There is currently no vaccine against any form of the disease approved in humans, and chemotherapy is the sole approach for treatment. Unfortunately, treatment options are limited to a small number of drugs, partly due to high cost and significant adverse effects. The other obstacle in leishmaniasis treatment is the potential for drug resistance, which has been observed in multiple endemic countries. Immunotherapy maybe another important avenue for controlling leishmaniasis and could help patients control the disease. There are different approaches for immunotherapy in different infectious diseases, generally with low-cost, limited side-effects and no possibility to developing resistance. In this paper, different immunotherapy approaches as alternatives to routine drug treatment will be reviewed against leishmaniasis.
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28
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Zijlstra EE. The immunology of post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL). Parasit Vectors 2016; 9:464. [PMID: 27553063 PMCID: PMC4995613 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-016-1721-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2016] [Accepted: 07/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) is a common complication of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) caused by Leishmania donovani. Because of its possible role in transmission it is considered a public health problem in VL endemic areas. The clinical features include a skin rash consisting of macules, papules or nodules in an otherwise healthy individual; this presentation is determined by the immune response towards parasites in the skin that probably persisted from the previous VL episode. The immune response in VL, cured VL and PKDL is the result of changes in the cytokine profile that only in part can be captured under the Th1 and Th2 dichotomy. Regulatory T cells and Th 17 cells also play a role. VL is characterized by an absent immune response to Leishmania with a predominantly Th2 type of response with high levels of IL-10; after successful treatment the patient will be immune with in vitro features of a Th1 type of response and in vivo a positive leishmanin skin test. PKDL takes an intermediate position with a dissociation of the immune response between the skin and the viscera, with a Th2 and Th1 type of response, respectively. It is likely that immune responses determine the different epidemiological and clinical characteristics of PKDL in Asia and Africa; various risk factors for PKDL may influence this, such as incomplete and inadequate treatment of VL, parasite resistance and genetic factors. It should be noted that PKDL is a heterogeneous and dynamic condition and patients differ with regard to time of onset after visceral leishmaniasis (VL), chronicity, extent and appearance of the rash including related immune responses, all of which may vary over time. Better understanding of these immune responses may offer opportunities for manipulation including combined chemotherapy and immunotherapy for VL to prevent PKDL from occurring and similarly in the treatment of chronic or treatment resistant PKDL cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduard E Zijlstra
- Rotterdam Centre for Tropical Medicine, Bovenstraat 21, 3077, BB, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
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