Leishmaniasis of medical importance in Brazil: study of cellular systems and clinical isolates of Leishmania infantum and L. braziliensis and evaluation of vaccine candidates against L. infantum

• Grant number: 18/23302-6
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: February 01, 2019
• End date: January 31, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Parasitology - Protozoology of Parasites
• Principal Investigator: Selma Giorgio
• Grantee: Selma Giorgio
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biologia (IB). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: NAHIARA ESTEVES ZORGI

Abstract

Leishmaniasis are neglected parasitic diseases. These endemic diseases from tropical and subtropical areas have as main prophylactic measures treatment of human patients and the use of insecticides. There are no vaccines for use in humans and drugs exhibited side effects and resistance. There is a great clinical diversity attributed to host factors and parasite inter- and intra-specific variations. This project is divided in three subprojects. The phenotypic profile (infectivity, growth in axenic culture and drugs susceptibility) of clinical isolates from the Campinas SP region will be analyzed after culture, cryopreservation and species identification. In the second subproject the objective is to validate the lesion ex vivo cellular system for Leishmania amazonensis (CD11b+CD14 + F4/80+ CD68 + myeloid cells) developed in our laboratory, testing the efficacy of common antileishmanial drugs. Leishmania infantum suicidal transgenic lines developed in the laboratory are parasites transfected with pCherry-amastine plasmids containing genes of toxic proteins expressed in the amastigotes, and which are toxic after differentiation process. In this subproject we will evaluate humoral and cellular immune responses, hepatic and splenic granulomas patterns in infected and immunized mice. (AU)

Scientific publications

(7)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

ZORGI, NAHIARA ESTEVES; ARRUDA, LEONARDO V.; PALADINE, IZADORA; ROQUE, GUILHERME A. S.; ARAUJO, THALITA F.; BROCCHI, MARCELO; BARRAL, MANOEL; SANCHIZ, AFRICA; MARIA REQUENA, JOSE; ABANADES, DANIEL R.; et al. Leishmania infantum transfected with toxic plasmid induces protection in mice infected with wild type L. infantum or L. amazonensis. Molecular Immunology, v. 127, p. 95-106, NOV 2020. (18/23302-6, 19/06322-6, 15/23767-0, 16/11539-6)

SALAZAR TERREROS, MYRIAM JANETH; VISANI DE LUNA, LUIS AUGUSTO; GIORGIO, SELMA. Evaluation of antileishmanial drugs activities in an ex vivo model of leishmaniasis. Parasitology International, v. 71, p. 163-166, AUG 2019. (18/23302-6)

ARAUJO, THALITA FERNANDA; CALARGA, ALINE PAROLIN; ZORGI, NAHIARA ESTEVES; RANGEL, OSIAS; LEVY, CARLOS EMILIO; GIORGIO, SELMA. Phenotype evaluation of human and canine isolates of Leishmania infantum. COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES, v. 73, DEC 2020. (18/23302-6)

SANCHES ROQUE, GUILHERME AUGUSTO; ZORGI, NAHIARA ESTEVES; SOARES ROCHA, FRANCISCA JANAINA; E SILVA, MARINA FLORO; ARAUJO, THALITA FERNANDA; ABANADES, DANIEL RUIZ; GIORGIO, SELMA. Evaluation of prime and prime-boost immunization strategies in BALB/c mice inoculated with Leishmania infantum transfected with toxic plasmids. Vaccine, v. 40, n. 31, p. 11-pg., 2022-06-15. (18/23302-6)

GALLO-FRANCISCO, PEDRO H.; BROCCHI, MARCELO; GIORGIO, SELMA. eishmania and its relationships with bacteri. FUTURE MICROBIOLOGY, v. 17, n. 3, p. 199-218, JAN 2022. (19/11061-7, 18/23302-6)

ORTIZ MOREA, EDNA GICELA; VASCONCELOS, ELTON JOSE ROSAS; ALVES, CRISTIANE DE SANTIS; GIORGIO, SELMA; MYLER, PETER J.; LANGONI, HELIO; AZZALIN, CLAUS MARIA; NOGUEIRA CANO, MARIA ISABEL. Exploring TERRA during Leishmania major developmental cycle and continuous in vitro passages. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, v. 174, p. 573-586, MAR 31 2021. (19/11496-3, 18/04375-2, 18/23302-6)

FLORO E SILVA, MARINA; ROQUE, GUILHERME AUGUSTO SANCHES; DE ANDRADE MACHADO, DIULLIA; ROCHA, FRANCISCA JANAINA SOARES; GIORGIO, SELMA. Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis replicates in mouse bone marrow. Acta Tropica, v. 230, p. 5-pg., 2022-06-01. (18/23302-6)