Investigation of the role of rapamicyn in restriction of Leishmania amazonensis replication in macrophages and in vivo.

• Grant number: 16/01794-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: June 01, 2016
• End date: March 31, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Immunology - Cellular Immunology
• Principal Investigator: Dario Simões Zamboni
• Grantee: Natália Carvalho Pellison
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto (FMRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 14/04684-4 - The inflammasome in the host response against intracellular pathogens and the microbial mechanisms for its evasion, AP.TEM

Abstract

Leishmania amazonensis is a Leishmaniasis causative pathogen present in Brazil. This endemic disease is incident mainly in tropical countries, classified by World Health Organization as a tropical neglected disease and is the second major cause of death among parasitic diseases. Nowadays, the available treatments to Leishmaniasis are expensive and long during, offering health risks to the infected ones. The selection of drug resistant parasites is a challenge to the efficient disease treatment. Accordingly, the major aim of this project is to investigate new potential drugs to L. amazonensis replication control. Preliminary results demonstrates that autophagy is important to control Leishmania infection in macrophages. In this context, we will investigate the role of rapamycin activity (autophagy inducer drug with lower toxicity) to control infection in vitro with macrophages and in vivo with mice. Additionally, we aim to investigate other molecules that could synergize with rapamycin during Leishmania infection treatment in mice. The development of this project can support the future development of therapeutic strategies to Leishmania infection.

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

PELLISON, Natália Carvalho. Screening for compounds with leishmanicidal activity in macrophages. 2018. Master's Dissertation - Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto (PCARP/BC) Ribeirão Preto.