Study of immunoprotective capacity induced by infection with "suicide" strains of Leishmania infantum in mice

• Grant number: 16/11539-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: January 01, 2017
• End date: April 21, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Parasitology - Protozoology of Parasites
• Agreement: Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES)
• Principal Investigator: Selma Giorgio
• Grantee: NAHIARA ESTEVES ZORGI
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biologia (IB). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 19/06322-6 - Evaluation of gene products encoded in L. infantum parasites transfected with the plasmids pFL-AMA-AVITOX and pFL-AMA-TRYPTOX after the differentiation process, BE.EP.PD

Abstract

Visceral leishmaniasis, caused by Leishmania infantum, has high morbidity and mortality. Despite the variety of drugs that are available for the treatment of leishmaniasis, most causes serious side effects and are resistant parasites. The immune response in animals and humans to control the infection depends on the development of Th1-type response. There are currently no vaccines available for use in humans, but there are veterinary vaccines. The development of vaccines with attenuated parasites can be an alternative for use in humans. Our group has developed a pFL-AMA plasmid vector expressing amastin protein that is unique to the amastigote stage. When sequences encoding toxic proteins are inserted into the plasmid such as an active form of bovine trypsin or egg avidin, parasites transfected with said plasmid ("suicide" parasite) will die after completing the amastigote differentiation. In this work to evaluate, the infection with "suicide" strains in BALB/c mice confers protection opposite second infection with the wild parasite. Different parasitological and immunological parameters will be studied in order to evaluate the acquired protection. With the results of this study we can develop a vaccine for leishmaniasis model. (AU)

Scientific publications

(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)