Heat Labile (LT) and heat-stable (st) toxins produced by Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli: study of a new in vivo model for the evaluation of the neutralizing potential of recombinant antibodies

• Grant number: 17/17213-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: April 01, 2018
• End date: December 31, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Collective Health - Public Health
• Principal Investigator: Roxane Maria Fontes Piazza
• Grantee: Camila Henrique Pinto
• Host Institution: Instituto Butantan. Secretaria da Saúde (São Paulo - Estado). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Escherichia coli enterotoxigenic (ETEC) is the main pathogen involved in cases of Watery Diarrhea, especially in children under five years of age, as well as in cases of Travelers' Diarrhea. ETEC produces two types of enterotoxins, Heat Labile (LT) and Heat-Stable (ST). The methodologies used to monitor these enterotoxins in vivo consist of laborious assays requiring a large number of laboratory animals. In this context, we present zebrafish (Paulistinha) that has been used as an experimental model to elucidate the mechanisms of action of different pathogens and substances, including also bacterial toxins, as well as in neutralization tests of such toxicity by drugs and antibodies. Therefore, the present project aims to study this experimental model to evaluate the neutralizing potential of recombinant antibodies of the Fab type for application in intoxication therapy caused by the enterotoxins LT and ST of ETEC. Thus, this new in vivo model should facilitate several studies of virulence, allowing the mechanism of action of these toxins to be better exploited, these results will certainly contribute to the reduction of socioeconomic impact generated by Diarrhea caused by this pathogen, especially in developing countries. (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)

HENRIQUE, IZABELLA DE MACEDO; SACERDOTI, FLAVIA; FERREIRA, RAISSA LOZZARDO; HENRIQUE, CAMILA; AMARAL, MARIA MARTA; PIAZZA, ROXANE MARIA FONTES; LUZ, DANIELA. herapeutic Antibodies Against Shiga Toxins: Trends and Perspective. FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY, v. 12, FEB 10 2022. (18/24659-5, 19/24276-1, 17/17213-8, 15/17178-2, 13/03160-9, 18/13895-0)

HENRIQUE, CAMILA; PIMENTEL FALCAO, MARIA ALICE; PIMENTA, LUCIANA DE ARAUJO; ALMEIDA MALESKI, ADOLFO LUIS; LIMA, CARLA; MITSUNARI, THAIS; SAMPAIO, SANDRA COCCUZZO; LOPES-FERREIRA, MONICA; FONTES PIAZZA, ROXANE MARIA. Heat-Labile Toxin from Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli Causes Systemic Impairment in Zebrafish Model. TOXINS, v. 13, n. 6, JUN 2021. (13/07467-1, 17/17213-8)