| Grant number: | 18/13283-4 |
| Support Opportunities: | Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate |
| Start date: | November 01, 2018 |
| End date: | October 31, 2022 |
| Field of knowledge: | Biological Sciences - Biochemistry - Chemistry of Macromolecules |
| Principal Investigator: | Giuseppe Palmisano |
| Grantee: | Gilberto Santos de Oliveira |
| Host Institution: | Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil |
| Associated research grant: | 14/06863-3 - Post-translational modifications in cancer and parasite infection diagnosis: methodological approaches and biological implications, AP.JP |
Abstract Discovered and characterized in 1909 by Carlos Chagas, Trypanosoma cruzi is the etiologic agent of Chagas' disease. During the chronic phase of Chagas' disease, where parasitemia is low, the diagnosis is based on the search for antibodies against T. cruzi antigens in the blood. To increase the certainty of the result, is recommended two serological methods (usually ELISA, Indirect Immunofluorescence or Indirect Hemagglutination) for diagnostic confirmation. Although the aforementioned assays are widely used, none of them has sufficient specificity to define the diagnosis alone, especially in patients from regions where there is geographical overlap with other parasites, especially of the genus Leishmania or T. rangeli. An interesting alternative that was raised by some authors in the 1980s is the use of molecules of diagnostic interest (antibodies, antigens or immunomplexes) in the patients' urine. During the last years techniques of proteomics have been applied to many fields of Medicine. One of the applications is Nephrology for the better understanding of renal physiology, to explore the completeness of disease mechanisms and identify new biomarkers. Moreover, most of the proteins in the urine are glycosylated. Their properties are unique, making them an important source of biomarkers. In general, perceived that despite significant advances in diagnostic methods for the detection of T. cruzi infection, there are some gaps that need to be filled. The fact that conventional IgG antibody serology will remain positive over the life of the patient, despite the persistence of the humoral immune response, is a limitation, since it does not allow a reliable criterion of cure. On the other hand, the lack of a reliable system to follow the evolution of the treatment generates serious limitations to evaluate the performance of new treatment protocols with existing drugs or new drugs. Due to these limitations, we propose to develop new methods of diagnosis based on mass spectrometry for the detection of T. cruzi infection using urine as a source of biomarkers. (AU) | |
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