In vitro study for evaluating the response of glial cells to Leishmania infantum

• Grant number: 25/24755-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: December 01, 2025
• End date: May 31, 2028
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Pathology
• Principal Investigator: Gisele Fabrino Machado
• Grantee: Giulia Gonçalves Jussiani
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária (FMVA). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araçatuba. Araçatuba , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 25/12390-5 - In vitro study model for evaluating the response of glial cells to Leishmania infantum, AP.R

Abstract

Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) is a neglected tropical disease whose main urban reservoir is the domestic dog. Leishmania infection can affect the central and peripheral nervous systems, crossing the blood-brain and blood-CSF barriers and potentially causing neurological manifestations. Chronic peripheral inflammation may induce neuroinflammation through the activation of microglia and astrocytes, leading to histopathological and gene expression changes in nervous tissue.This project aims to evaluate astrocyte and microglial responses to different Leishmania infantum stimuli (intact parasites, soluble antigens, and conditioned media). IFN-¿ stimulation will serve as a control to mimic peripheral activation observed in patients. Transcriptomic and protein analyses will be used to characterize glial responses and better understand the molecular mechanisms underlying nervous tissue alterations in visceral leishmaniasis. (AU)