Swimming against the current: genetic vaccination against Trypanosoma cruzi infection in mice
AUTOR(ES)
Rodrigues, Mauricio M, Alencar, Bruna C de, Claser, Carla, Tzelepis, Fanny, Silveira, Eduardo L, Haolla, Filipe A, Dominguez, Mariana R, Vasconcelos, José Ronnie
FONTE
Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO
2009-07
RESUMO
Vaccines have had an unquestionable impact on public health during the last century. The most likely reason for the success of vaccines is the robust protective properties of specific antibodies. However, antibodies exert a strong selective pressure and many microorganisms, such as the obligatory intracellular parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, have been selected to survive in their presence. Although the host develops a strong immune response to T. cruzi, they do not clear the infection and instead progress to the chronic phase of the disease. Parasite persistence during the chronic phase of infection is now considered the main factor contributing to the chronic symptoms of the disease. Based on this finding, containment of parasite growth and survival may be one method to avoid the immunopathology of the chronic phase. In this context, vaccinologists have looked over the past 20 years for other immune effector mechanisms that could eliminate these antibody-resistant pathogens. We and others have tested the hypothesis that non-antibody-mediated cellular immune responses (CD4+ Th1 and CD8+ Tc1 cells) to specific parasite antigens/genes expressed by T. cruzi could indeed be used for the purpose of vaccination. This hypothesis was confirmed in different mouse models, indicating a possible path for vaccine development.
Documentos Relacionados
- Vaccination with epimastigotes of different strains of Trypanosoma rangeli protects mice against Trypanosoma cruzi infection
- Pure paraflagellar rod protein protects mice against Trypanosoma cruzi infection.
- Endothelin-1 receptors play a minor role in the protection against acute Trypanosoma cruzi infection in mice
- Immunity against infection with Trypanosoma cruzi in mice correlates with presence of antibodies against three trypomastigote polypeptides.
- Vaccination with Trypomastigote Surface Antigen 1-Encoding Plasmid DNA Confers Protection against Lethal Trypanosoma cruzi Infection