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New insight in the fight against the Leishmania parasite
October 26, 2009Professor Albert Descoteaux's team at Centre INRS - Institut Armand-Frappier has gained a better understanding of how the Leishmania donovani parasite manages to outsmart the human immune system and proliferate with impunity, causing visceral leishmaniasis, a chronic infection that is potentially fatal if left untreated. This scientific breakthrough was recently published in PLoS Pathogens.
Some 350 million people live in areas where leishmaniasis can be contracted. Over 90% of cases are reported in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sudan, and Brazil. Leishmaniasis is also found in Mexico and elsewhere in South America. There are no effective vaccines to prevent leishmaniasis, and resistance issues greatly reduce the efficacy of conventional medications.
The parasite, which is transmitted to humans during the blood meal of infected sand flies, is internalized via macrophages in the liver, spleen, and bone marrow. However, this parasite manages to alter the normal phagocytosis process (destruction of foreign bodies), resist this process, replicate itself, and infect other macrophages. This resistance process notably involves blocking the normal acidification process within the macrophage by disrupting membrane fusions.
To date, few studies have attempted to identify the regulators of these membrane fusions and their role in the phagolysosomal biogenesis process (a compartment where pathogenic microorganisms are usually killed). The work by doctoral candidate Adrien Vinet and Professor Descoteaux shed new light on the biology of Leishmania parasites, particularly the molecular mechanisms by which they manage to outsmart the human immune system.
INRS
To date, few studies have attempted to identify the regulators of these membrane fusions and their role in the phagolysosomal biogenesis process (a compartment where pathogenic microorganisms are usually killed). The work by doctoral candidate Adrien Vinet and Professor Descoteaux shed new light on the biology of Leishmania parasites, particularly the molecular mechanisms by which they manage to outsmart the human immune system.
INRS
Leishmaniasis Current Events and Leishmaniasis News RSSPossible help in fight against muscle-wasting disease
A compound already used to treat pneumonia could become a new therapy for an inherited muscular wasting disease, according to researchers at the University of Oregon and the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry in New York.
Pitt, US Army team designs new strategy to find drugs to treat neglected infection
Using an unconventional approach that they designed, University of Pittsburgh drug discoverers and their collaborators at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research have identified compounds that hold promise for treating leishmaniasis, a parasitic infection that many consider one of the world's most overlooked diseases.
What are coral reef services worth? $130,000 to $1.2 million per hectare, per year: experts
Experts concluding the global DIVERSITAS biodiversity conference today in Cape Town described preliminary research revealing jaw-dropping dollar values of the "ecosystem services" of biomes like forests and coral reefs - including food, pollution treatment and climate regulation.
Deadly parasite's rare sexual dalliances may help scientists neutralize it
For years, microbiologist Stephen Beverley, Ph.D., has tried to get the disease-causing parasite Leishmania in the mood for love.
How much is the world spending on neglected disease research and development?
The first comprehensive survey of global spending on neglected disease R&D, published in this week's PLoS Medicine, finds that just over $US 2.5 billion was invested into R&D of new products in 2007, with three diseases-HIV/AIDS, TB, and malaria-receiving nearly 80% of the total.
UIC researchers hunting drugs for devastating parasitic disease
Hundreds of millions of people, mainly in developing countries, are disabled by infectious diseases, according to the World Health Organization.
New role for Natural Killers!
Scientists at the University of York have discovered a new role for a population of white blood cells, which may lead to improved treatments for chronic infections and cancer.
Leishmaniasis parasites evade death by exploiting the immune response to sand fly bites
Cutaneous leishmaniasis, a disease characterized by painful skin ulcers, occurs when the parasite Leishmania major, or a related species, is transmitted to a mammalian host by the bite of an infected sand fly.
Don't blame the trees: Social factors, not forests, dictate disease patterns
A new study published February 6 in the open access journal PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases suggests that socioeconomic factors best explain patterns of the infectious disease American Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (ACL) in Costa Rica.
Improved diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis thanks to new techniques
Dutch researcher Wendy van der Meide has developed and evaluated new techniques for a better diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis and an improved monitoring of its treatment. Accurately establishing the number of parasites in a skin lesion before, during and after treatment is vital, so as to prevent serious physical consequences.
More Leishmaniasis Current Events and Leishmaniasis News Articles
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Trypanosomiasis and Leishmaniasis with Special Reference to Chagas' Disease (Ciba Foundation Symposium) by Katherine, Maeve O'Connor, G. E. W. Wolstenholme, editors Elliott (Author) | |
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Troops on hold as blood donors: risk of leishmaniasis.(Infectious Diseases): An article from: Internal Medicine News by Miriam E. Tucker (Author) This digital document is an article from Internal Medicine News, published by International Medical News Group on January 15, 2004. The length of the article is 374 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser. Citation Details Title: Troops on hold as blood donors: risk of leishmaniasis.(Infectious Diseases) Author: Miriam E. Tucker Publication: Internal Medicine News (Magazine/Journal) Date: January 15, 2004 Publisher: International Medical News Group Volume: 37 Issue: 2 Page: 37(1) Distributed by Thomson... | |
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Leishmaniasis: Webster's Timeline History, 1901 - 2007 by Icon Group International (Author) Webster's bibliographic and event-based timelines are comprehensive in scope, covering virtually all topics, geographic locations and people. They do so from a linguistic point of view, and in the case of this book, the focus is on "Leishmaniasis," including when used in literature (e.g. all authors that might have Leishmaniasis in their name). As such, this book represents the largest compilation of timeline events associated with Leishmaniasis when it is used in proper noun form. Webster's timelines cover bibliographic citations, patented inventions, as well as non-conventional and alternative meanings which capture ambiguities in usage. These furthermore cover all parts of speech (possessive, institutional usage, geographic usage) and contexts, including pop culture, the arts, social... |
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Intralesional injection of 2% zinc sulfate solution in the treatment of acute old world cutaneous leishmaniasis: a randomized, double-blind, controlled ... from: Journal of Drugs in Dermatology by Alireza Firooz (Author), Alireza Khatami (Author), Ali Khamesipour (Author), Mansour Nassiri-Kashani (Author), Fereydoun Behnia (Author), Mohammadali Nilforoushzadeh (Author), Hamidreza Pazoki-Toroudi (Author), Yahya Dowlati (Author) This digital document is an article from Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, published by Journal of Drugs in Dermatology on January 1, 2005. The length of the article is 3748 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser. Citation Details Title: Intralesional injection of 2% zinc sulfate solution in the treatment of acute old world cutaneous leishmaniasis: a randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial. Author: Alireza Firooz Publication: Journal of Drugs in Dermatology (Refereed) Date: January 1, 2005 Publisher: Journal of Drugs in Dermatology Volume: 4 Issue: 1 Page:... | |
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Flebotominos en dos focos endemicos de leishmaniasis visceral americana en el municipio Torres, estado Lara, Venezuela.: An article from: Revista Científica de la Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias by Rafael Bonfante-Garrido (Author), Rafael Urdaneta (Author), Iván Urdaneta (Author), Ricardo Rodríguez (Author), Rosa Perdomo (Author) This digital document is an article from Revista Científica de la Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, published by Thomson Gale on March 1, 2007. The length of the article is 3790 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser. Citation Details Title: Flebotominos en dos focos endemicos de leishmaniasis visceral americana en el municipio Torres, estado Lara, Venezuela. Author: Rafael Bonfante-Garrido Publication: Revista Científica de la Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias (Magazine/Journal) Date: March 1, 2007 Publisher: Thomson Gale Volume: 17 Issue: 2 Page: 173(5) Distributed... | |
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The Official Patient's Sourcebook on Leishmaniasis: A Revised and Updated Directory for the Internet Age by Icon Health Publications (Author) This book has been created for patients who have decided to make education and research an integral part of the treatment process. Although it also gives information useful to doctors, caregivers and other health professionals, it tells patients where and how to look for information covering virtually all topics related to leishmaniasis (also Black fever; Dumdum fever; Kala-azar; Visceral leishmaniasis), from the essentials to the most advanced areas of research. The title of this book includes the word official. This reflects the fact that the sourcebook draws from public, academic, government, and peer-reviewed research. Selected readings from various agencies are reproduced to give you some of the latest official information available to date on leishmaniasis. Given patients'... |
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Trypanosomiasis and Leishmaniasis by G. Hide (Editor), J. C. Mottram (Editor), G. H. Coombs (Editor), P. H. Holmes (Editor) This book provides an up-to-date summary of the advances in the understanding of these diseases that have come about through the use of modern, molecular technologies. |
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Cutaneous leishmaniasis, Sri Lanka.(DISPATCHES): An article from: Emerging Infectious Diseases by Sujeevi S.K. Nawaratna (Author), Danister J. Weilgama (Author), Chandana J. Wijekoon (Author), Manel Dissanayake (Author), Kosala Rajapaksha (Author) This digital document is an article from Emerging Infectious Diseases, published by Thomson Gale on July 1, 2007. The length of the article is 2163 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser. Citation Details Title: Cutaneous leishmaniasis, Sri Lanka.(DISPATCHES) Author: Sujeevi S.K. Nawaratna Publication: Emerging Infectious Diseases (Magazine/Journal) Date: July 1, 2007 Publisher: Thomson Gale Volume: 13 Issue: 7 Page: 1068(3) Distributed by Thomson... | |
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U.S. Soldiers in Iraq may return with leishmaniasis.(News): An article from: Skin & Allergy News by Damian McNamara (Author) This digital document is an article from Skin & Allergy News, published by International Medical News Group on February 1, 2005. The length of the article is 721 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser. Citation Details Title: U.S. Soldiers in Iraq may return with leishmaniasis.(News) Author: Damian McNamara Publication: Skin & Allergy News (Magazine/Journal) Date: February 1, 2005 Publisher: International Medical News Group Volume: 36 Issue: 2 Page: 1(2) Distributed by Thomson... | |
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Leishmania donovani and cutaneous leishmaniasis, Sri Lanka.(DISPATCHES)(Clinical report): An article from: Emerging Infectious Diseases by H.V. Yamuna D. Siriwardana (Author), Harry A. Noyes (Author), Nicholas J. Beeching (Author), Michael L. Chance (Author), Nadira D. Karunaweera (Author), Paul A. Bates (Author) This digital document is an article from Emerging Infectious Diseases, published by Thomson Gale on March 1, 2007. The length of the article is 1974 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser. Citation Details Title: Leishmania donovani and cutaneous leishmaniasis, Sri Lanka.(DISPATCHES)(Clinical report) Author: H.V. Yamuna D. Siriwardana Publication: Emerging Infectious Diseases (Magazine/Journal) Date: March 1, 2007 Publisher: Thomson Gale Volume: 13 Issue: 3 Page: 476(3) Article Type: Clinical report Distributed by Thomson... |
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