Articles tagged with Leishmania
Tom Beneke, a molecular biologist, has received an ERC Starting Grant to study Leishmania parasites' drug resistance. He aims to unravel the genetics of the pathogens and identify key factors contributing to treatment failure.
Researchers have discovered that Leishmania parasites do not move through their hosts' bodies on their own, but instead embed themselves in phagocytes and manipulate immune cell migration. This manipulation is species-specific and depends on variations in individual genes.
Researchers have identified a new pathway for ergosterol biosynthesis in Leishmania parasites, paving the way for more effective antiparasitic drugs. The discovery reveals that azole antifungals targeting a specific enzyme can be highly effective against leishmaniasis.
Researchers discuss the potential of genetically modified Leishmania vaccines to provide protection against wild-type parasites, highlighting advances in CRISPR/Cas9 technology. However, limitations and lack of success in previous attempts underscore the need for further assessment.
Researchers found a Leishmania amazonensis strain resistant to amphotericin B, a widely used treatment for cutaneous leishmaniasis. The study highlights the urgent need for alternative drugs to combat the disease, which affects over 15,000 people in Brazil annually.
A team of IBEC and ISGlobal scientists developed an innovative compound effective against both malaria and leishmaniasis. The compound, YAT2150, was originally designed as an antimalarial drug but showed high efficacy against leishmaniasis, making it a promising candidate for treating co-infections.
Researchers at UCalgary have found that Leishmania parasites exploit immune cells by targeting receptors to gain access and resist elimination, leading to stalled apoptosis and hindered vaccination efforts.
The study found that drug-resistant Leishmania parasites have distinct protein production profiles compared to sensitive parasites, suggesting a global reprogramming of protein synthesis. This pre-emptive adaptation enables the parasite to quickly respond to the presence of the drug and survive when it is absent.
A new study at the University of Helsinki reveals how the actin cytoskeleton in cells is controlled in an evolutionarily distant Leishmania parasite. The findings provide tools to combat leishmaniasis and trypanosomiasis by exploiting structural differences between parasite and human actins.
Researchers have developed a vaccine using CRISPR technology to protect against Leishmania mexicana, a parasite causing cutaneous leishmaniasis in the Americas. The vaccine is safe and effective in mice, preventing skin lesions and infection for over 10 weeks.
Researchers from Ethiopia and Germany identified a traditional African medicinal plant that alleviates malaria symptoms in infected mice. The plant extract's active compound, anemonin, shows promise in treating the disease.
Researchers discovered the Leishmania parasite's arsenal to affect cellular defense and enhance leishmaniasis, using autophagy to block caspase-11. The findings shed light on a key mechanism involved in other diseases and may lead to novel treatments for leishmaniasis.
Researchers found that dogs infected with Leishmania parasites have a more attractive odor to female sand flies than uninfected dogs. This increased attractiveness could lead to enhanced infection and transmission opportunities for the parasite.
A £2.3 million project will study the Leishmania parasite, which causes leishmaniasis and affects some of the world's poorest communities. The research aims to understand how humans are infected and how the disease spreads, potentially leading to more effective treatments.
Researchers found that Leishmania parasites protect themselves from starvation by making an unusual carbohydrate reserve called mannogen, which enables their survival within human hosts. This discovery provides a new understanding of the parasite's metabolism and could lead to the development of new therapies for Leishmaniasis.
Visceral leishmaniasis has expanded to Central-Southern Brazil through three dispersion routes: Bolivia-Brazil gas pipeline, Paraguay, and western Santa Catarina State. The study highlights the lack of joint policies with neighboring countries as a risk factor for disease spread.
A team of researchers has discovered that Leishmania parasites exploit an intracellular transport mechanism to spread their virulence factors within infected host cells. The findings provide new insights into the disease's pathogenesis and could potentially lead to the development of new treatments or therapies.
Scientists studying Leishmania parasites found that they can mate to produce hybrid offspring carrying genetic material from multiple strains, suggesting a true sexual reproductive cycle. This discovery could lead to improved treatment for deadly Leishmaniasis infections.
A study from McGill University reveals that a virus infecting the Leishmania parasite exploits cell-to-cell communication to spread and evade detection. This discovery could lead to effective vaccines against leishmaniasis, a disease causing severe disfiguration in tropical areas.
A new immunomodulatory drug, EAPB0503, shows potent in vitro activity against two strains causing cutaneous leishmaniasis. The treatment has the potential to overcome limitations of existing therapies, which include painful injections and high costs.
Researchers at INRS have developed a cost-effective approach to rapidly identify molecules capable of eliminating Leishmania, a parasite responsible for the deadly tropical disease. The innovation, led by Professors Albert Descoteaux and Steven LaPlante, aims to overcome obstacles in finding effective treatments.
Researchers studied Leishmania species and strains in Iraq's hot border region, finding most cases match an Iranian strain. The study highlights the need for control programs to stop the spread of leishmaniasis, a disease that infects millions worldwide.
Researchers Albert Descoteaux and Kessen Patten will study Leishmania's mechanisms to evade the immune system and spinal muscular atrophy, respectively. Their work aims to advance understanding of these diseases and uncover therapeutic targets.
Scientists demonstrate that Leishmania adaptation results from frequent and reversible chromosomal amplifications, which enables the parasite to maintain genetic diversity while selecting for new alleles. This study has important consequences for understanding human Leishmania infection and identifying parasite drug resistance mechanisms.
Researchers found that people exposed to more sandfly bites had higher anti-saliva IgG immune responses and a greater risk of developing cutaneous leishmaniasis. This study provides insights into the mechanisms governing resistance or susceptibility to Leishmania parasite transmission.
Researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology have developed an experimental vaccine against Leishmania, a parasite that can cause skin ulcers, disfigurement, and internal organ damage. The vaccine exploits a weakness in the parasite's chemical camouflage to trigger a forceful immune response.
A new study published in Scientific Reports found that Leishmania parasite infections are controlled by internal body clocks, leading to varying severities depending on the time of day. The research, led by Professor Nicolas Cermakian, discovered that the immune response is strongest at night, making it an ideal time for the parasite t...
Researchers at Penn found that a perturbed skin microbiome can be transmitted to uninfected mice, leading to heightened inflammatory responses and more severe disease. The study also hints at the potential for practical implications in treating people with leishmaniasis.
The parasite is transmitted by sand fly bites, causing cutaneous, mucosal, or visceral leishmaniasis. Timely diagnosis and treatment with oral miltefosine, heat treatment for CL, and FDA-approved medications are vital to manage the disease.
Researchers at CNIC have identified a mechanism that allows the Leishmania parasite to evade the immune system by binding to receptor Mincle on dendritic cells. The study found that the parasite's Mincle ligand weakens immune response, allowing it to replicate and be transmitted.
Researchers have uncovered two novel virulence mechanisms employed by Leishmania parasites to circumvent the host's antimicrobial defenses. GP63 and CPB proteases play a central role in these processes, allowing the parasite to manipulate host cell membrane fusion machinery and evade phagocytosis.
Researchers identify LMIT1, a mitochondrial iron transporter in Leishmania parasites, as crucial for parasite virulence. Inhibiting LMIT1 function can abolish parasite virulence and reduce disease severity.
Researchers developed a novel isothermal amplification method using gold nanoparticles and magnetic microbeads to detect DNA sequences characteristic of Leishmania infantum kinetoplast. The approach exhibits good reproducibility and sensitivity, outperforming other point-of-care tests.
Researchers at McGill University Health Centre uncover mechanism behind Leishmania parasite's infectious life cycle, revealing exosomes play key role in boosting infection. The study provides potential vaccine targets and diagnostic tools for Leishmania and other parasitic diseases.
The Leishmania parasite protects flies from bacterial disease, increasing their lifespan and survival rate. This finding highlights the potential unintended consequences of using bacterial controls to control leishmaniasis.
Researchers have discovered Leishmania parasites reproduce sexually in wild sand flies, leading to a better understanding of the disease's spread. This breakthrough sheds light on how the parasite becomes genetically adapted for successful transmission by sand flies, resulting in human disease.
Researchers have identified Human Neutrophil Peptide-1 (HNP-1) as a potential treatment for leishmaniasis, a vector-borne disease affecting young individuals worldwide. HNP-1 has been shown to directly kill Leishmania parasites and increase the lifespan of neutrophils, reducing their susceptibility to infection.
A team of researchers has developed a new tool to identify conserved motifs in the genomes of trypanosomatids, a group of parasites that include the causing agents of leishmaniasis and Chagas disease. The tool, named LeischCICS, uses bioinformatics tools to pinpoint potentially functional and regulatory sequences.
Researchers found that Leishmania parasites have almost identical DNA sequences within species populations, suggesting a small number of genes cause different symptoms. The parasite's evolutionary success may be driven by genetic abnormalities leading to copy number variation, which increases understanding of drug resistance mechanisms.
Researchers have discovered that sandfly saliva plays a critical role in Leishmaniasis, evading neutrophils and allowing parasites to survive within human hosts. This finding provides a new target for drug development and may lead to more accurate assessments of infection severity.
Researchers found that a viral infection in a parasite can trigger severe responses in immune cells, increasing disease severity. The study suggests that antiviral strategies could be used to reduce damage caused by Leishmania strains carrying viruses.
Researchers discovered that cancer drugs can inhibit Leishmania's survival and infection ability by targeting its TOR kinase proteins. The study highlights the potential of repurposing existing cancer treatments to combat this debilitating parasite.
Scientists identified 20 sand fly species in Panama, including two carrying Leishmania naiffi, a parasite causing cutaneous leishmaniasis. The presence of Wolbachia bacteria in these flies may offer a strategy for disease control and prevention measures such as insect repellent and protective clothing.
Researchers used 2-photon microscopy to study granulomas formed in mice infected with Leishmania donovani, identifying how killer T lymphocytes interact with infected cells. The findings provide insights into the biology of granulomas and may help improve vaccines and treatments for this neglected disease.
The Hebrew University has received a $5 million grant to study visceral leishmaniasis in Ethiopia, also known as Kala-azar. This collaborative project aims to identify weak links in the transmission cycle and devise methods for disease control, particularly in HIV/AIDS-endemic areas.
A team of scientists has gained a better understanding of how Leishmania donovani parasites evade the human immune system, leading to chronic infection. This breakthrough could potentially lead to new treatments for visceral leishmaniasis, a fatal disease affecting millions worldwide.
Researchers at McGill University Health Centre discovered a key molecule, GP63 protease, that neutralizes macrophages' defences and hinders the body's innate inflammatory immune response. The study provides a promising approach to treating leishmania as well as other infectious diseases.
Researchers have found a way to induce sex in the disease-causing parasite Leishmania by cramming enough parasites into the gut of an insect, potentially leading to new treatments for deadly infections.
Researchers at McGill University are targeting a small organelle called glycosome to develop new treatments for Leishmania parasite. The goal is to create less toxic drugs with fewer side effects. A potential breakthrough could help combat devastating diseases like African Sleeping Sickness and Chagas' Disease.
Researchers compared Leishmaniasis-causing parasite genomes and identified a small number of genes that can be targeted for new treatments. The study found that only a few genes are important in determining disease severity, and some genes may play key roles in interacting with the human host.
Scientists have created a genetically modified parasite to study the immune system's memory, which could aid in developing vaccines for Leishmania major, AIDS, and tuberculosis. Researchers found that central memory T cells remain primed to fight new infections even after initial infection has cleared.
A Leishmania mutant parasite has been developed to study persistent infections without triggering disease. The research may provide a breakthrough in understanding how the parasite interacts with the immune system, potentially leading to the development of a vaccine.
Researchers engineered a strain of leishmania parasites without lipophosphoglycan, which increased their vulnerability to immune defenses. The findings could help develop new treatments for the deadly disease, affecting 12 million people worldwide.
A recent study found that dog collars fitted with deltamethrin resulted in a 42% reduction in transmission of zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis to children and a 54% drop in infection rates among dogs. This alternative control method is more practical and effective than current methods, such as dog culling and spraying insecticide.
A University of Kentucky researcher has won a five-year extension on his MERIT award to study Leishmania donovani, a parasite that affects millions worldwide. The parasite, transmitted by sand flies, causes leishmaniasis, a disease often fatal and poorly treated.