Advances in Parasitic Neglected Tropical Diseases

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
1. Instituto Nacional de Saude Dr Ricardo Jorge, Porto, Portugal
2. i3S—Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
Interests: neglected tropical diseases; schistosomiasis; helminthiasis; bladder cancer; infertility

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are caused by a variety of pathogens (including viruses, bacteria, parasites, fungi and toxins) and are associated with devastating health, social and economic consequences. Diseases caused by parasites account for a large proportion of NTDs and are a serious threat to humans, especially in low- and middle-income countries. For this Special Issue, we invite scholars to discuss the future development of parasitic neglected tropical diseases in regard to parasite/host interaction, disease diagnosis, drug treatment, prevention, control, monitoring and epidemiology. One Health perspectives on the topic are also welcomed.

Dr. Monica Botelho
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • parasites
  • parasite-host interaction
  • Chagas disease
  • echinococcosis
  • human African trypanosomiasis
  • leishmaniasis
  • lymphatic filariasis
  • schistosomiasis
  • soil-transmitted helminthiases
  • diagnosis and treatment
  • prevention and control
  • monitoring and epidemiology
  • One Health

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 1756 KiB  
Article
Untargeted Liquid Chromatography–High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry Metabolomic Investigation Reveals Altered Lipid Content in Leishmania infantum Lacking Lipid Droplet Protein Kinase
by Juliana Martins Ribeiro, Gisele André Baptista Canuto, Alisson Samuel Portes Caldeira, Ezequias Pessoa de Siqueira, Carlos Leomar Zani, Silvane Maria Fonseca Murta and Tânia Maria de Almeida Alves
Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 2024, 9(9), 208; https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed9090208 - 10 Sep 2024
Viewed by 796
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a complex disease caused by different species of Leishmania. To date, no vaccine for humans or ideal therapy has been developed owing to the limited efficacy and toxicity of available drugs, as well as the emergence of resistant strains. Therefore, [...] Read more.
Leishmaniasis is a complex disease caused by different species of Leishmania. To date, no vaccine for humans or ideal therapy has been developed owing to the limited efficacy and toxicity of available drugs, as well as the emergence of resistant strains. Therefore, it is necessary to identify novel therapeutic targets and discover therapeutic options for leishmaniasis. In this study, we evaluated the impact of deleting the lipid droplet protein kinase (LDK) enzyme in Leishmania infantum using an untargeted metabolomics approach performed using liquid chromatography and high-resolution mass spectrometry. LDK is involved in lipid droplet biogenesis in trypanosomatids. Thirty-nine lipid metabolites altered in the stationary and logarithmic growth phases were noted and classified into five classes: (1) sterols, (2) fatty and conjugated acids, (3) ceramides, (4) glycerophosphocholine and its derivatives, and (5) glycerophosphoethanolamine and its derivatives. Our data demonstrated that glycerophosphocholine and its derivatives were the most affected after LDK deletion, suggesting that the absence of this enzyme promotes the remodeling of lipid composition in L. infantum, thus contributing to a better understanding of the function of LDK in this parasite. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Parasitic Neglected Tropical Diseases)
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14 pages, 3085 KiB  
Article
Experimental Granulomatous Amebic Encephalitis Caused by Acanthamoeba castellanii
by Samuel da Luz Borges, Eberson da Silva de Macedo, Felipe Alexandre Vinagre da Silva, Brenda Jaqueline de Azevedo Ataíde, Nívia de Souza Franco Mendes, Adelaide da Conceição Fonseca Passos, Suellen Alessandra Soares de Moraes, Anderson Manoel Herculano, Karen Renata Herculano Matos Oliveira, Carlomagno Pacheco Bahia, Silvio Santana Dolabella and Evander de Jesus Oliveira Batista
Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 2024, 9(7), 145; https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed9070145 - 28 Jun 2024
Viewed by 952
Abstract
Acanthamoeba genus can affect humans with diseases such as granulomatous amebic encephalitis (GAE), a highly lethal neuroinfection. Several aspects of the disease still need to be elucidated. Animal models of GAE have advanced our knowledge of the disease. This work tested Wistar rats [...] Read more.
Acanthamoeba genus can affect humans with diseases such as granulomatous amebic encephalitis (GAE), a highly lethal neuroinfection. Several aspects of the disease still need to be elucidated. Animal models of GAE have advanced our knowledge of the disease. This work tested Wistar rats (Rattus norvegicus albinus) as an animal model of GAE. For this, 32 animals were infected with 1 × 106 A. castellanii trophozoites of the T4 genotype. Ameba recovery tests were carried out using agar plates, vascular extravasation assays, behavioral tests, and histopathological technique with H/E staining. Data were subjected to linear regression analysis, one-way ANOVA, and Tukey’s test, performed in the GraphPad Prism® 8.0 program, with a significance level of p < 0.05. The results revealed the efficiency of the model. Amebae were recovered from the liver, lungs, and brain of infected animals, and there were significant encephalic vascular extravasations and behavioral changes in these animals, but not in the control animals. However, not all infected animals showed positive histopathology for the analyzed organs. Nervous tissues were the least affected, demonstrating the role of the BBB in the defense of the CNS. Supported by the demonstrated evidence, we confirm the difficulties and the feasibilities of using rats as an animal model of GAE. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Parasitic Neglected Tropical Diseases)
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Review

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10 pages, 961 KiB  
Review
Insights into the State of the Art of Urogenital Schistosomiasis with a Focus on Infertility
by Rafaella P. Marques, Waqas Ahmad, Raquel Soares, Katia C. Oliveira and Monica C. Botelho
Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 2024, 9(8), 177; https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed9080177 - 10 Aug 2024
Viewed by 994
Abstract
Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease that affects developing countries worldwide and is caused by several species of parasites from the Schistosoma genus. Chronic infection is characterized by the formation of granulomas around the parasite eggs, the leading cause of pathology. The hepatosplenic [...] Read more.
Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease that affects developing countries worldwide and is caused by several species of parasites from the Schistosoma genus. Chronic infection is characterized by the formation of granulomas around the parasite eggs, the leading cause of pathology. The hepatosplenic clinical form is one of the most common, but urogenital schistosomiasis is another relevant clinical presentation responsible for infertility in men and women. Inflammatory response, anatomical deformations, and endocrine/biochemical changes are involved in the development of infertility. Schistosome parasites can synthesize catechol estrogen-like molecules and affect the sexual hormone balance in their host. Here, we review many aspects of the pathology of urogenital schistosomiasis, specifically infertility, and point to the biochemical and endocrinal elements that must be investigated in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Parasitic Neglected Tropical Diseases)
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Other

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17 pages, 749 KiB  
Systematic Review
Evaluation of Chemokines MIG and IP-10 as Immunological Biomarkers of Human Visceral Leishmaniasis: A Systematic Review
by Bruna Eduarda Freitas Monteiro, Elis Dionísio da Silva, Walter Lins Barbosa Júnior, Amanda Virginia Batista Vieira, Roberta dos Santos Souza, Maria Karollyne dos Santos Paiva, Pablo Cantalice Santos Farias, Diego Lins Guedes, Gilberto Silva Nunes Bezerra and Zulma Maria de Medeiros
Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 2024, 9(9), 219; https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed9090219 - 19 Sep 2024
Viewed by 779
Abstract
Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a neglected tropical disease that is potentially fatal when untreated. Current diagnostic methods have limitations that contribute to ongoing transmission and poor prognosis. Thus, new tests are needed to provide quick, accurate diagnoses and evaluate clinical progression and treatment [...] Read more.
Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a neglected tropical disease that is potentially fatal when untreated. Current diagnostic methods have limitations that contribute to ongoing transmission and poor prognosis. Thus, new tests are needed to provide quick, accurate diagnoses and evaluate clinical progression and treatment efficacy. The monokine induced by interferon-gamma (MIG) and interferon-gamma-inducible protein 10 (IP-10) has been associated with the host susceptibility to VL with potential diagnostic and prognostic purposes. We performed a systematic review using four search databases (Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and MEDLINE) to identify studies assessing MIG and IP-10 as potential biomarkers in patients with VL across various clinical conditions. A total of 13 studies were potentially eligible and included in this review. The articles, in general, reveal that the chemokines MIG and IP-10 are elevated in response to infection by Leishmania spp., acting on the host’s resistance to the development of the disease. They are associated with asymptomatic conditions and after VL treatment, and this relationship can be observed in both immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals. Consequently, these chemokines hold relevance in the diagnoses and appropriate management of individuals with VL. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Parasitic Neglected Tropical Diseases)
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