1
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Tsagmo JMN, Rotureau B, Calvo Alvarez E. Animal models of neglected parasitic diseases: In vivo multimodal imaging of experimental trypanosomatid infections. Methods Cell Biol 2024; 188:205-236. [PMID: 38880525 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mcb.2024.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
African trypanosomiases and leishmaniases are significant neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) that affect millions globally, with severe health and socio-economic consequences, especially in endemic regions. Understanding the pathogenesis and dissemination of Trypanosoma brucei and Leishmania spp. parasites within their hosts is pivotal for the development of effective interventions. Whole-body bioluminescence and fluorescence imaging systems (BLI and FLI, respectively), are powerful tools to visualize and quantify the progression and distribution of these parasites in real-time within live animal models. By combining this technology with the engineering of stable T. brucei and Leishmania spp. strains expressing luciferase and/or fluorescent proteins, crucial aspects of the infection process including the parasites' homing, the infection dynamics, the tissue tropism, or the efficacy of experimental treatments and vaccines can be deeply investigated. This methodology allows for enhanced sensitivity and resolution, elucidating previously unrecognized infection niches and dynamics. Importantly, whole-body in vivo imaging is non-invasive, enabling for longitudinal studies during the course of an infection in the same animal, thereby aligning with the "3Rs" principle of animal research. Here, we detail a protocol for the generation of dual-reporter T. brucei and L. major, and their use to infect mice and follow the spatiotemporal dynamics of infection by in vivo imaging systems. Additionally, 3D micro-computed tomography (μCT) coupled to BLI in T. brucei-infected animals is applied to gain insights into the anatomical parasite distribution. This Chapter underscores the potential of these bioimaging modalities as indispensable tools in parasitology, paving the way for novel therapeutic strategies and deeper insights into host-parasite interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean Marc Ngoune Tsagmo
- Trypanosome Transmission Group, Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit, INSERM U1201, Department of Parasites and Insect Vectors, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Brice Rotureau
- Trypanosome Transmission Group, Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit, INSERM U1201, Department of Parasites and Insect Vectors, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France; Parasitology Unit, Institut Pasteur of Guinea, Conakry, Guinea
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2
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Ajayi O, Metibemu DS, Crown O, Adeyinka OS, Kaiser M, Shoji N, Silva M, Rodriguez A, Ogungbe IV. Discovery of an orally active nitrothiophene-based antitrypanosomal agent. Eur J Med Chem 2024; 263:115954. [PMID: 37984297 PMCID: PMC10843616 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT), caused by Trypanosoma brucei gambiense and rhodesiense, is a parasitic disease endemic to sub-Saharan Africa. Untreated cases of HAT can be severely debilitating and fatal. Although the number of reported cases has decreased progressively over the last decade, the number of effective and easily administered medications is very limited. In this work, we report the antitrypanosomal activity of a series of potent compounds. A subset of molecules in the series are highly selective for trypanosomes and are metabolically stable. One of the compounds, (E)-N-(4-(methylamino)-4-oxobut-2-en-1-yl)-5-nitrothiophene-2-carboxamide (10), selectively inhibited the growth of T. b. brucei, T. b. gambiense and T. b. rhodesiense, have excellent oral bioavailability and was effective in treating acute infection of HAT in mouse models. Based on its excellent bioavailability, compound 10 and its analogs are candidates for lead optimization and pre-clinical investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oluwatomi Ajayi
- Department of Chemistry, Physics, and Atmospheric Sciences, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS, 39217, USA
| | - Damilohun S Metibemu
- Department of Chemistry, Physics, and Atmospheric Sciences, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS, 39217, USA; Department of Chemistry, The University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL, 35899, USA
| | - Olamide Crown
- Department of Chemistry, Physics, and Atmospheric Sciences, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS, 39217, USA; Department of Chemistry, The University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL, 35899, USA
| | - Olawale S Adeyinka
- Department of Chemistry, Physics, and Atmospheric Sciences, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS, 39217, USA; Department of Chemistry, The University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL, 35899, USA
| | - Marcel Kaiser
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Kreuzstrasse 2, 4123, Allschwil, Switzerland; University of Basel, 4001, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Nathalie Shoji
- Department of Microbiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10010, USA
| | | | - Ana Rodriguez
- Department of Microbiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10010, USA
| | - Ifedayo Victor Ogungbe
- Department of Chemistry, Physics, and Atmospheric Sciences, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS, 39217, USA; Department of Chemistry, The University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL, 35899, USA.
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3
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Racané L, Ptiček L, Kostrun S, Raić-Malić S, Taylor MC, Delves M, Alsford S, Olmo F, Francisco AF, Kelly JM. Bis-6-amidino-benzothiazole Derivative that Cures Experimental Stage 1 African Trypanosomiasis with a Single Dose. J Med Chem 2023; 66:13043-13057. [PMID: 37722077 PMCID: PMC10544003 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
We designed and synthesized a series of symmetric bis-6-amidino-benzothiazole derivatives with aliphatic central units and evaluated their efficacy against bloodstream forms of the African trypanosome Trypanosoma brucei. Of these, a dicationic benzothiazole compound (9a) exhibited sub-nanomolar in vitro potency with remarkable selectivity over mammalian cells (>26,000-fold). Unsubstituted 5-amidine groups and a cyclohexyl spacer were the crucial determinants of trypanocidal activity. In all cases, mice treated with a single dose of 20 mg kg-1 were cured of stage 1 trypanosomiasis. The compound displayed a favorable in vitro ADME profile, with the exception of low membrane permeability. However, we found evidence that uptake by T. brucei is mediated by endocytosis, a process that results in lysosomal sequestration. The compound was also active in low nanomolar concentrations against cultured asexual forms of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Therefore, 9a has exquisite cross-species efficacy and represents a lead compound with considerable therapeutic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Livio Racané
- Department
of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Textile Technology, University of Zagreb, Prilaz baruna Filipovića 28a, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Lucija Ptiček
- Department
of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Textile Technology, University of Zagreb, Prilaz baruna Filipovića 28a, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Sanja Kostrun
- Chemistry
Department, Selvita Ltd., Prilaz baruna Filipovića 29, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Silvana Raić-Malić
- Department
of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, University of Zagreb, Marulićev trg 20, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Martin Craig Taylor
- Department
of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene
and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, WC1E 7HT London, U.K.
| | - Michael Delves
- Department
of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene
and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, WC1E 7HT London, U.K.
| | - Sam Alsford
- Department
of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene
and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, WC1E 7HT London, U.K.
| | - Francisco Olmo
- Department
of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene
and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, WC1E 7HT London, U.K.
| | - Amanda Fortes Francisco
- Department
of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene
and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, WC1E 7HT London, U.K.
| | - John M. Kelly
- Department
of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene
and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, WC1E 7HT London, U.K.
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4
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Rao SPS, Manjunatha UH, Mikolajczak S, Ashigbie PG, Diagana TT. Drug discovery for parasitic diseases: powered by technology, enabled by pharmacology, informed by clinical science. Trends Parasitol 2023; 39:260-271. [PMID: 36803572 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2023.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023]
Abstract
While prevention is a bedrock of public health, innovative therapeutics are needed to complement the armamentarium of interventions required to achieve disease control and elimination targets for neglected diseases. Extraordinary advances in drug discovery technologies have occurred over the past decades, along with accumulation of scientific knowledge and experience in pharmacological and clinical sciences that are transforming many aspects of drug R&D across disciplines. We reflect on how these advances have propelled drug discovery for parasitic infections, focusing on malaria, kinetoplastid diseases, and cryptosporidiosis. We also discuss challenges and research priorities to accelerate discovery and development of urgently needed novel antiparasitic drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Paul G Ashigbie
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Emeryville, CA, USA.
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5
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Singh B, Sharma A, Gunaganti N, Rivers M, Gadekar PK, Greene B, Chichioco M, Sanz-Rodriguez CE, Fu C, LeBlanc C, Burchfield E, Sharif N, Hoffman B, Kumar G, Purmal A, Mensa-Wilmot K, Pollastri MP. Chemical Optimization of CBL0137 for Human African Trypanosomiasis Lead Drug Discovery. J Med Chem 2023; 66:1972-1989. [PMID: 36695630 PMCID: PMC9923759 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
The carbazole CBL0137 (1) is a lead for drug development against human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), a disease caused by Trypanosoma brucei. To advance 1 as a candidate drug, we synthesized new analogs that were evaluated for the physicochemical properties, antitrypanosome potency, selectivity against human cells, metabolism in microsomes or hepatocytes, and efflux ratios. Structure-activity/property analyses of analogs revealed eight new compounds with higher or equivalent selectivity indices (5j, 5t, 5v, 5w, 5y, 8d, 13i, and 22e). Based on the overall compound profiles, compounds 5v and 5w were selected for assessment in a mouse model of HAT; while 5v demonstrated a lead-like profile for HAT drug development, 5w showed a lack of efficacy. Lessons from these studies will inform further optimization of carbazoles for HAT and other indications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baljinder Singh
- Department
of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern
University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Amrita Sharma
- Department
of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Kennesaw
State University, Kennesaw, Georgia 30144, United States
| | - Naresh Gunaganti
- Department
of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern
University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Mitch Rivers
- Department
of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern
University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Pradip K. Gadekar
- Department
of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern
University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Brady Greene
- Department
of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern
University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Michael Chichioco
- Department
of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern
University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Carlos E. Sanz-Rodriguez
- Center
for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, United States
| | - Courtney Fu
- Department
of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern
University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Catherine LeBlanc
- Department
of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern
University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Erin Burchfield
- Department
of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern
University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Nyle Sharif
- Department
of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern
University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Benjamin Hoffman
- Center
for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, United States
| | - Gaurav Kumar
- Department
of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Kennesaw
State University, Kennesaw, Georgia 30144, United States
| | - Andrei Purmal
- Incuron
Inc., Buffalo, New York 14203, United States
| | - Kojo Mensa-Wilmot
- Department
of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Kennesaw
State University, Kennesaw, Georgia 30144, United States,Center
for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, United States,
| | - Michael P. Pollastri
- Department
of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern
University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States,
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6
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Comparison of Bioluminescent Substrates in Natural Infection Models of Neglected Parasitic Diseases. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232416074. [PMID: 36555716 PMCID: PMC9781651 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232416074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The application of in vivo bioluminescent imaging in infectious disease research has significantly increased over the past years. The detection of transgenic parasites expressing wildtype firefly luciferase is however hampered by a relatively low and heterogeneous tissue penetrating capacity of emitted light. Solutions are sought by using codon-optimized red-shifted luciferases that yield higher expression levels and produce relatively more red or near-infrared light, or by using modified bioluminescent substrates with enhanced cell permeability and improved luminogenic or pharmacokinetic properties. In this study, the in vitro and in vivo efficacy of two modified bioluminescent substrates, CycLuc1 and AkaLumine-HCl, were compared with that of D-luciferin as a gold standard. Comparisons were made in experimental and insect-transmitted animal models of leishmaniasis (caused by intracellular Leishmania species) and African trypanosomiasis (caused by extracellular Trypanosoma species), using parasite strains expressing the red-shifted firefly luciferase PpyRE9. Although the luminogenic properties of AkaLumine-HCl and D-luciferin for in vitro parasite detection were comparable at equal substrate concentrations, AkaLumine-HCl proved to be unsuitable for in vivo infection follow-up due to high background signals in the liver. CycLuc1 presented a higher in vitro luminescence compared to the other substrates and proved to be highly efficacious in vivo, even at a 20-fold lower dose than D-luciferin. This efficacy was consistent across infections with the herein included intracellular and extracellular parasitic organisms. It can be concluded that CycLuc1 is an excellent and broadly applicable alternative for D-luciferin, requiring significantly lower doses for in vivo bioluminescent imaging in rodent models of leishmaniasis and African trypanosomiasis.
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7
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Sharma A, Cipriano M, Ferrins L, Hajduk SL, Mensa-Wilmot K. Hypothesis-generating proteome perturbation to identify NEU-4438 and acoziborole modes of action in the African Trypanosome. iScience 2022; 25:105302. [PMID: 36304107 PMCID: PMC9593816 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Revised: 07/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
NEU-4438 is a lead for the development of drugs against Trypanosoma brucei, which causes human African trypanosomiasis. Optimized with phenotypic screening, targets of NEU-4438 are unknown. Herein, we present a cell perturbome workflow that compares NEU-4438's molecular modes of action to those of SCYX-7158 (acoziborole). Following a 6 h perturbation of trypanosomes, NEU-4438 and acoziborole reduced steady-state amounts of 68 and 92 unique proteins, respectively. After analysis of proteomes, hypotheses formulated for modes of action were tested: Acoziborole and NEU-4438 have different modes of action. Whereas NEU-4438 prevented DNA biosynthesis and basal body maturation, acoziborole destabilized CPSF3 and other proteins, inhibited polypeptide translation, and reduced endocytosis of haptoglobin-hemoglobin. These data point to CPSF3-independent modes of action for acoziborole. In case of polypharmacology, the cell-perturbome workflow elucidates modes of action because it is target-agnostic. Finally, the workflow can be used in any cell that is amenable to proteomic and molecular biology experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amrita Sharma
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA 30144, USA
| | - Michael Cipriano
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Lori Ferrins
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Stephen L. Hajduk
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Kojo Mensa-Wilmot
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA 30144, USA,Corresponding author
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8
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Sá M, Costa DM, Tavares J. Imaging Infection by Vector-Borne Protozoan Parasites Using Whole-Mouse Bioluminescence. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2524:353-367. [PMID: 35821487 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2453-1_29] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Vector-borne protozoan parasites such as Plasmodium spp. Leishmania spp. and Trypanosoma brucei are responsible for several serious diseases. Significant advances in parasitology have been made using rodent models combined with live imaging techniques, including whole-mouse bioluminescence imaging (BLI). This technique has been applied to investigate parasite dissemination, infectivity, and growth. It has also been used in drug and vaccine testing. This chapter focuses on the methods that utilize whole-mouse BLI to (i) evaluate the homing and infectivity of Plasmodium berghei sporozoites; (ii) conduct in vivo testing of promising chemical entities against Leishmania infantum infection; and (iii) study molecular mechanisms of host susceptibility to Trypanosoma brucei brucei infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mónica Sá
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde and Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Host-Parasite Interactions Group, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - David Mendes Costa
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde and Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Host-Parasite Interactions Group, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Joana Tavares
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde and Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Host-Parasite Interactions Group, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.
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9
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Dibello E, Comini MA, Benítez D. A Simple, Robust, and Affordable Bioluminescent Assay for Drug Screening Against Infective African Trypanosomes. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2524:149-162. [PMID: 35821469 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2453-1_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
This chapter introduces a simple and robust in vitro viability assay to screen bioactive small molecules (e.g., natural, synthetic) against the monomorphic and infective (bloodstream) form of Trypanosoma brucei brucei. The assay relies on a bioluminescent transgenic parasite harboring a genetically encoded copy of a thermostable redshifted firefly luciferase from Photinus pyralis.The major advantages of the assay are simplicity and cost efficiency, along with excellent quality parameters. The bioassay allows estimating parasite numbers and viability (and metabolic state) as a function of bioluminescence (BL) signal. Parasites are grown in the presence of the molecules of interest in a 96-well microplate, and 24 h later, BL is determined with a simple protocol lacking washing steps, using cost-efficient reagents with a reasonable readout time for high-throughput applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Estefania Dibello
- Group Redox Biology of Trypanosomes, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay
- Laboratorio de Síntesis Orgánica, Departamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Marcelo A Comini
- Group Redox Biology of Trypanosomes, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay.
| | - Diego Benítez
- Group Redox Biology of Trypanosomes, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay.
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10
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Benítez D, Medeiros A, Quiroga C, Comini MA. A Simple Bioluminescent Assay for the Screening of Cytotoxic Molecules Against the Intracellular Form of Leishmania infantum. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2524:127-147. [PMID: 35821468 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2453-1_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
This chapter describes a viability assay for the intracellular (amastigote) and clinically relevant form of Leishmania infantum that is based on the detection of bioluminescence (BL) signal. The assay uses a reporter cell line of L. infantum that expresses constitutively a redshifted luciferase from Photinus pyralis and murine macrophages (cell line J774.A1) as host cells for infection. The host cell line was selected because it is a differentiated cell line, easy to manipulate in vitro, and advantageous for ethical reasons. This chapter introduces an assay designed for the screening of bioactive compounds/molecules employing a 96-well microplate and a 24 h treatment. The assay setup shows excellent balance between simplicity (cell culture manipulation/infection and timing) and quality parameters, as well as potential to detect drug-like molecules acting in a fast and cytotoxic manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Benítez
- Group Redox Biology of Trypanosomes, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay.
| | - Andrea Medeiros
- Group Redox Biology of Trypanosomes, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Cristina Quiroga
- Group Redox Biology of Trypanosomes, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Marcelo A Comini
- Group Redox Biology of Trypanosomes, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay.
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11
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Yamada K, Nishizono A. In Vivo Bioluminescent Imaging of Rabies Virus Infection and Evaluation of Antiviral Drug. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2524:347-352. [PMID: 35821486 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2453-1_28] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
In vivo bioluminescence imaging (BLI) methods enable the longitudinal and semi-quantitative monitoring of viral replication dynamics in small animal models and, thus, are useful for examining viral pathogenesis and the effect of antiviral drugs. Here, we describe an in vivo BLI method to evaluate the efficacy of antiviral drugs against rabies virus (RABV) infection in mice. We exemplify mice inoculated with recombinant RABV expressing red firefly luciferase and administered orally with the antiviral drug, favipiravir. For the imaging, mice are intraperitoneally administered with D-luciferin and placed in the dark chamber of an imaging system. The BL images are captured using a highly sensitive charge-coupled device camera. Image data are processed and analyzed using image analysis software.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kentaro Yamada
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, Oita, Japan
- Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health, Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan
| | - Akira Nishizono
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, Oita, Japan.
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12
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Neves JV, Gomes AC, Costa DM, Barroso C, Vaulont S, Cordeiro da Silva A, Tavares J, Rodrigues PNS. A role for hepcidin in the anemia caused by Trypanosoma brucei infection. Haematologica 2021; 106:806-818. [PMID: 31919087 PMCID: PMC7927896 DOI: 10.3324/haematol.2019.227728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Trypanosomiasis is a parasitic disease affecting both humans and animals in the form of Human African Trypanosomiasis and Nagana disease, respectively. Anemia is one of the most common symptoms of trypanosomiasis, and if left unchecked can cause severe complications and even death. Several factors have been associated with the development of this anemia, including dysregulation of iron homeostasis, but little is known about the molecular mechanisms involved. Here, using murine models, we study the involvement of hepcidin, the key regulator of iron metabolism and an important player in the development of anemia of inflammation. Our data show two stages for the progression of anemia, to which hepcidin contributes a first stage when anemia develops, with a likely cytokine-mediated stimulation of hepcidin and subsequent limitation in iron availability and erythropoiesis, and a second stage of recovery, where the increase in hepcidin then declines due to the reduced inflammatory signal and increased production of erythroid regulators by the kidney, spleen and bone marrow, thus leading to an increase in iron release and availability, and enhanced erythropoiesis. In agreement with this, in hepcidin knockout mice, anemia is much milder and its recovery is complete, in contrast to wild-type animals which have not fully recovered from anemia after 21 days. Besides all other factors known to be involved in the development of anemia during trypanosomiasis, hepcidin clearly makes an important contribution to both its development and recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- João V Neves
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto,Iron and Innate Immunity, IBMC – Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Porto,ICBAS - Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, Porto
| | - Ana C Gomes
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto,Iron and Innate Immunity, IBMC – Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Porto,ICBAS - Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, Porto
| | - David M Costa
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto,Parasite Disease, IBMC – Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Porto
| | - Carolina Barroso
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto,Iron and Innate Immunity, IBMC – Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Porto,MCBiology Doctoral Program, ICBAS - Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, Porto
| | - Sophie Vaulont
- INSERM U1016, CNRS UMR 8104, Institut Cochin, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris
| | - Anabela Cordeiro da Silva
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto,ICBAS - Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, Porto,Parasite Disease, IBMC – Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Porto
| | - Joana Tavares
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto,Parasite Disease, IBMC – Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Porto
| | - Pedro N S Rodrigues
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto,Iron and Innate Immunity, IBMC – Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Porto,ICBAS - Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, Porto
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13
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McNae IW, Kinkead J, Malik D, Yen LH, Walker MK, Swain C, Webster SP, Gray N, Fernandes PM, Myburgh E, Blackburn EA, Ritchie R, Austin C, Wear MA, Highton AJ, Keats AJ, Vong A, Dornan J, Mottram JC, Michels PAM, Pettit S, Walkinshaw MD. Fast acting allosteric phosphofructokinase inhibitors block trypanosome glycolysis and cure acute African trypanosomiasis in mice. Nat Commun 2021; 12:1052. [PMID: 33594070 PMCID: PMC7887271 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21273-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The parasitic protist Trypanosoma brucei is the causative agent of Human African Trypanosomiasis, also known as sleeping sickness. The parasite enters the blood via the bite of the tsetse fly where it is wholly reliant on glycolysis for the production of ATP. Glycolytic enzymes have been regarded as challenging drug targets because of their highly conserved active sites and phosphorylated substrates. We describe the development of novel small molecule allosteric inhibitors of trypanosome phosphofructokinase (PFK) that block the glycolytic pathway resulting in very fast parasite kill times with no inhibition of human PFKs. The compounds cross the blood brain barrier and single day oral dosing cures parasitaemia in a stage 1 animal model of human African trypanosomiasis. This study demonstrates that it is possible to target glycolysis and additionally shows how differences in allosteric mechanisms may allow the development of species-specific inhibitors to tackle a range of proliferative or infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iain W McNae
- Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Michael Swann Building, Max Born Crescent, Edinburgh, UK
| | - James Kinkead
- Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Michael Swann Building, Max Born Crescent, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Divya Malik
- Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Michael Swann Building, Max Born Crescent, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Li-Hsuan Yen
- Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Michael Swann Building, Max Born Crescent, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Martin K Walker
- Selcia Ltd., Fyfield Business and Research Park, Fyfield Road, Ongar, Essex, UK
| | | | - Scott P Webster
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Nick Gray
- Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Michael Swann Building, Max Born Crescent, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Peter M Fernandes
- Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Michael Swann Building, Max Born Crescent, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Elmarie Myburgh
- York Biomedical Research Institute, Hull York Medical School, University of York, York, UK
| | - Elizabeth A Blackburn
- Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Michael Swann Building, Max Born Crescent, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ryan Ritchie
- Institute of Infection Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical Veterinary Life-Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Carol Austin
- Selcia Ltd., Fyfield Business and Research Park, Fyfield Road, Ongar, Essex, UK
| | - Martin A Wear
- Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Michael Swann Building, Max Born Crescent, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Adrian J Highton
- Selcia Ltd., Fyfield Business and Research Park, Fyfield Road, Ongar, Essex, UK
| | - Andrew J Keats
- Selcia Ltd., Fyfield Business and Research Park, Fyfield Road, Ongar, Essex, UK
| | - Antonio Vong
- Selcia Ltd., Fyfield Business and Research Park, Fyfield Road, Ongar, Essex, UK
| | - Jacqueline Dornan
- Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Michael Swann Building, Max Born Crescent, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jeremy C Mottram
- York Biomedical Research Institute, Department of Biology, University of York, York, UK
| | - Paul A M Michels
- Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Michael Swann Building, Max Born Crescent, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Simon Pettit
- Selcia Ltd., Fyfield Business and Research Park, Fyfield Road, Ongar, Essex, UK.
| | - Malcolm D Walkinshaw
- Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Michael Swann Building, Max Born Crescent, Edinburgh, UK.
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14
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Awuah-Mensah G, McDonald J, Steketee PC, Autheman D, Whipple S, D'Archivio S, Brandt C, Clare S, Harcourt K, Wright GJ, Morrison LJ, Gadelha C, Wickstead B. Reliable, scalable functional genetics in bloodstream-form Trypanosoma congolense in vitro and in vivo. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1009224. [PMID: 33481935 PMCID: PMC7870057 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Revised: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal African trypanosomiasis (AAT) is a severe, wasting disease of domestic livestock and diverse wildlife species. The disease in cattle kills millions of animals each year and inflicts a major economic cost on agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa. Cattle AAT is caused predominantly by the protozoan parasites Trypanosoma congolense and T. vivax, but laboratory research on the pathogenic stages of these organisms is severely inhibited by difficulties in making even minor genetic modifications. As a result, many of the important basic questions about the biology of these parasites cannot be addressed. Here we demonstrate that an in vitro culture of the T. congolense genomic reference strain can be modified directly in the bloodstream form reliably and at high efficiency. We describe a parental single marker line that expresses T. congolense-optimized T7 RNA polymerase and Tet repressor and show that minichromosome loci can be used as sites for stable, regulatable transgene expression with low background in non-induced cells. Using these tools, we describe organism-specific constructs for inducible RNA-interference (RNAi) and demonstrate knockdown of multiple essential and non-essential genes. We also show that a minichromosomal site can be exploited to create a stable bloodstream-form line that robustly provides >40,000 independent stable clones per transfection-enabling the production of high-complexity libraries of genome-scale. Finally, we show that modified forms of T. congolense are still infectious, create stable high-bioluminescence lines that can be used in models of AAT, and follow the course of infections in mice by in vivo imaging. These experiments establish a base set of tools to change T. congolense from a technically challenging organism to a routine model for functional genetics and allow us to begin to address some of the fundamental questions about the biology of this important parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jennifer McDonald
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Pieter C. Steketee
- The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Delphine Autheman
- Cell Surface Signalling Laboratory, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah Whipple
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Simon D'Archivio
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Cordelia Brandt
- Pathogen Support Team, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Simon Clare
- Pathogen Support Team, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Katherine Harcourt
- Pathogen Support Team, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Gavin J. Wright
- Cell Surface Signalling Laboratory, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Department of Biology, Hull York Medical School, York Biomedical Research Institute, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Liam J. Morrison
- The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Catarina Gadelha
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Bill Wickstead
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
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15
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Chatelain E, Scandale I. Animal models of Chagas disease and their translational value to drug development. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2020; 15:1381-1402. [PMID: 32812830 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2020.1806233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION American trypanosomiasis, better known as Chagas disease, is a global public health issue. Current treatments targeting the causative parasite, Trypanosoma cruzi, are limited to two old nitroheterocyclic compounds; new, safer drugs are needed. New tools to identify compounds suitable for parasitological cure in humans have emerged through efforts in drug discovery. AREAS COVERED Animal disease models are an integral part of the drug discovery process. There are numerous experimental models of Chagas disease described and in use; rather than going through each of these and their specific features, the authors focus on developments in recent years, in particular the imaging technologies that have dramatically changed the Chagas R&D landscape, and provide a critical view on their value and limitations for moving compounds forward into further development. EXPERT OPINION The application of new technological advances to the field of drug development for Chagas disease has led to the implementation of new and robust/standardized in vivo models that contributed to a better understanding of host/parasite interactions. These new models should also build confidence in their translational value for moving compounds forward into clinical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Chatelain
- R&D Department, Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi) , Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Ivan Scandale
- R&D Department, Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi) , Geneva, Switzerland
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16
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Eberhardt E, Bulté D, Van Bockstal L, Van den Kerkhof M, Cos P, Delputte P, Hendrickx S, Maes L, Caljon G. Miltefosine enhances the fitness of a non-virulent drug-resistant Leishmania infantum strain. J Antimicrob Chemother 2020; 74:395-406. [PMID: 30412253 DOI: 10.1093/jac/dky450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2018] [Accepted: 10/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Objectives Miltefosine is currently the only oral drug for visceral leishmaniasis, and although deficiency in an aminophospholipid/miltefosine transporter (MT) is sufficient to elicit drug resistance, very few naturally miltefosine-resistant (MIL-R) strains have yet been isolated. This study aimed to make a detailed analysis of the impact of acquired miltefosine resistance and miltefosine treatment on in vivo infection. Methods Bioluminescent versions of a MIL-R strain and its syngeneic parental line were generated by integration of the red-shifted firefly luciferase PpyRE9. The fitness of both lines was compared in vitro (growth rate, metacyclogenesis and macrophage infectivity) and in BALB/c mice through non-invasive bioluminescence imaging under conditions with and without drug pressure. Results This study demonstrated a severe fitness loss of MT-deficient parasites, resulting in a complete inability to multiply and cause a typical visceral leishmaniasis infection pattern in BALB/c mice. The observed fitness loss could not be rescued by host immune suppression with cyclophosphamide, whereas episomal reconstitution with a wild-type MT restored parasite virulence, hence linking parasite fitness to MT mutation. Remarkably, in vivo miltefosine treatment or in vitro miltefosine pre-exposure significantly rescued MIL-R parasite virulence. The in vitro pre-exposed MIL-R promastigotes showed a longer and more slender morphology, suggesting an altered membrane composition. Conclusions The profound fitness loss of MT-deficient parasites most likely explains the low frequency of MIL-R clinical isolates. The observation that miltefosine can reverse this phenotype indicates a drug dependency of the MT-deficient parasites and emphasizes the importance of resistance profiling prior to miltefosine administration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eline Eberhardt
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Dimitri Bulté
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Lieselotte Van Bockstal
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Magali Van den Kerkhof
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Paul Cos
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Peter Delputte
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Sarah Hendrickx
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Louis Maes
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Guy Caljon
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
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17
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Novobilský A, Höglund J. Small animal in vivo imaging of parasitic infections: A systematic review. Exp Parasitol 2020; 214:107905. [PMID: 32387050 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2020.107905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Revised: 04/27/2020] [Accepted: 05/01/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Non-invasive small animal in vivo imaging is an essential tool in a broad variety of biomedical sciences and enables continuous monitoring of disease progression in order to develop and improve diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive measures. Imaging parasites non-invasively in live animals allows efficient parasite distribution evaluation in the host organism and objective evaluation of parasitic diseases' burden and progression in individual animals. The aim of this systematic review was to summarize recent trends in small animal in vivo imaging and compare and discuss imaging of single-cell and multicellular eukaryotic parasites. A literature survey was performed using Web of Science and PubMed databases in research articles published between 1990 and 2018. The inclusion criteria were using any imaging method to visualize a range of protozoan and helminth parasites in laboratory animals in vivo. A total of 92 studies met our inclusion criteria. Protozoans and helminths were imaged in 88% and 12% of 92 studies, respectively. The most common parasite genus studied was the protozoan Plasmodium followed by Trypanosoma and Leishmania. The most frequent imaging method was bioluminescence. Among the helminths, Schistosoma and Echinococcus were the most studied organisms. In vivo imaging is applicable in both protozoans and helminths. In helminths, however, the use of in vivo imaging methods is limited to some extent. Imaging parasites in small animal models is a powerful tool in preclinical research aiming to develop novel therapeutic and preventive strategies for parasitic diseases of interest both in human and veterinary medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Novobilský
- Veterinary Research Institute, Department of Pharmacology and Immunotherapy, Hudcova 70, 62100, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Johan Höglund
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Biological Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Section for Parasitology, Box 7036, 750 07, Uppsala, Sweden
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18
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Cabello-Donayre M, Orrego LM, Herráez E, Vargas P, Martínez-García M, Campos-Salinas J, Pérez-Victoria I, Vicente B, Marín JJG, Pérez-Victoria JM. Leishmania heme uptake involves LmFLVCRb, a novel porphyrin transporter essential for the parasite. Cell Mol Life Sci 2020; 77:1827-1845. [PMID: 31372684 PMCID: PMC11104922 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-019-03258-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2019] [Revised: 07/24/2019] [Accepted: 07/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Leishmaniasis comprises a group of neglected diseases caused by the protozoan parasite Leishmania spp. As is the case for other trypanosomatid parasites, Leishmania is auxotrophic for heme and must scavenge this essential compound from its human host. In mammals, the SLC transporter FLVCR2 mediates heme import across the plasma membrane. Herein we identify and characterize Leishmania major FLVCRb (LmFLVCRb), the first member of the FLVCR family studied in a non-metazoan organism. This protein localizes to the plasma membrane of the parasite and is able to bind heme. LmFLVCRb levels in Leishmania, which are modulated by overexpression thereof or the abrogation of an LmFLVCRb allele, correlate with the ability of the parasite to take up porphyrins. Moreover, injection of LmFLVCRb cRNA to Xenopus laevis oocytes provides these cells with the ability to take up heme. This process is temperature dependent, requires monovalent ions and is inhibited at basic pH, characteristics shared by the uptake of heme by Leishmania parasites. Interestingly, LmFLVCRb is essential as CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout parasites were only obtained in the presence of an episomal copy of the gene. In addition, deletion of just one of the alleles of the LmFLVCRb gene markedly impairs parasite replication as intracellular amastigotes as well as its virulence in an in vivo model of cutaneous leishmaniasis. Collectively, these results show that Leishmania parasites can rescue heme through plasma membrane transporter LFLVCRb, which could constitute a novel target for therapeutic intervention against Leishmania and probably other trypanosomatid parasites in which FLVCR genes are also present.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Cabello-Donayre
- Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina "López-Neyra", CSIC, (IPBLN-CSIC), PTS Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Lina M Orrego
- Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina "López-Neyra", CSIC, (IPBLN-CSIC), PTS Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Elisa Herráez
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEFARM), IBSAL, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
- Center for the Study of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain
| | - Paola Vargas
- Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina "López-Neyra", CSIC, (IPBLN-CSIC), PTS Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Marta Martínez-García
- Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina "López-Neyra", CSIC, (IPBLN-CSIC), PTS Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Jenny Campos-Salinas
- Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina "López-Neyra", CSIC, (IPBLN-CSIC), PTS Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Ignacio Pérez-Victoria
- Fundación MEDINA, Centro de Excelencia en Investigación de Medicamentos Innovadores en Andalucía, PTS Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Belén Vicente
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEFARM), IBSAL, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - José J G Marín
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEFARM), IBSAL, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
- Center for the Study of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain
| | - José M Pérez-Victoria
- Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina "López-Neyra", CSIC, (IPBLN-CSIC), PTS Granada, Granada, Spain.
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19
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Benítez D, Dibello E, Bonilla M, Comini MA. A simple, robust, and affordable bioluminescent assay for drug discovery against infective African trypanosomes. Drug Dev Res 2020; 83:253-263. [PMID: 31958156 DOI: 10.1002/ddr.21634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2019] [Revised: 11/28/2019] [Accepted: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
African trypanosomiasis is a major problem for human and animal health in endemic countries, where it threatens millions of people and affects economic development. New drugs are needed to overcome the toxicity, administration, low efficacy, and resistance issues of the current chemotherapy. Robust, simple, and economical high-throughput, whole-cell-based assays are required to accelerate the identification of novel chemical entities. With this aim, we generated a bioluminescent cell line of the bloodstream stage of Trypanosoma brucei brucei and established a screening assay. Trypanosomes were stably transfected to constitutively express a thermostable red-shifted luciferase. The growth phenotype and drug sensitivity of the reporter cell line were essentially identical to that of the parental cell line. The endogenous luciferase activity, measured by a simple bioluminescence assay, proved to be proportional to parasite number and metabolic status. The assay, optimized to detect highly potent compounds in a 96-well-plate format, was validated by screening a small compound library (inter-assay values for Z' factor and coefficient variation were 0.77 and 5.8%, respectively). With a hit-confirmation ratio of ~97%, the assay was potent enough to identify several hits with EC50 ≤ 10 μM. Preliminary tests indicated that the assay can be scaled up to a 384-well-plate format without compromising its robustness. In summary, we have generated reporter trypanosomes and a simple, robust, and affordable bioluminescence screening assay with great potential to speed up the early-phase drug discovery against African trypanosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Benítez
- Group Redox Biology of Trypanosomes, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Estefania Dibello
- Group Redox Biology of Trypanosomes, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay.,Laboratorio de Síntesis Orgánica, Departamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Mariana Bonilla
- Group Redox Biology of Trypanosomes, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay.,Laboratorio de Fisicoquímica Biológica y Laboratorio de Enzimología, Instituto de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Marcelo A Comini
- Group Redox Biology of Trypanosomes, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay
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20
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Bernal FA, Kaiser M, Wünsch B, Schmidt TJ. Structure-Activity Relationships of Cinnamate Ester Analogues as Potent Antiprotozoal Agents. ChemMedChem 2020; 15:68-78. [PMID: 31697437 PMCID: PMC7003929 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.201900544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2019] [Revised: 10/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Protozoal infections are still a global health problem, threatening the lives of millions of people around the world, mainly in impoverished tropical and sub-tropical regions. Thus, in view of the lack of efficient therapies and increasing resistances against existing drugs, this study describes the antiprotozoal potential of synthetic cinnamate ester analogues and their structure-activity relationships. In general, Leishmania donovani and Trypanosoma brucei were quite susceptible to the compounds in a structure-dependent manner. Detailed analysis revealed a key role of the substitution pattern on the aromatic ring and a marked effect of the side chain on the activity against these two parasites. The high antileishmanial potency and remarkable selectivity of the nitro-aromatic derivatives suggested them as promising candidates for further studies. On the other hand, the high in vitro potency of catechol-type compounds against T. brucei could not be extrapolated to an in vivo mouse model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Freddy A. Bernal
- Institut für Pharmazeutische Biologie und Phytochemie (IPBP)Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität MünsterCorrensstraße 4848149MünsterGermany
| | - Marcel Kaiser
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH)Socinstr. 57Basel4051Switzerland
- University of BaselPetersplatz 1Basel4003Switzerland
| | - Bernhard Wünsch
- Institut für Pharmazeutische und Medizinische ChemieWestfälische Wilhelms-Universität MünsterCorrensstraße 488149MünsterGermany
| | - Thomas J. Schmidt
- Institut für Pharmazeutische Biologie und Phytochemie (IPBP)Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität MünsterCorrensstraße 4848149MünsterGermany
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21
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Yamada K, Noguchi K, Kimitsuki K, Kaimori R, Saito N, Komeno T, Nakajima N, Furuta Y, Nishizono A. Reevaluation of the efficacy of favipiravir against rabies virus using in vivo imaging analysis. Antiviral Res 2019; 172:104641. [PMID: 31672666 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2019.104641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2019] [Revised: 10/13/2019] [Accepted: 10/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Rabies virus (RABV) is a highly neurotropic virus and the causative agent of rabies, an encephalitis with an almost 100% case-fatality rate that remains incurable after the onset of symptoms. Favipiravir (T-705), a broad-spectrum antiviral drug against RNA viruses, has been shown to be effective against RABV in vitro but ineffective in vivo. We hypothesized that favipiravir is effective in infected mice when RABV replicates in the peripheral tissues/nerves but not after virus neuroinvasion. We attempted to clarify this point in this study using in vivo bioluminescence imaging. We generated a recombinant RABV from the field isolate 1088, which expressed red firefly luciferase (1088/RFLuc). This allowed semiquantitative detection and monitoring of primary replication at the inoculation site and viral spread in the central nervous system (CNS) in the same mice. Bioluminescence imaging revealed that favipiravir (300 mg/kg/day) treatment commencing 1 h after intramuscular inoculation of RABV efficiently suppressed viral replication at the inoculation site and the subsequent replication in the CNS. However, virus replication in the CNS was not inhibited when the treatment began 2 days after inoculation. We also found that higher doses (600 or 900 mg/kg/day) of favipiravir could suppress viral replication in the CNS even when administration started 2 days after inoculation. These results support our hypothesis and suggest that a highly effective drug-delivery system into the CNS and/or the enhancement of favipiravir conversion to its active form are required to improve favipiravir treatment of rabies. Furthermore, the bioluminescence imaging system established in this study will facilitate the development of treatment for symptomatic rabies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kentaro Yamada
- Research Promotion Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, 1-1 Idaigaoka, Hasama-machi, Yufu City, Oita, 879-5593, Japan
| | - Kazuko Noguchi
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, 1-1 Idaigaoka, Hasama-machi, Yufu City, Oita, 879-5593, Japan; Department of Food Science and Technology, Minami Kyushu University, 5-1-2 Kirishima, Miyazaki City, Miyazaki, 880-0031, Japan
| | - Kazunori Kimitsuki
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, 1-1 Idaigaoka, Hasama-machi, Yufu City, Oita, 879-5593, Japan
| | - Ryo Kaimori
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, 1-1 Idaigaoka, Hasama-machi, Yufu City, Oita, 879-5593, Japan
| | - Nobuo Saito
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, 1-1 Idaigaoka, Hasama-machi, Yufu City, Oita, 879-5593, Japan
| | - Takashi Komeno
- FUJIFILM Toyama Chemical Co.,Ltd, 2-4-1 Shimookui, Toyama City, Toyama, 930-8508, Japan
| | - Nozomi Nakajima
- FUJIFILM Toyama Chemical Co.,Ltd, 2-4-1 Shimookui, Toyama City, Toyama, 930-8508, Japan
| | - Yousuke Furuta
- FUJIFILM Toyama Chemical Co.,Ltd, 2-4-1 Shimookui, Toyama City, Toyama, 930-8508, Japan
| | - Akira Nishizono
- Research Promotion Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, 1-1 Idaigaoka, Hasama-machi, Yufu City, Oita, 879-5593, Japan; Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, 1-1 Idaigaoka, Hasama-machi, Yufu City, Oita, 879-5593, Japan.
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22
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Orrego LM, Cabello-Donayre M, Vargas P, Martínez-García M, Sánchez C, Pineda-Molina E, Jiménez M, Molina R, Pérez-Victoria JM. Heme synthesis through the life cycle of the heme auxotrophic parasite Leishmania major. FASEB J 2019; 33:13367-13385. [PMID: 31553893 DOI: 10.1096/fj.201901274rr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Heme is an essential molecule synthetized through a broadly conserved 8-step route that has been lost in trypanosomatid parasites. Interestingly, Leishmania reacquired by horizontal gene transfer from γ-proteobacteria the genes coding for the last 3 enzymes of the pathway. Here we show that intracellular amastigotes of Leishmania major can scavenge heme precursors from the host cell to fulfill their heme requirements, demonstrating the functionality of this partial pathway. To dissect its role throughout the L. major life cycle, the significance of L. major ferrochelatase (LmFeCH), the terminal enzyme of the route, was evaluated. LmFeCH expression in a heterologous system demonstrated its activity. Knockout promastigotes lacking lmfech were not able to use the ferrochelatase substrate protoporphyrin IX as a source of heme. In vivo infection of Phlebotomus perniciosus with knockout promastigotes shows that LmFeCH is not required for their development in the sandfly. In contrast, the replication of intracellular amastigotes was hampered in vitro by the deletion of lmfech. However, LmFeCH-/- parasites produced disease in a cutaneous leishmaniasis murine model in a similar way as control parasites. Therefore, although L. major can synthesize de novo heme from macrophage precursors, this activity is dispensable being an unsuited target for leishmaniasis treatment.-Orrego, L. M., Cabello-Donayre, M., Vargas, P., Martínez-García, M., Sánchez, C., Pineda-Molina, E., Jiménez, M., Molina, R., Pérez-Victoria, J. M. Heme synthesis through the life cycle of the heme auxotrophic parasite Leishmania major.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina M Orrego
- Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina López-Neyra, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IPBLN-CSIC), Parque Tecnológico de la Salud (PTS) Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - María Cabello-Donayre
- Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina López-Neyra, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IPBLN-CSIC), Parque Tecnológico de la Salud (PTS) Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Paola Vargas
- Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina López-Neyra, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IPBLN-CSIC), Parque Tecnológico de la Salud (PTS) Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Marta Martínez-García
- Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina López-Neyra, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IPBLN-CSIC), Parque Tecnológico de la Salud (PTS) Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Clara Sánchez
- Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina López-Neyra, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IPBLN-CSIC), Parque Tecnológico de la Salud (PTS) Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Estela Pineda-Molina
- Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina López-Neyra, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IPBLN-CSIC), Parque Tecnológico de la Salud (PTS) Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Maribel Jiménez
- Unidad de Entomología Médica, Servicio de Parasitología, Centro Nacional de Microbiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ricardo Molina
- Unidad de Entomología Médica, Servicio de Parasitología, Centro Nacional de Microbiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - José M Pérez-Victoria
- Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina López-Neyra, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IPBLN-CSIC), Parque Tecnológico de la Salud (PTS) Granada, Granada, Spain
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23
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Dóró É, Jacobs SH, Hammond FR, Schipper H, Pieters RP, Carrington M, Wiegertjes GF, Forlenza M. Visualizing trypanosomes in a vertebrate host reveals novel swimming behaviours, adaptations and attachment mechanisms. eLife 2019; 8:48388. [PMID: 31547905 PMCID: PMC6759355 DOI: 10.7554/elife.48388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2019] [Accepted: 08/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Trypanosomes are important disease agents of humans, livestock and cold-blooded species, including fish. The cellular morphology of trypanosomes is central to their motility, adaptation to the host’s environments and pathogenesis. However, visualizing the behaviour of trypanosomes resident in a live vertebrate host has remained unexplored. In this study, we describe an infection model of zebrafish (Danio rerio) with Trypanosoma carassii. By combining high spatio-temporal resolution microscopy with the transparency of live zebrafish, we describe in detail the swimming behaviour of trypanosomes in blood and tissues of a vertebrate host. Besides the conventional tumbling and directional swimming, T. carassii can change direction through a ‘whip-like’ motion or by swimming backward. Further, the posterior end can act as an anchoring site in vivo. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a vertebrate infection model that allows detailed imaging of trypanosome swimming behaviour in vivo in a natural host environment. Trypanosomes are one-celled parasites that cause the disease trypanosomiasis, which is also known as sleeping sickness. Trypanosomiasis is transmitted to humans and animals by a type of fly, known as tse-tse, which is commonly found in sub-Saharan Africa. A bite from the tse-tse fly transfers the trypanosome cells into the host’s bloodstream, where they spread from the blood to the internal organs and brain. This leads to a long-term illness, which can sometimes result in a coma and eventually death. Once in the blood trypanosomes move around using a structure similar to an underwater propeller called the flagellum. How the trypanosomes move and behave in the blood determines how the infection will progress. Until now it has only been possible to observe trypanosomes in plastic dishes or in blood drawn from infected patients. However, neither of these settings mimic the conditions of the bloodstream, and it is currently impossible to look inside human hosts to watch how trypanosomes move. To overcome this hurdle, Doro et al. infected zebrafish with Trypanosoma carassii, a close relative of the sub-Saharan trypanosomes that specifically infects fish. Zebrafish are transparent when young, making it possible to observe the parasite in the blood and tissues of live fish using a microscope. Doro et al. noticed that Trypanosoma carassii cells adapt to different environments in the host by using different swimming techniques. For example, in small capillaries trypanosomes were dragged along with the blood flow, whilst in larger vessels, when blood flow was slow or there were fewer red blood cells, trypanosomes actively swam against the current. The parasites were also able to change direction by using their flagella in a ‘whip-like’ motion. Lastly, it was discovered that Trypanosoma carassii could rapidly attach to blood vessel walls using one end of its cell body, even when blood flow was strong. This behaviour may help the parasites escape from the bloodstream into the surrounding tissues, making the infection more dangerous. Studying how trypanosomes infect zebrafish at this high level of detail provides new insights into how these parasites move and behave inside a host. An important question that remains to be answered, is how exactly the trypanosomes leave the bloodstream. A better understanding of the whole infection process may hint at new ways of fighting these deadly infections in future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Éva Dóró
- Department of Animal Sciences, Cell Biology and Immunology Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Sem H Jacobs
- Department of Animal Sciences, Cell Biology and Immunology Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Ffion R Hammond
- Department of Animal Sciences, Cell Biology and Immunology Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Henk Schipper
- Department of Animal Sciences, Experimental Zoology Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Remco Pm Pieters
- Department of Animal Sciences, Experimental Zoology Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Mark Carrington
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Geert F Wiegertjes
- Department of Animal Sciences, Cell Biology and Immunology Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands.,Department of Animal Sciences, Aquaculture and Fisheries Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Maria Forlenza
- Department of Animal Sciences, Cell Biology and Immunology Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
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24
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MacGregor P, Gonzalez-Munoz AL, Jobe F, Taylor MC, Rust S, Sandercock AM, Macleod OJS, Van Bocxlaer K, Francisco AF, D’Hooge F, Tiberghien A, Barry CS, Howard P, Higgins MK, Vaughan TJ, Minter R, Carrington M. A single dose of antibody-drug conjugate cures a stage 1 model of African trypanosomiasis. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019; 13:e0007373. [PMID: 31120889 PMCID: PMC6532856 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2019] [Accepted: 04/09/2019] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Infections of humans and livestock with African trypanosomes are treated with drugs introduced decades ago that are not always fully effective and often have severe side effects. Here, the trypanosome haptoglobin-haemoglobin receptor (HpHbR) has been exploited as a route of uptake for an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) that is completely effective against Trypanosoma brucei in the standard mouse model of infection. Recombinant human anti-HpHbR monoclonal antibodies were isolated and shown to be internalised in a receptor-dependent manner. Antibodies were conjugated to a pyrrolobenzodiazepine (PBD) toxin and killed T. brucei in vitro at picomolar concentrations. A single therapeutic dose (0.25 mg/kg) of a HpHbR antibody-PBD conjugate completely cured a T. brucei mouse infection within 2 days with no re-emergence of infection over a subsequent time course of 77 days. These experiments provide a demonstration of how ADCs can be exploited to treat protozoal diseases that desperately require new therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula MacGregor
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - Fatoumatta Jobe
- Department of Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering, Medimmune, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Martin C. Taylor
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Steven Rust
- Department of Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering, Medimmune, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Alan M. Sandercock
- Department of Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering, Medimmune, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Matthew K. Higgins
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Tristan J. Vaughan
- Department of Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering, Medimmune, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Ralph Minter
- Department of Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering, Medimmune, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Mark Carrington
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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25
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Linciano P, Pozzi C, Iacono LD, di Pisa F, Landi G, Bonucci A, Gul S, Kuzikov M, Ellinger B, Witt G, Santarem N, Baptista C, Franco C, Moraes CB, Müller W, Wittig U, Luciani R, Sesenna A, Quotadamo A, Ferrari S, Pöhner I, Cordeiro-da-Silva A, Mangani S, Costantino L, Costi MP. Enhancement of Benzothiazoles as Pteridine Reductase-1 Inhibitors for the Treatment of Trypanosomatidic Infections. J Med Chem 2019; 62:3989-4012. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.8b02021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Pasquale Linciano
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Cecilia Pozzi
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie, Chimica e Farmacia, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Lucia dello Iacono
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie, Chimica e Farmacia, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Flavio di Pisa
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie, Chimica e Farmacia, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Giacomo Landi
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie, Chimica e Farmacia, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Alessio Bonucci
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie, Chimica e Farmacia, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Sheraz Gul
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology Screening Port, 22525 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Maria Kuzikov
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology Screening Port, 22525 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Bernhard Ellinger
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology Screening Port, 22525 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Gesa Witt
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology Screening Port, 22525 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Nuno Santarem
- Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto and Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal
| | - Catarina Baptista
- Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto and Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal
| | - Caio Franco
- Laboratório Nacional de Biociências (LNBio), Centro Nacional de Pesquisaem Energia e Materiais (CNPEM), 13083-100 Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Carolina B. Moraes
- Laboratório Nacional de Biociências (LNBio), Centro Nacional de Pesquisaem Energia e Materiais (CNPEM), 13083-100 Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | - Rosaria Luciani
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Antony Sesenna
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Antonio Quotadamo
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Stefania Ferrari
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | | | - Anabela Cordeiro-da-Silva
- Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto and Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal
| | - Stefano Mangani
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie, Chimica e Farmacia, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Luca Costantino
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Maria Paola Costi
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 103, 41125 Modena, Italy
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26
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Álvarez-Velilla R, Gutiérrez-Corbo MDC, Punzón C, Pérez-Pertejo MY, Balaña-Fouce R, Fresno M, Reguera RM. A chronic bioluminescent model of experimental visceral leishmaniasis for accelerating drug discovery. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019; 13:e0007133. [PMID: 30763330 PMCID: PMC6392311 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2018] [Revised: 02/27/2019] [Accepted: 01/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Visceral leishmaniasis is a neglected parasitic disease with no vaccine available and its pharmacological treatment is reduced to a limited number of unsafe drugs. The scarce readiness of new antileishmanial drugs is even more alarming when relapses appear or the occurrence of hard-to-treat resistant strains is detected. In addition, there is a gap between the initial and late stages of drug development, which greatly delays the selection of leads for subsequent studies. Methodology/Principal findings In order to address these issues, we have generated a red-shifted luminescent Leishmania infantum strain that enables long-term monitoring of parasite burden in individual animals with an in vivo limit of detection of 106 intracellular amastigotes 48 h postinfection. For this purpose, we have injected intravenously different infective doses (104—5x108) of metacyclic parasites in susceptible mouse models and the disease was monitored from initial times to 21 weeks postinfection. The emission of light from the target organs demonstrated the sequential parasite colonization of liver, spleen and bone marrow. When miltefosine was used as proof-of-concept, spleen weight parasite burden and bioluminescence values decreased significantly. Conclusions In vivo bioimaging using a red-shifted modified Leishmania infantum strain allows the appraisal of acute and chronic stage of infection, being a powerful tool for accelerating drug development against visceral leishmaniasis during both stages and helping to bridge the gap between early discovery process and subsequent drug development. Visceral leishmaniasis is a neglected disease that poses a significant threat to impoverished human populations of low-income countries. Due to the unavailability of vaccines, pharmacological treatment is the only approach to control the disease that otherwise can be lethal. To date, drug management in endemic regions is based on combinations of a handful of mostly unsafe drugs, where the emergence of resistant strains is an additional problem. To accelerate the discovery of new drug entities, several gaps from the early discovery of a compound to its public use, should be filled. One of these gaps is the need of a rapid go/no-go testing system for compounds based on robust preclinical models. Here, we propose a new long-term model of murine visceral leishmaniasis using in vivo bioluminescent imaging. For this purpose, a red-shifted bioluminescent Leishmania infantum strain was engineered. This strain has allowed the appraisal of the disease in individual animals and the monitoring of parasite colonization in liver, spleen and bone marrow. As proof of concept of this platform, mice were infected with the transgenic L. infantum strain treated with a standard schedule of miltefosine, the only oral drug available against Leishmania parasites. Bioluminescence and parasite load in the target organs were compared showing a good correlation. Our findings provide a robust and reproducible tool for drug discovery in a chronic model of murine visceral leishmaniasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Álvarez-Velilla
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Carmen Punzón
- Diomune S.L Parque Científico de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | - Manuel Fresno
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Diomune S.L Parque Científico de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Rosa María Reguera
- Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad de León, León, Spain
- * E-mail:
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27
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Niemirowicz GT, Cazzulo JJ, Álvarez VE, Bouvier LA. Simplified inducible system for Trypanosoma brucei. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0205527. [PMID: 30308039 PMCID: PMC6181392 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0205527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2018] [Accepted: 09/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Nowadays, most reverse genetics approaches in Trypanosoma brucei, a protozoan parasite of medical and veterinary importance, rely on pre-established cell lines. Consequently, inducible experimentation is reduced to a few laboratory strains. Here we described a new transgene expression system based exclusively on endogenous transcription activities and a minimum set of regulatory components that can easily been adapted to different strains. The pTbFIX vectors are designed to contain the sequence of interest under the control of an inducible rRNA promoter along with a constitutive dicistronic unit encoding a nucleus targeted tetracycline repressor and puromycin resistance genes in a tandem “head-to-tail” configuration. Upon doxycycline induction, the system supports regulatable GFP expression (170 to 400 fold) in both bloodstream and procyclic T. brucei forms. Furthermore we have adapted the pTbFIX plasmid to perform RNAi experimentation. Lethal phenotypes, including α-tubulin and those corresponding to the enolase and clathrin heavy chain genes, were successfully recapitulated in procyclic and bloodstream parasites thus showing the versatility of this new tool.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela T. Niemirowicz
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas (IIB) Dr. Rodolfo A. Ugalde, Universidad Nacional de San Martín (UNSAM), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), San Martín, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Juan J. Cazzulo
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas (IIB) Dr. Rodolfo A. Ugalde, Universidad Nacional de San Martín (UNSAM), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), San Martín, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Vanina E. Álvarez
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas (IIB) Dr. Rodolfo A. Ugalde, Universidad Nacional de San Martín (UNSAM), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), San Martín, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - León A. Bouvier
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas (IIB) Dr. Rodolfo A. Ugalde, Universidad Nacional de San Martín (UNSAM), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), San Martín, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- * E-mail:
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28
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Calvo-Alvarez E, Cren-Travaillé C, Crouzols A, Rotureau B. A new chimeric triple reporter fusion protein as a tool for in vitro and in vivo multimodal imaging to monitor the development of African trypanosomes and Leishmania parasites. INFECTION, GENETICS AND EVOLUTION : JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY GENETICS IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2018; 63:391-403. [PMID: 29339220 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2018.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2017] [Revised: 01/09/2018] [Accepted: 01/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Trypanosomiases and leishmaniases, caused by a group of related protist parasites, are Neglected Tropical Diseases currently threatening >500 million people worldwide. Reporter proteins have revolutionised the research on infectious diseases and have opened up new advances in the understanding of trypanosomatid-borne diseases in terms of both biology, pathogenesis and drug development. Here, we describe the generation and some applications of a new chimeric triple reporter fusion protein combining the red-shifted firefly luciferase PpyREH9 and the tdTomato red fluorescent protein, fused by the TY1 tag. Expressed in both Trypanosoma brucei brucei and Leishmania major transgenic parasites, this construct was successfully assessed on different state-of-the-art imaging technologies, at different scales ranging from whole organism to cellular level, both in vitro and in vivo in murine models. For T. b. brucei, the usefulness of this triple marker to monitor the entire parasite cycle in both tsetse flies and mice was further demonstrated. This stable reporter allows to qualitatively and quantitatively scrutinize in real-time several crucial aspects of the parasite's development, including the development of African trypanosomes in the dermis of the mammalian host. We briefly discuss developments in bio-imaging technologies and highlight how we could improve our understanding of parasitism by combining the genetic engineering of parasites to the one of the hosting organisms in which they complete their developmental program.
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Affiliation(s)
- Estefania Calvo-Alvarez
- Trypanosome Transmission Group, Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit, Institut Pasteur and INSERM U1201, Paris, France.
| | - Christelle Cren-Travaillé
- Trypanosome Transmission Group, Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit, Institut Pasteur and INSERM U1201, Paris, France
| | - Aline Crouzols
- Trypanosome Transmission Group, Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit, Institut Pasteur and INSERM U1201, Paris, France
| | - Brice Rotureau
- Trypanosome Transmission Group, Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit, Institut Pasteur and INSERM U1201, Paris, France
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29
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Berry SL, Hameed H, Thomason A, Maciej-Hulme ML, Saif Abou-Akkada S, Horrocks P, Price HP. Development of NanoLuc-PEST expressing Leishmania mexicana as a new drug discovery tool for axenic- and intramacrophage-based assays. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2018; 12:e0006639. [PMID: 30001317 PMCID: PMC6057649 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0006639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2018] [Revised: 07/24/2018] [Accepted: 06/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The protozoan parasite Leishmania causes leishmaniasis; a spectrum of diseases of which there are an estimated 1 million new cases each year. Current treatments are toxic, expensive, difficult to administer, and resistance to them is emerging. New therapeutics are urgently needed, however, screening the infective amastigote form of the parasite is challenging. Only certain species can be differentiated into axenic amastigotes, and compound activity against these does not always correlate with efficacy against the parasite in its intracellular niche. Methods used to assess compound efficacy on intracellular amastigotes often rely on microscopy-based assays. These are laborious, require specialist equipment and can only determine parasite burden, not parasite viability. We have addressed this clear need in the anti-leishmanial drug discovery process by producing a transgenic L. mexicana cell line that expresses the luciferase NanoLuc-PEST. We tested the sensitivity and versatility of this transgenic strain, in comparison with strains expressing NanoLuc and the red-shifted firefly luciferase. We then compared the NanoLuc-PEST luciferase to the current methods in both axenic and intramacrophage amastigotes following treatment with a supralethal dose of Amphotericin B. NanoLuc-PEST was a more dynamic indicator of cell viability due to its high turnover rate and high signal:background ratio. This, coupled with its sensitivity in the intramacrophage assay, led us to validate the NanoLuc-PEST expressing cell line using the MMV Pathogen Box in a two-step process: i) identify hits against axenic amastigotes, ii) screen these hits using our bioluminescence-based intramacrophage assay. The data obtained from this highlights the potential of compounds active against M. tuberculosis to be re-purposed for use against Leishmania. Our transgenic L. mexicana cell line is therefore a highly sensitive and dynamic system suitable for Leishmania drug discovery in axenic and intramacrophage amastigote models. The protozoan parasite Leishmania causes a spectrum of diseases collectively known as leishmaniasis. The parasite is transmitted to humans by the bite of its vector, the sand fly, following which the parasite invades host white blood cells, particularly macrophages. Leishmaniasis is classified as a neglected tropical disease, and is endemic in 97 countries. Symptoms of the disease depend on the species of Leishmania. These include skin lesions, destruction of the mucosal membranes, and the visceral form which is usually fatal if untreated. Current therapeutic options for leishmaniasis have a number of associated problems that include toxicity, the development of drug resistance and poor patient compliance due to lengthy and painful treatment regimens. New therapeutics are therefore urgently needed. The ability to screen potential drug candidates requires robust screening assays. Currently, screening the intracellular parasite relies on microscopy-based techniques that require expensive equipment, are time consuming and only detect parasite burden, not viability. By using a transgenic cell line that expresses the NanoLuc-PEST luciferase, we show that we have a parasite-specific viability marker that can be used to measure the efficacy of compounds against the intracellular parasite. We validate the potential of this cell line by screening the MMV Pathogen Box.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah L. Berry
- Centre for Applied Entomology and Parasitology, School of Life Sciences, Keele University, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, United Kingdom
| | - Hamza Hameed
- Institute for Science and Technology in Medicine, Keele University, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, United Kingdom
| | - Anna Thomason
- Centre for Applied Entomology and Parasitology, School of Life Sciences, Keele University, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, United Kingdom
- Current address: School of Environment and Life Sciences, University of Salford, Salford, United Kingdom
| | - Marissa L. Maciej-Hulme
- Radboud University Medical Center, Department of Nephrology, Geert Grooteplein 10, GA Nijmegan, The Netherlands
| | - Somaia Saif Abou-Akkada
- Centre for Applied Entomology and Parasitology, School of Life Sciences, Keele University, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, United Kingdom
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Paul Horrocks
- Centre for Applied Entomology and Parasitology, School of Life Sciences, Keele University, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, United Kingdom
- Institute for Science and Technology in Medicine, Keele University, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, United Kingdom
| | - Helen P. Price
- Centre for Applied Entomology and Parasitology, School of Life Sciences, Keele University, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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Silberstein E, Serna C, Fragoso SP, Nagarkatti R, Debrabant A. A novel nanoluciferase-based system to monitor Trypanosoma cruzi infection in mice by bioluminescence imaging. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0195879. [PMID: 29672535 PMCID: PMC5908157 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0195879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2017] [Accepted: 03/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Chagas disease, caused by the intracellular protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, affects 8–10 million people worldwide and represents a major public health challenge. There is no effective treatment or vaccine to control the disease that is characterized by a mild acute phase followed by a chronic life-long infection. Approximately 30% of chronically infected individuals develop cardiac and/or digestive pathologies. T. cruzi can invade a wide variety of nucleated cells, but only persists at specific tissues in the host. However, the mechanisms that determine tissue tropism and the progression of the infection have not been fully described. Identification of infection niches in animal models has been difficult due to the limited quantity of parasite-infected cells and their focal distribution in tissues during the chronic phase. To better understand the course of chronic infections and parasite dissemination, we developed a bioluminescence imaging system based on the use of transgenic T. cruzi Colombiana strain parasites expressing nanoluciferase. Swiss Webster mice were infected with luminescent trypomastigotes and monitored for 126 days. Whole animal in vivo imaging showed parasites predominantly distributed in the abdominal cavity and surrounding areas throughout the infection. Bioluminescence signal reached a peak between 14 to 21 days post infection (dpi) and decreased progressively over time. Total animal luminescence could still be measured 126 dpi while parasites remained undetectable in blood by microscopy in most animals. Ex vivo imaging of specific tissues and organs dissected post-mortem at 126 dpi revealed a widespread parasite distribution in the skeletal muscle, heart, intestines and mesenteric fat. Parasites were also detected in lungs and liver. This noninvasive imaging model represents a novel tool to study host-parasite interactions and to identify parasite reservoirs of chronic Chagas Disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica Silberstein
- Laboratory of Emerging Pathogens, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Carylinda Serna
- Laboratory of Emerging Pathogens, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Stenio Perdigão Fragoso
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Trypanosomatids, Instituto Carlos Chagas/Fiocruz, Curitiba - Paraná, Brazil
| | - Rana Nagarkatti
- Laboratory of Emerging Pathogens, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Alain Debrabant
- Laboratory of Emerging Pathogens, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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31
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Expanding the toolbox for Trypanosoma cruzi: A parasite line incorporating a bioluminescence-fluorescence dual reporter and streamlined CRISPR/Cas9 functionality for rapid in vivo localisation and phenotyping. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2018; 12:e0006388. [PMID: 29608569 PMCID: PMC5897030 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0006388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2018] [Revised: 04/12/2018] [Accepted: 03/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Infection with Trypanosoma cruzi causes Chagas disease, a major public health problem throughout Latin America. There is no vaccine and the only drugs have severe side effects. Efforts to generate new therapies are hampered by limitations in our understanding of parasite biology and disease pathogenesis. Studies are compromised by the complexity of the disease, the long-term nature of the infection, and the fact that parasites are barely detectable during the chronic stage. In addition, functional dissection of T. cruzi biology has been restricted by the limited flexibility of the genetic manipulation technology applicable to this parasite. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Here, we describe two technical innovations, which will allow the role of the parasite in disease progression to be better assessed. First, we generated a T. cruzi reporter strain that expresses a fusion protein comprising red-shifted luciferase and green fluorescent protein domains. Bioluminescence allows the kinetics of infection to be followed within a single animal, and specific foci of infection to be pinpointed in excised tissues. Fluorescence can then be used to visualise individual parasites in tissue sections to study host-parasite interactions at a cellular level. Using this strategy, we have been routinely able to find individual parasites within chronically infected murine tissues for the first time. The second advance is the incorporation of a streamlined CRISPR/Cas9 functionality into this reporter strain that can facilitate genome editing using a PCR-based approach that does not require DNA cloning. This system allows the rapid generation of null mutants and fluorescently tagged parasites in a background where the in vivo phenotype can be rapidly assessed. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE The techniques described here will have multiple applications for studying aspects of T. cruzi biology and Chagas disease pathogenesis previously inaccessible to conventional approaches. The reagents and cell lines have been generated as a community resource and are freely available on request.
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Ebiloma GU, Ayuga TD, Balogun EO, Gil LA, Donachie A, Kaiser M, Herraiz T, Inaoka DK, Shiba T, Harada S, Kita K, de Koning HP, Dardonville C. Inhibition of trypanosome alternative oxidase without its N-terminal mitochondrial targeting signal (ΔMTS-TAO) by cationic and non-cationic 4-hydroxybenzoate and 4-alkoxybenzaldehyde derivatives active against T. brucei and T. congolense. Eur J Med Chem 2018; 150:385-402. [PMID: 29544150 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2018.02.075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2017] [Revised: 02/22/2018] [Accepted: 02/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
African trypanosomiasis is a neglected parasitic disease that is still of great public health relevance, and a severe impediment to agriculture in endemic areas. The pathogens possess certain unique metabolic features that can be exploited for the development of new drugs. Notably, they rely on an essential, mitochondrially-localized enzyme, Trypanosome Alternative Oxidase (TAO) for their energy metabolism, which is absent in the mammalian hosts and therefore an attractive target for the design of safe drugs. In this study, we cloned, expressed and purified the physiologically relevant form of TAO, which lacks the N-terminal 25 amino acid mitochondrial targeting sequence (ΔMTS-TAO). A new class of 32 cationic and non-cationic 4-hydroxybenzoate and 4-alkoxybenzaldehyde inhibitors was designed and synthesized, enabling the first structure-activity relationship studies on ΔMTS-TAO. Remarkably, we obtained compounds with enzyme inhibition values (IC50) as low as 2 nM, which were efficacious against wild type and multidrug-resistant strains of T. brucei and T. congolense. The inhibitors 13, 15, 16, 19, and 30, designed with a mitochondrion-targeting lipophilic cation tail, displayed trypanocidal potencies comparable to the reference drugs pentamidine and diminazene, and showed no cross-resistance with the critical diamidine and melaminophenyl arsenical classes of trypanocides. The cationic inhibitors 15, 16, 19, 20, and 30 were also much more selective (900 - 344,000) over human cells than the non-targeted neutral derivatives (selectivity >8-fold). A preliminary in vivo study showed that modest doses of 15 and 16 reduced parasitaemia of mice infected with T. b. rhodesiense (STIB900). These compounds represent a promising new class of potent and selective hits against African trypanosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Godwin U Ebiloma
- Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom; Department of Biochemistry, Kogi State University, Anyigba, Nigeria
| | - Teresa Díaz Ayuga
- Instituto de Química Médica, IQM-CSIC, Juan de la Cierva 3, E-28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Emmanuel O Balogun
- Department of Biomedical Chemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Japan; Department of Biochemistry, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria 2222, Nigeria
| | - Lucía Abad Gil
- Instituto de Química Médica, IQM-CSIC, Juan de la Cierva 3, E-28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Anne Donachie
- Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Marcel Kaiser
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Socinstrasse, 57, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Tomás Herraiz
- Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de Alimentos y Nutrición, ICTAN-CSIC, Juan de la Cierva 3, E-28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Daniel K Inaoka
- Department of Biomedical Chemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Japan; School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, 852-8523, Japan
| | - Tomoo Shiba
- Department of Applied Biology, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Kyoto 606-8585, Japan
| | - Shigeharu Harada
- Department of Applied Biology, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Kyoto 606-8585, Japan
| | - Kiyoshi Kita
- Department of Biomedical Chemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Japan; School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, 852-8523, Japan
| | - Harry P de Koning
- Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
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Branchini BR, Southworth TL, Fontaine DM, Kohrt D, Welcome FS, Florentine CM, Henricks ER, DeBartolo DB, Michelini E, Cevenini L, Roda A, Grossel MJ. Red-emitting chimeric firefly luciferase for in vivo imaging in low ATP cellular environments. Anal Biochem 2017; 534:36-39. [PMID: 28687486 DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2017.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2017] [Revised: 06/30/2017] [Accepted: 07/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Beetle luciferases have been adapted for live cell imaging where bioluminescence is dependent on the cellular availability of ATP, O2, and added luciferin. Previous Photinus pyralis red-emitting variants with high Km values for ATP have performed disappointingly in live cells despite having much higher relative specific activities than enzymes like Click Beetle Red (CBR). We engineered a luciferase variant PLR3 having a Km value for ATP similar to CBR and ∼2.6-fold higher specific activity. The red-emitting PLR3 was ∼2.5-fold brighter than CBR in living HEK293T and HeLa cells, an improvement consistent with the importance of the Km value in low ATP environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce R Branchini
- Department of Chemistry, Connecticut College, New London, CT 06320, USA.
| | - Tara L Southworth
- Department of Chemistry, Connecticut College, New London, CT 06320, USA
| | | | - Dawn Kohrt
- Department of Biology, Connecticut College, New London, CT 06320, USA
| | | | | | - Emma R Henricks
- Department of Chemistry, Connecticut College, New London, CT 06320, USA
| | | | - Elisa Michelini
- Department of Chemistry "G. Ciamician", University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Luca Cevenini
- Department of Chemistry "G. Ciamician", University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Aldo Roda
- Department of Chemistry "G. Ciamician", University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Martha J Grossel
- Department of Biology, Connecticut College, New London, CT 06320, USA
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Burrell-Saward H, Harris AJ, de LaFlor R, Sallam H, Alavijeh MS, Ward TH, Croft SL. Dose-dependent effect and pharmacokinetics of fexinidazole and its metabolites in a mouse model of human African trypanosomiasis. Int J Antimicrob Agents 2017; 50:203-209. [PMID: 28552771 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2017.01.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2016] [Revised: 01/13/2017] [Accepted: 01/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) is a neglected tropical disease, with a population of 70 million at risk. Current treatment options are limited. In the search for new therapeutics, the repurposing of the broad-spectrum antiprotozoal drug fexinidazole has completed Phase III trials with the anticipation that it will be the first oral treatment for HAT. This study used the recently validated bioluminescence imaging model to assess the dose and rate of kill effect of fexinidazole in infected mice, and the dose-dependent effect of fexinidazole on trypanosome infection. Pharmacokinetics of fexinidazole in plasma and central nervous system (CNS) compartments were similar in both infected and uninfected mice. Drug distribution within the CNS was further examined by microdialysis, showing similar levels in the cortex and hippocampus. However, high variability in drug distribution and exposure was found between mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hollie Burrell-Saward
- Department of Immunology and Infection, Faculty of Infectious Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | | | | | - Hatem Sallam
- Department of Immunology and Infection, Faculty of Infectious Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Mo S Alavijeh
- Pharmidex, Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst, Stevenage, UK
| | - Theresa H Ward
- Department of Immunology and Infection, Faculty of Infectious Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Simon L Croft
- Department of Immunology and Infection, Faculty of Infectious Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
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35
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Tavares J, Costa DM, Teixeira AR, Cordeiro-da-Silva A, Amino R. In vivo imaging of pathogen homing to the host tissues. Methods 2017; 127:37-44. [PMID: 28522323 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2017.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2017] [Revised: 04/19/2017] [Accepted: 05/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Hematogenous dissemination followed by tissue tropism is a characteristic of the infectious process of many pathogens including those transmitted by blood-feeding vectors. After entering into the blood circulation, these pathogens must arrest in the target organ before they infect a specific tissue. Here, we describe a non-invasive method to visualize and quantify the homing of pathogens to the host tissues. By using in vivo bioluminescence imaging we quantify the accumulation of luciferase-expressing parasites in the host organs during the first minutes following their intravascular inoculation in mice. Using this technique we show that in the malarial infection, once in the blood circulation, most of bioluminescent Plasmodium berghei sporozoites, the parasite stage transmitted to the host skin by a mosquito bite, rapidly home to the liver where they invade and develop inside hepatocytes. This homing is specific to this developmental stage since blood stage parasites do not accumulate in the liver, as well as extracellular Trypanosoma brucei bloodstream forms and liver-infecting Leishmania infantum amastigotes. Finally, this method can be used to study the dynamics of tissue tropism of parasites, dissect the molecular and cellular basis of their increased arrest in organs and to evaluate immune interventions designed to block this targeted interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana Tavares
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Portugal; IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Portugal.
| | - David Mendes Costa
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Portugal; IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
| | - Ana Rafaela Teixeira
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Portugal; IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
| | - Anabela Cordeiro-da-Silva
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Portugal; IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Portugal; Faculdade de Farmácia da Universidade do Porto, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Portugal
| | - Rogerio Amino
- Unit of Malaria Infection and Immunity, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
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Field MC, Horn D, Fairlamb AH, Ferguson MAJ, Gray DW, Read KD, De Rycker M, Torrie LS, Wyatt PG, Wyllie S, Gilbert IH. Anti-trypanosomatid drug discovery: an ongoing challenge and a continuing need. Nat Rev Microbiol 2017; 15:217-231. [PMID: 28239154 PMCID: PMC5582623 DOI: 10.1038/nrmicro.2016.193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 265] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The WHO recognizes human African trypanosomiasis, Chagas disease and the leishmaniases as neglected tropical diseases. These diseases are caused by parasitic trypanosomatids and range in severity from mild and self-curing to near invariably fatal. Public health advances have substantially decreased the effect of these diseases in recent decades but alone will not eliminate them. In this Review, we discuss why new drugs against trypanosomatids are required, approaches that are under investigation to develop new drugs and why the drug discovery pipeline remains essentially unfilled. In addition, we consider the important challenges to drug discovery strategies and the new technologies that can address them. The combination of new drugs, new technologies and public health initiatives is essential for the management, and hopefully eventual elimination, of trypanosomatid diseases from the human population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark C Field
- Wellcome Centre for Anti-Infectives Research, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - David Horn
- Wellcome Centre for Anti-Infectives Research, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Alan H Fairlamb
- Wellcome Centre for Anti-Infectives Research, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Michael A J Ferguson
- Wellcome Centre for Anti-Infectives Research, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - David W Gray
- Wellcome Centre for Anti-Infectives Research, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Kevin D Read
- Wellcome Centre for Anti-Infectives Research, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Manu De Rycker
- Wellcome Centre for Anti-Infectives Research, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Leah S Torrie
- Wellcome Centre for Anti-Infectives Research, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Paul G Wyatt
- Wellcome Centre for Anti-Infectives Research, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Susan Wyllie
- Wellcome Centre for Anti-Infectives Research, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Ian H Gilbert
- Wellcome Centre for Anti-Infectives Research, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
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37
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Lewis MD, Kelly JM. Putting Infection Dynamics at the Heart of Chagas Disease. Trends Parasitol 2016; 32:899-911. [PMID: 27612651 PMCID: PMC5086431 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2016.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2016] [Revised: 08/15/2016] [Accepted: 08/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
In chronic Trypanosoma cruzi infections, parasite burden is controlled by effective, but nonsterilising immune responses. Infected cells are difficult to detect because they are scarce and focally distributed in multiple sites. However, advances in detection technologies have established a link between parasite persistence and the pathogenesis of Chagas heart disease. Long-term persistence likely involves episodic reinvasion as well as continuous infection, to an extent that varies between tissues. The primary reservoir sites in humans are not definitively known, but analysis of murine models has identified the gastrointestinal tract. Here, we highlight that quantitative, spatial, and temporal aspects of T. cruzi infection are central to a fuller understanding of the association between persistence, pathogenesis, and immunity, and for optimising treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael D Lewis
- Department of Pathogen Molecular Biology, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK; Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
| | - John M Kelly
- Department of Pathogen Molecular Biology, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
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38
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Khare S, Nagle AS, Biggart A, Lai YH, Liang F, Davis LC, Barnes SW, Mathison CJN, Myburgh E, Gao MY, Gillespie JR, Liu X, Tan JL, Stinson M, Rivera IC, Ballard J, Yeh V, Groessl T, Federe G, Koh HXY, Venable JD, Bursulaya B, Shapiro M, Mishra PK, Spraggon G, Brock A, Mottram JC, Buckner FS, Rao SPS, Wen BG, Walker JR, Tuntland T, Molteni V, Glynne RJ, Supek F. Proteasome inhibition for treatment of leishmaniasis, Chagas disease and sleeping sickness. Nature 2016; 537:229-233. [PMID: 27501246 PMCID: PMC5161665 DOI: 10.1038/nature19339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 282] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2015] [Accepted: 08/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Chagas disease, leishmaniasis and sleeping sickness affect 20 million people worldwide and lead to more than 50,000 deaths annually. The diseases are caused by infection with the kinetoplastid parasites Trypanosoma cruzi, Leishmania spp. and Trypanosoma brucei spp., respectively. These parasites have similar biology and genomic sequence, suggesting that all three diseases could be cured with drugs that modulate the activity of a conserved parasite target. However, no such molecular targets or broad spectrum drugs have been identified to date. Here we describe a selective inhibitor of the kinetoplastid proteasome (GNF6702) with unprecedented in vivo efficacy, which cleared parasites from mice in all three models of infection. GNF6702 inhibits the kinetoplastid proteasome through a non-competitive mechanism, does not inhibit the mammalian proteasome or growth of mammalian cells, and is well-tolerated in mice. Our data provide genetic and chemical validation of the parasite proteasome as a promising therapeutic target for treatment of kinetoplastid infections, and underscore the possibility of developing a single class of drugs for these neglected diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shilpi Khare
- Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, 10675 John Jay Hopkins Drive, San Diego, California 92121, USA
| | - Advait S Nagle
- Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, 10675 John Jay Hopkins Drive, San Diego, California 92121, USA
| | - Agnes Biggart
- Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, 10675 John Jay Hopkins Drive, San Diego, California 92121, USA
| | - Yin H Lai
- Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, 10675 John Jay Hopkins Drive, San Diego, California 92121, USA
| | - Fang Liang
- Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, 10675 John Jay Hopkins Drive, San Diego, California 92121, USA
| | - Lauren C Davis
- Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, 10675 John Jay Hopkins Drive, San Diego, California 92121, USA
| | - S Whitney Barnes
- Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, 10675 John Jay Hopkins Drive, San Diego, California 92121, USA
| | - Casey J N Mathison
- Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, 10675 John Jay Hopkins Drive, San Diego, California 92121, USA
| | - Elmarie Myburgh
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8TA, UK
- Centre for Immunology and Infection, Department of Biology, University of York, Wentworth Way, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Mu-Yun Gao
- Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, 10675 John Jay Hopkins Drive, San Diego, California 92121, USA
| | - J Robert Gillespie
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA
| | - Xianzhong Liu
- Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, 10675 John Jay Hopkins Drive, San Diego, California 92121, USA
| | - Jocelyn L Tan
- Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, 10675 John Jay Hopkins Drive, San Diego, California 92121, USA
| | - Monique Stinson
- Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, 10675 John Jay Hopkins Drive, San Diego, California 92121, USA
| | - Ianne C Rivera
- Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, 10675 John Jay Hopkins Drive, San Diego, California 92121, USA
| | - Jaime Ballard
- Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, 10675 John Jay Hopkins Drive, San Diego, California 92121, USA
| | - Vince Yeh
- Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, 10675 John Jay Hopkins Drive, San Diego, California 92121, USA
| | - Todd Groessl
- Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, 10675 John Jay Hopkins Drive, San Diego, California 92121, USA
| | - Glenn Federe
- Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, 10675 John Jay Hopkins Drive, San Diego, California 92121, USA
| | - Hazel X Y Koh
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, 10 Biopolis Road, Singapore 138670
| | - John D Venable
- Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, 10675 John Jay Hopkins Drive, San Diego, California 92121, USA
| | - Badry Bursulaya
- Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, 10675 John Jay Hopkins Drive, San Diego, California 92121, USA
| | - Michael Shapiro
- Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, 10675 John Jay Hopkins Drive, San Diego, California 92121, USA
| | - Pranab K Mishra
- Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, 10675 John Jay Hopkins Drive, San Diego, California 92121, USA
| | - Glen Spraggon
- Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, 10675 John Jay Hopkins Drive, San Diego, California 92121, USA
| | - Ansgar Brock
- Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, 10675 John Jay Hopkins Drive, San Diego, California 92121, USA
| | - Jeremy C Mottram
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8TA, UK
- Centre for Immunology and Infection, Department of Biology, University of York, Wentworth Way, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Frederick S Buckner
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA
| | - Srinivasa P S Rao
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, 10 Biopolis Road, Singapore 138670
| | - Ben G Wen
- Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, 10675 John Jay Hopkins Drive, San Diego, California 92121, USA
| | - John R Walker
- Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, 10675 John Jay Hopkins Drive, San Diego, California 92121, USA
| | - Tove Tuntland
- Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, 10675 John Jay Hopkins Drive, San Diego, California 92121, USA
| | - Valentina Molteni
- Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, 10675 John Jay Hopkins Drive, San Diego, California 92121, USA
| | - Richard J Glynne
- Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, 10675 John Jay Hopkins Drive, San Diego, California 92121, USA
| | - Frantisek Supek
- Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, 10675 John Jay Hopkins Drive, San Diego, California 92121, USA
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Caljon G, Van Reet N, De Trez C, Vermeersch M, Pérez-Morga D, Van Den Abbeele J. The Dermis as a Delivery Site of Trypanosoma brucei for Tsetse Flies. PLoS Pathog 2016; 12:e1005744. [PMID: 27441553 PMCID: PMC4956260 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1005744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2016] [Accepted: 06/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Tsetse flies are the sole vectors of Trypanosoma brucei parasites that cause sleeping sickness. Our knowledge on the early interface between the infective metacyclic forms and the mammalian host skin is currently highly limited. Glossina morsitans flies infected with fluorescently tagged T. brucei parasites were used in this study to initiate natural infections in mice. Metacyclic trypanosomes were found to be highly infectious through the intradermal route in sharp contrast with blood stream form trypanosomes. Parasite emigration from the dermal inoculation site resulted in detectable parasite levels in the draining lymph nodes within 18 hours and in the peripheral blood within 42 h. A subset of parasites remained and actively proliferated in the dermis. By initiating mixed infections with differentially labeled parasites, dermal parasites were unequivocally shown to arise from the initial inoculum and not from a re-invasion from the blood circulation. Scanning electron microscopy demonstrated intricate interactions of these skin-residing parasites with adipocytes in the connective tissue, entanglement by reticular fibers of the periadipocytic baskets and embedment between collagen bundles. Experimental transmission experiments combined with molecular parasite detection in blood fed flies provided evidence that dermal trypanosomes can be acquired from the inoculation site immediately after the initial transmission. High resolution thermographic imaging also revealed that intradermal parasite expansion induces elevated skin surface temperatures. Collectively, the dermis represents a delivery site of the highly infective metacyclic trypanosomes from which the host is systemically colonized and where a proliferative subpopulation remains that is physically constrained by intricate interactions with adipocytes and collagen fibrous structures. Sleeping sickness is caused by trypanosomes that are transmitted by the blood feeding tsetse flies. The present study has established an experimental transmission model with fluorescently labeled parasites in mice that allows us to study their fate following natural transmission by a tsetse fly bite. Parasites that arise in the tsetse salivary glands were found to be highly infective following inoculation in the mammalian skin in contrast with previous observations made for trypanosomes purified from the blood stream. This study unveiled that a proportion of parasites is retained in the skin and actively proliferates close to the initial inoculation site resulting in significantly elevated skin temperatures. This retention was linked to interaction with fat cells and collagen fibrous structures. Experimental transmission experiments were able to demonstrate that parasites can be acquired from the inoculation site immediately after the initial transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guy Caljon
- Unit of Veterinary Protozoology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp (ITM), Antwerp, Belgium
- Laboratory for Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
- Laboratory of Myeloid Cell Immunology, VIB Inflammation Research Center, Ghent, Belgium
- * E-mail: (GC); (JVDA)
| | - Nick Van Reet
- Unit of Parasite Diagnostics, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp (ITM), Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Carl De Trez
- Unit of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
- Structural Biology Research Center (SBRC), VIB, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Marjorie Vermeersch
- Center for Microscopy and Molecular Imaging (CMMI), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Gosselies, Belgium
| | - David Pérez-Morga
- Center for Microscopy and Molecular Imaging (CMMI), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Gosselies, Belgium
- Laboratory of Molecular Parasitology, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Gosselies, Belgium
| | - Jan Van Den Abbeele
- Unit of Veterinary Protozoology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp (ITM), Antwerp, Belgium
- * E-mail: (GC); (JVDA)
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40
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Trindade S, Rijo-Ferreira F, Carvalho T, Pinto-Neves D, Guegan F, Aresta-Branco F, Bento F, Young SA, Pinto A, Van Den Abbeele J, Ribeiro RM, Dias S, Smith TK, Figueiredo LM. Trypanosoma brucei Parasites Occupy and Functionally Adapt to the Adipose Tissue in Mice. Cell Host Microbe 2016; 19:837-48. [PMID: 27237364 PMCID: PMC4906371 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2016.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 232] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2015] [Revised: 03/21/2016] [Accepted: 04/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Trypanosoma brucei is an extracellular parasite that causes sleeping sickness. In mammalian hosts, trypanosomes are thought to exist in two major niches: early in infection, they populate the blood; later, they breach the blood-brain barrier. Working with a well-established mouse model, we discovered that adipose tissue constitutes a third major reservoir for T. brucei. Parasites from adipose tissue, here termed adipose tissue forms (ATFs), can replicate and were capable of infecting a naive animal. ATFs were transcriptionally distinct from bloodstream forms, and the genes upregulated included putative fatty acid β-oxidation enzymes. Consistent with this, ATFs were able to utilize exogenous myristate and form β-oxidation intermediates, suggesting that ATF parasites can use fatty acids as an external carbon source. These findings identify the adipose tissue as a niche for T. brucei during its mammalian life cycle and could potentially explain the weight loss associated with sleeping sickness. T. brucei parasites accumulate in the adipose tissue early after mouse infection Adipose tissue forms (ATFs) can replicate and are capable of infecting naive mice ATFs are transcriptionally distinct and upregulate genes for fatty acid metabolism ATFs can actively uptake exogenous myristate and form β-oxidation intermediates
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Trindade
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1990-375 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Filipa Rijo-Ferreira
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1990-375 Lisboa, Portugal; Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390-9111, USA; Graduate Program in Areas of Basic and Applied Biology, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, 4099-002 Porto, Portugal
| | - Tânia Carvalho
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1990-375 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Daniel Pinto-Neves
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1990-375 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Fabien Guegan
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1990-375 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Francisco Aresta-Branco
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1990-375 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Fabio Bento
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1990-375 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Simon A Young
- Biomedical Sciences Research Complex, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9ST, UK
| | - Andreia Pinto
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1990-375 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Jan Van Den Abbeele
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Unit of Veterinary Protozoology, Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp, B-2000 Antwerp, Belgium; Department of Physiology, Laboratory of Zoophysiology, University of Ghent, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Ruy M Ribeiro
- Theoretical Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA; Guest Professor, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1990-375 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Sérgio Dias
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1990-375 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Terry K Smith
- Biomedical Sciences Research Complex, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9ST, UK
| | - Luisa M Figueiredo
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1990-375 Lisboa, Portugal.
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41
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Burrell-Saward H, Ward TH. Bioluminescence Imaging to Detect Late Stage Infection of African Trypanosomiasis. JOURNAL OF VISUALIZED EXPERIMENTS : JOVE 2016. [PMID: 27284970 DOI: 10.3791/54032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) is a multi-stage disease that manifests in two stages; an early blood stage and a late stage when the parasite invades the central nervous system (CNS). In vivo study of the late stage has been limited as traditional methodologies require the removal of the brain to determine the presence of the parasites. Bioluminescence imaging is a non-invasive, highly sensitive form of optical imaging that enables the visualization of a luciferase-transfected pathogen in real-time. By using a transfected trypanosome strain that has the ability to produce late stage disease in mice we are able to study the kinetics of a CNS infection in a single animal throughout the course of infection, as well as observe the movement and dissemination of a systemic infection. Here we describe a robust protocol to study CNS infections using a bioluminescence model of African trypanosomiasis, providing real time non-invasive observations which can be further analyzed with optional downstream approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Theresa H Ward
- Department of Infection and Immunity, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Diseases;
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42
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Duncan SM, Myburgh E, Philipon C, Brown E, Meissner M, Brewer J, Mottram JC. Conditional gene deletion with DiCre demonstrates an essential role for CRK3 in Leishmania mexicana cell cycle regulation. Mol Microbiol 2016; 100:931-44. [PMID: 26991545 PMCID: PMC4913733 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.13375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Leishmania mexicana has a large family of cyclin‐dependent kinases (CDKs) that reflect the complex interplay between cell cycle and life cycle progression. Evidence from previous studies indicated that Cdc2‐related kinase 3 (CRK3) in complex with the cyclin CYC6 is a functional homologue of the major cell cycle regulator CDK1, yet definitive genetic evidence for an essential role in parasite proliferation is lacking. To address this, we have implemented an inducible gene deletion system based on a dimerised Cre recombinase (diCre) to target CRK3 and elucidate its role in the cell cycle of L. mexicana. Induction of diCre activity in promastigotes with rapamycin resulted in efficient deletion of floxed CRK3, resulting in G2/M growth arrest. Co‐expression of a CRK3 transgene during rapamycin‐induced deletion of CRK3 resulted in complementation of growth, whereas expression of an active site CRK3T178E mutant did not, showing that protein kinase activity is crucial for CRK3 function. Inducible deletion of CRK3 in stationary phase promastigotes resulted in attenuated growth in mice, thereby confirming CRK3 as a useful therapeutic target and diCre as a valuable new tool for analyzing essential genes in Leishmania.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel M Duncan
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8TA, UK
| | - Elmarie Myburgh
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8TA, UK.,Centre for Immunology and Infection, Department of Biology, University of York, Wentworth Way, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Cintia Philipon
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8TA, UK
| | - Elaine Brown
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8TA, UK.,Centre for Immunology and Infection, Department of Biology, University of York, Wentworth Way, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Markus Meissner
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8TA, UK
| | - James Brewer
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8TA, UK
| | - Jeremy C Mottram
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8TA, UK.,Centre for Immunology and Infection, Department of Biology, University of York, Wentworth Way, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD, UK
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43
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Graça NAG, Gaspar L, Costa DM, Loureiro I, Thoo-Lin PK, Ramos I, Roura M, Pruvost A, Pemberton IK, Loukil H, MacDougall J, Tavares J, Cordeiro-da-Silva A. Activity of Bisnaphthalimidopropyl Derivatives against Trypanosoma brucei. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2016; 60:2532-6. [PMID: 26787703 PMCID: PMC4808195 DOI: 10.1128/aac.02490-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2015] [Accepted: 01/15/2016] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Current treatments for African trypanosomiasis are either toxic, costly, difficult to administer, or prone to elicit resistance. This study evaluated the activity of bisnaphthalimidopropyl (BNIP) derivatives againstTrypanosoma brucei BNIPDiaminobutane (BNIPDabut), the most active of these compounds, showedin vitroinhibition in the single-unit nanomolar range, similar to the activity in the reference drug pentamidine, and presented low toxicity and adequate metabolic stability. Additionally, using a murine model of acute infection and live imaging, a significant decrease in parasite load in BNIPDabut-treated mice was observed. However, cure was not achieved. BNIPDabut constitutes a new scaffold for antitrypanosomal drugs that deserves further consideration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nuno A G Graça
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal IBMC-Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, Parasite Disease Group, Porto, Portugal
| | - Luis Gaspar
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal IBMC-Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, Parasite Disease Group, Porto, Portugal
| | - David M Costa
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal IBMC-Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, Parasite Disease Group, Porto, Portugal
| | - Inês Loureiro
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal IBMC-Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, Parasite Disease Group, Porto, Portugal
| | - Paul Kong Thoo-Lin
- Institute for Health & Welfare Research, School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Alain Pruvost
- CEA, iBiTec-S, SPI, Laboratoire d'Etude du Métabolisme des Médicaments, Gif sur Yvette, France
| | - Ian K Pemberton
- Photeomix, IP Research Consulting SAS, Noisy le Grand, France
| | - Hadjer Loukil
- Photeomix, IP Research Consulting SAS, Noisy le Grand, France
| | - Jane MacDougall
- Photeomix, IP Research Consulting SAS, Noisy le Grand, France
| | - Joana Tavares
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal IBMC-Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, Parasite Disease Group, Porto, Portugal
| | - Anabela Cordeiro-da-Silva
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal IBMC-Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, Parasite Disease Group, Porto, Portugal Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
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44
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Arginine-rich polyplexes for gene delivery to neuronal cells. Biomaterials 2015; 60:151-60. [PMID: 26000961 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2015.04.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2015] [Revised: 04/23/2015] [Accepted: 04/30/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Neuronal gene therapy potentially offers an effective therapeutic intervention to cure or slow the progression of neurological diseases. However, neuronal cells are difficult to transfect with nonviral vectors, and in vivo their transport across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is inefficient. We synthesized a series of arginine-rich oligopeptides, grafted with polyethyleneimine (PEI) and modified with a short-chain polyethylene glycol (PEG). We hypothesized that the arginine would enhance cellular uptake and transport of these polyplexes across the BBB, with PEG imparting biocompatibility and "stealth" properties and PEI facilitating DNA condensation and gene transfection. The optimized composition of the polyplexes demonstrated hemocompatibility with red blood cells, causing no lysis or aggregation, and showed significantly better cytocompatibility than PEI in vitro. Polyplexes formulated with luciferase-expressing plasmid DNA could transfect rat primary astrocytes and neurons in vitro. Confocal imaging data showed efficient cellular uptake of DNA and its sustained intracellular retention and nuclear localization with polyplexes. Intravenous administration of the optimized polyplexes in mice led to gene expression in the brain, which upon further immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated gene expression in neurons. In conclusion, we have successfully designed a nonviral vector for in vitro and in vivo neuronal gene delivery.
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45
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Afshari A, Uhde-Stone C, Lu B. A cooled CCD camera-based protocol provides an effective solution for in vitro monitoring of luciferase. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2015; 458:543-548. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2015.01.150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2015] [Accepted: 01/31/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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46
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Lewis MD, Francisco AF, Taylor MC, Kelly JM. A new experimental model for assessing drug efficacy against Trypanosoma cruzi infection based on highly sensitive in vivo imaging. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 20:36-43. [PMID: 25296657 PMCID: PMC4361455 DOI: 10.1177/1087057114552623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi is the causative agent of Chagas disease, one of the world’s major neglected infections. Although development of improved antiparasitic drugs is considered a priority, there have been no significant treatment advances in the past 40 years. Factors that have limited progress include an incomplete understanding of pathogenesis, tissue tropism, and disease progression. In addition, in vivo models, which allow parasite burdens to be tracked throughout the chronic stage of infection, have been lacking. To address these issues, we have developed a highly sensitive in vivo imaging system based on bioluminescent T. cruzi, which express a red-shifted luciferase that emits light in the tissue-penetrating orange-red region of the spectrum. The exquisite sensitivity of this noninvasive murine model has been exploited to monitor parasite burden in real time throughout the chronic stage, has allowed the identification of the gastrointestinal tract as the major niche of long-term infection, and has demonstrated that chagasic heart disease can develop in the absence of locally persistent parasites. Here, we review the parameters of the imaging system and describe how this experimental model can be incorporated into drug development programs as a valuable tool for assessing efficacy against both acute and chronic T. cruzi infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael D Lewis
- Department of Pathogen Molecular Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Amanda Fortes Francisco
- Department of Pathogen Molecular Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Martin C Taylor
- Department of Pathogen Molecular Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - John M Kelly
- Department of Pathogen Molecular Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT, UK
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47
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Burrell-Saward H, Rodgers J, Bradley B, Croft SL, Ward TH. A sensitive and reproducible in vivo imaging mouse model for evaluation of drugs against late-stage human African trypanosomiasis. J Antimicrob Chemother 2014; 70:510-7. [PMID: 25298516 DOI: 10.1093/jac/dku393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To optimize the Trypanosoma brucei brucei GVR35 VSL-2 bioluminescent strain as an innovative drug evaluation model for late-stage human African trypanosomiasis. METHODS An IVIS® Lumina II imaging system was used to detect bioluminescent T. b. brucei GVR35 parasites in mice to evaluate parasite localization and disease progression. Drug treatment was assessed using qualitative bioluminescence imaging and real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR). RESULTS We have shown that drug dose-response can be evaluated using bioluminescence imaging and confirmed quantification of tissue parasite load using qPCR. The model was also able to detect drug relapse earlier than the traditional blood film detection and even in the absence of any detectable peripheral parasites. CONCLUSIONS We have developed and optimized a new, efficient method to evaluate novel anti-trypanosomal drugs in vivo and reduce the current 180 day drug relapse experiment to a 90 day model. The non-invasive in vivo imaging model reduces the time required to assess preclinical efficacy of new anti-trypanosomal drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hollie Burrell-Saward
- Department of Immunology and Infection, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Jean Rodgers
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G61 1QH, UK
| | - Barbara Bradley
- Institute of Infection and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G61 1QH, UK
| | - Simon L Croft
- Department of Immunology and Infection, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Theresa H Ward
- Department of Immunology and Infection, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT, UK
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48
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Calvo-Álvarez E, Álvarez-Velilla R, Fernández-Prada C, Balaña-Fouce R, Reguera RM. Trypanosomatids see the light: recent advances in bioimaging research. Drug Discov Today 2014; 20:114-21. [PMID: 25256779 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2014.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2014] [Revised: 07/29/2014] [Accepted: 09/16/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
The use of genetically engineered pathogens that express fluorescent or luminescent proteins represents a huge stride forward in the understanding of trypanosomatid-borne tropical diseases. Nowadays, such modified microorganisms are being used to screen thousands of compounds under a target-free (phenotypic) approach. In addition, experimental infections with transgenic parasites drastically reduce the number of animals required for preclinical studies, because no animal needs to be put down to assess its parasite load. Finally, the use of fluorescent parasites is contributing to unraveling genetic exchange events between trypanosomatid strains. This phenomenon is important for understanding the mechanism by which traits such as virulence, tissue tropism, and drug resistance are transferred, as well as the emergence of novel strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Estefanía Calvo-Álvarez
- Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad de León, Campus de Vegazana s/n, 24071 León, Spain
| | - Raquel Álvarez-Velilla
- Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad de León, Campus de Vegazana s/n, 24071 León, Spain
| | - Christopher Fernández-Prada
- Infectious Diseases Research Center of the CHUL of Québec and Laval University, Québec City, Québec G1V 4G2, Canada
| | - Rafael Balaña-Fouce
- Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad de León, Campus de Vegazana s/n, 24071 León, Spain.
| | - Rosa M Reguera
- Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad de León, Campus de Vegazana s/n, 24071 León, Spain
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Van Reet N, Van de Vyver H, Pyana PP, Van der Linden AM, Büscher P. A panel of Trypanosoma brucei strains tagged with blue and red-shifted luciferases for bioluminescent imaging in murine infection models. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2014; 8:e3054. [PMID: 25144573 PMCID: PMC4140678 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0003054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2014] [Accepted: 06/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Genetic engineering with luciferase reporter genes allows monitoring Trypanosoma brucei (T.b.) infections in mice by in vivo bioluminescence imaging (BLI). Until recently, luminescent T.b. models were based on Renilla luciferase (RLuc) activity. Our study aimed at evaluating red-shifted luciferases for in vivo BLI in a set of diverse T.b. strains of all three subspecies, including some recently isolated from human patients. Methodology/Principal findings We transfected T.b. brucei, T.b. rhodesiense and T.b. gambiense strains with either RLuc, click beetle red (CBR) or Photinus pyralis RE9 (PpyRE9) luciferase and characterised their in vitro luciferase activity, growth profile and drug sensitivity, and their potential for in vivo BLI. Compared to RLuc, the red-shifted luciferases, CBR and PpyRE9, allow tracking of T.b. brucei AnTaR 1 trypanosomes with higher details on tissue distribution, and PpyRE9 allows detection of the parasites with a sensitivity of at least one order of magnitude higher than CBR luciferase. With CBR-tagged T.b. gambiense LiTaR1, T.b. rhodesiense RUMPHI and T.b. gambiense 348 BT in an acute, subacute and chronic infection model respectively, we observed differences in parasite tropism for murine tissues during in vivo BLI. Ex vivo BLI on the brain confirmed central nervous system infection by all luminescent strains of T.b. brucei AnTaR 1, T.b. rhodesiense RUMPHI and T.b. gambiense 348 BT. Conclusions/Significance We established a genetically and phenotypically diverse collection of bioluminescent T.b. brucei, T.b. gambiense and T.b. rhodesiense strains, including drug resistant strains. For in vivo BLI monitoring of murine infections, we recommend trypanosome strains transfected with red-shifted luciferase reporter genes, such as CBR and PpyRE9. Red-shifted luciferases can be detected with a higher sensitivity in vivo and at the same time they improve the spatial resolution of the parasites in the entire body due to the better kinetics of their substrate D-luciferin. Research on African trypanosomes heavily relies on rodent infection models. One way to reduce the number of laboratory rodents used in each experiment and effectively follow the progression of the infection in the same animals is to use genetically modified trypanosomes that allow monitoring of the infection over time with bioluminescence technology, without having to sacrifice the animals at multiple time points. In this study, we were able to establish a collection of bioluminescent strains of all three subspecies of Trypanosoma brucei (T.b.), including T.b. gambiense and T.b. rhodesiense that cause human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) or sleeping sickness. Making use of bioluminescence assays, we demonstrate the diversity of our collection in terms of in vitro and in vivo growth, drug sensitivity and in vivo parasite distribution, including central nervous system tropism. Growth characteristics and drug sensitivity are not affected by the genetic modification with luciferase reporter genes. Trypanosome strains transfected with red-shifted luciferase reporter genes have several advantages compared to the corresponding blue luciferase modified strains. Red light is less absorbed in the blood than blue light, which should lead to higher sensitivity of detection. Furthermore, the substrates that drive the light reaction are better distributed through the body for the red luciferase than for the blue luciferase, which greatly improves spatial resolution of the infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nick Van Reet
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
- * E-mail:
| | - Hélène Van de Vyver
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Hospital of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Patient Pati Pyana
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
- Département de Parasitologie, Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale, Kinshasa Gombe, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Anne Marie Van der Linden
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, Bio-Imaging Lab, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Philippe Büscher
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
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Lewis MD, Fortes Francisco A, Taylor MC, Burrell-Saward H, McLatchie AP, Miles MA, Kelly JM. Bioluminescence imaging of chronic Trypanosoma cruzi infections reveals tissue-specific parasite dynamics and heart disease in the absence of locally persistent infection. Cell Microbiol 2014; 16:1285-300. [PMID: 24712539 PMCID: PMC4190689 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.12297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 174] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2014] [Accepted: 03/18/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Summary Chronic Trypanosoma cruzi infections lead to cardiomyopathy in 20–30% of cases. A causal link between cardiac infection and pathology has been difficult to establish because of a lack of robust methods to detect scarce, focally distributed parasites within tissues. We developed a highly sensitive bioluminescence imaging system based on T. cruzi expressing a novel luciferase that emits tissue-penetrating orange-red light. This enabled long-term serial evaluation of parasite burdens in individual mice with an in vivo limit of detection of significantly less than 1000 parasites. Parasite distributions during chronic infections were highly focal and spatiotemporally dynamic, but did not localize to the heart. End-point ex vivo bioluminescence imaging allowed tissue-specific quantification of parasite loads with minimal sampling bias. During chronic infections, the gastro-intestinal tract, specifically the colon and stomach, was the only site where T. cruzi infection was consistently observed. Quantitative PCR-inferred parasite loads correlated with ex vivo bioluminescence and confirmed the gut as the parasite reservoir. Chronically infected mice developed myocarditis and cardiac fibrosis, despite the absence of locally persistent parasites. These data identify the gut as a permissive niche for long-term T. cruzi infection and show that canonical features of Chagas disease can occur without continual myocardium-specific infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael D Lewis
- Department of Pathogen Molecular Biology, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
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