1
|
Soeiro MDNC, Sales-Junior PA, Pereira VRA, Vannier-Santos MA, Murta SMF, de Sousa AS, Sangenis LHC, Moreno AMH, Boechat N, Branco FSC, Holetz FB, Ávila AR, Pereira MCDS. Drug screening and development cascade for Chagas disease: an update of in vitro and in vivo experimental models. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2024; 119:e240057. [PMID: 38958341 PMCID: PMC11218046 DOI: 10.1590/0074-02760240057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Chagas disease is a tropical neglected disease that affects millions of people worldwide, still demanding a more effective and safer therapy, especially in its chronic phase which lacks a treatment that promotes substantial parasitological cure. The technical note of Romanha and collaborators published in 2010 aimed establish a guideline with the set of minimum criteria and decision gates for the development of new agents against Trypanosoma cruzi with the focus on developing new antichagasic drugs. In this sense, the present review aims to update this technical note, bringing the state of the art and new advances on this topic in recent years.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Policarpo Ademar Sales-Junior
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Instituto Aggeu Magalhães, Departamento de Imunologia, Laboratório de Imunopatologia e Biologia Molecular, Recife, PE, Brasil
| | - Valeria Rêgo Alves Pereira
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Instituto Aggeu Magalhães, Departamento de Imunologia, Laboratório de Imunopatologia e Biologia Molecular, Recife, PE, Brasil
| | - Marcos André Vannier-Santos
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Laboratório de Inovações em Terapias, Ensino e Bioprodutos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | | | - Andrea Silvestre de Sousa
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas, Laboratório de Pesquisa Clínica em Doença de Chagas, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - Luiz Henrique Conde Sangenis
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas, Laboratório de Pesquisa Clínica em Doença de Chagas, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - Alejandro Marcel Hasslocher Moreno
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas, Laboratório de Pesquisa Clínica em Doença de Chagas, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - Núbia Boechat
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Instituto de Tecnologia em Fármacos - Farmanguinhos, Departamento de Síntese de Fármacos e Bioativos, Laboratório de Síntese de Fármacos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - Frederico Silva Castelo Branco
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Instituto de Tecnologia em Fármacos - Farmanguinhos, Departamento de Síntese de Fármacos e Bioativos, Laboratório de Síntese de Fármacos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - Fabíola Barbieri Holetz
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Instituto Carlos Chagas, Laboratório de Regulação da Expressão Gênica, Curitiba, PR, Brasil
| | - Andrea Rodrigues Ávila
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Instituto Carlos Chagas, Laboratório de Pesquisa em Apicomplexa, Curitiba, PR, Brasil
| | | |
Collapse
|
2
|
Freitas VLTD, Novaes CTG, Sartori AMC, Carvalho NB, Silva SCVD, Nakanishi ÉS, Salvador F, Castro CND, Bezerra RC, Westphalen EVN, Oliveira CMRD, Busser FD, Ho YL, Buccheri R, Bonilla C, Shikanai-Yasuda MA. Quantitative PCR as a marker for preemptive therapy and its role in therapeutic control in Trypanosoma cruzi/HIV coinfection. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2024; 18:e0011961. [PMID: 38408095 PMCID: PMC10896531 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Trypanosoma cruzi and HIV coinfection can evolve with depression of cellular immunity and increased parasitemia. We applied quantitative PCR (qPCR) as a marker for preemptive antiparasitic treatment to avoid fatal Chagas disease reactivation and analyzed the outcome of treated cases. METHODOLOGY This mixed cross-sectional and longitudinal study included 171 Chagas disease patients, 60 coinfected with HIV. Of these 60 patients, ten showed Chagas disease reactivation, confirmed by parasites identified in the blood, cerebrospinal fluid, or tissues, 12 exhibited high parasitemia without reactivation, and 38 had low parasitemia and no reactivation. RESULTS We showed, for the first time, the success of the timely introduction of benznidazole in the non-reactivated group with high levels of parasitemia detected by qPCR and the absence of parasites in reactivated cases with at least 58 days of benznidazole. All HIV+ patients with or without reactivation had a 4.0-5.1 higher chance of having parasitemia than HIV seronegative cases. A positive correlation was found between parasites and viral loads. Remarkably, treated T. cruzi/HIV-coinfected patients had 77.3% conversion from positive to negative parasitemia compared to 19.1% of untreated patients. Additionally, untreated patients showed ~13.6 times higher Odds Ratio of having positive parasitemia in the follow-up period compared with treated patients. Treated and untreated patients showed no differences regarding the evolution of Chagas disease. The main factors associated with all-cause mortality were higher parasitemia, lower CD4 counts/μL, higher viral load, and absence of antiretroviral therapy. CONCLUSION We recommend qPCR prospective monitoring of T. cruzi parasitemia in HIV+ coinfected patients and point out the value of pre-emptive therapy for those with high parasitemia. In parallel, early antiretroviral therapy introduction is advisable, aiming at viral load control, immune response restoration, and increasing survival. We also suggest an early antiparasitic treatment for all coinfected patients, followed by effectiveness analysis alongside antiretroviral therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vera Lúcia Teixeira de Freitas
- Departamento de Molestias Infecciosas e Parasitarias, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Laboratorio de Investigacao Medica em Imunologia (LIM 48), Hospital das Clinicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Christina Terra Gallafrio Novaes
- Divisao de Molestias Infecciosas e Parasitarias, Hospital das Clinicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ana Marli Christovam Sartori
- Divisao de Molestias Infecciosas e Parasitarias, Hospital das Clinicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Noemia Barbosa Carvalho
- Divisao de Molestias Infecciosas e Parasitarias, Hospital das Clinicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sheila Cristina Vicente da Silva
- Departamento de Molestias Infecciosas e Parasitarias, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Laboratorio de Investigacao Medica em Imunologia (LIM 48), Hospital das Clinicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Érika Shimoda Nakanishi
- Laboratorio de Investigacao Medica em Imunologia (LIM 48), Hospital das Clinicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Fernando Salvador
- International Health Unit Vall d'Hebron-Drassanes, Infectious Diseases Department, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, PROSICS Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Cleudson Nery de Castro
- Centre for Tropical Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Brasilia, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil
| | - Rita Cristina Bezerra
- Laboratorio de Investigacao Medica em Parasitologia (LIM 46), Hospital das Clinicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Caroline Medeji Ramos de Oliveira
- Departamento de Molestias Infecciosas e Parasitarias, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Laboratorio de Investigacao Medica em Imunologia (LIM 48), Hospital das Clinicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Felipe Delatorre Busser
- Departamento de Molestias Infecciosas e Parasitarias, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Laboratorio de Investigacao Medica em Imunologia (LIM 48), Hospital das Clinicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Yeh-Li Ho
- Divisao de Molestias Infecciosas e Parasitarias, Hospital das Clinicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Renata Buccheri
- Instituto de Infectologia Emilio Ribas, São Paulo, Brasil
- Vitalant Research Institute, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Carolina Bonilla
- Departamento de Medicina Preventiva, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Maria Aparecida Shikanai-Yasuda
- Departamento de Molestias Infecciosas e Parasitarias, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Laboratorio de Investigacao Medica em Imunologia (LIM 48), Hospital das Clinicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Ribeiro HG, Galdino OA, de Souza KSC, Rosa Neta AP, Lin-Wang HT, Cunha-Neto E, de Rezende AA, Silbiger VN. Unraveling the role of miRNAs as biomarkers in Chagas cardiomyopathy: Insights into molecular pathophysiology. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2024; 18:e0011865. [PMID: 38300899 PMCID: PMC10833550 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chagas cardiomyopathy (ChCM) is a severe form of Chagas disease and a major cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The dysregulation of the immune response leads to cardiac remodeling and functional disruptions, resulting in life-threatening complications. Conventional diagnostic methods have limitations, and therapeutic response evaluation is challenging. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), important regulators of gene expression, show potential as biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis. AIM This review aims to summarize experimental findings on miRNA expression in ChCM and explore the potential of these miRNAs as biomarkers of Chagas disease. METHODS The search was conducted in the US National Library of Medicine MEDLINE/PubMed public database using the terms "Chagas cardiomyopathy" OR "Chagas disease" AND "microRNA" OR "miRNA" OR "miR." Additionally, bioinformatics analysis was performed to investigate miRNA-target interactions and explore enrichment pathways of gene ontology biological processes and molecular functions. RESULTS The miR-21, miR-146b, miR-146a, and miR-155 consistently exhibited up-regulation, whereas miR-145 was down-regulated in ChCM. These specific miRNAs have been linked to fibrosis, immune response, and inflammatory processes in heart tissue. Moreover, the findings from various studies indicate that these miRNAs have the potential as biomarkers for the disease and could be targeted in therapeutic strategies for ChCM. CONCLUSION In this review, we point out miR-21, miR-146b, miR-146a, miR-155, and miR-145-5p role in the complex mechanisms of ChCM. These miRNAs have been shown as potential biomarkers for precise diagnosis, reliable prognostic evaluation, and effective treatment strategies in the ChCM.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Heriks Gomes Ribeiro
- Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analysis, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Ony Araújo Galdino
- Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analysis, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | | | - Antonia Pereira Rosa Neta
- Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analysis, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Hui Tzu Lin-Wang
- Molecular Biology Laboratory, Dante Pazzanese Institute of Cardiology, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Edecio Cunha-Neto
- Laboratory of Immunology, Heart Institute (InCor), University of São Paulo, School of Medicine, São Paulo, Brazil
- Division of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, University of São Paulo, School of Medicine, São Paulo, Brazil
- Institute for Investigation in Immunology (iii), INCT, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Adriana Augusto de Rezende
- Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analysis, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Vivian Nogueira Silbiger
- Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analysis, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
- Translational Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Rego N, Libisch MG, Rovira C, Tosar JP, Robello C. Comparative microRNA profiling of Trypanosoma cruzi infected human cells. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1187375. [PMID: 37424776 PMCID: PMC10322668 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1187375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease, can infect almost any nucleated cell in the mammalian host. Although previous studies have described the transcriptomic changes that occur in host cells during parasite infection, the understanding of the role of post-transcriptional regulation in this process is limited. MicroRNAs, a class of short non-coding RNAs, are key players in regulating gene expression at the post-transcriptional level, and their involvement in the host-T. cruzi interplay is a growing area of research. However, to our knowledge, there are no comparative studies on the microRNA changes that occur in different cell types in response to T. cruzi infection. Methods and results Here we investigated microRNA changes in epithelial cells, cardiomyocytes and macrophages infected with T. cruzi for 24 hours, using small RNA sequencing followed by careful bioinformatics analysis. We show that, although microRNAs are highly cell type-specific, a signature of three microRNAs -miR-146a, miR-708 and miR-1246, emerges as consistently responsive to T. cruzi infection across representative human cell types. T. cruzi lacks canonical microRNA-induced silencing mechanisms and we confirm that it does not produce any small RNA that mimics known host microRNAs. We found that macrophages show a broad response to parasite infection, while microRNA changes in epithelial and cardiomyocytes are modest. Complementary data indicated that cardiomyocyte response may be greater at early time points of infection. Conclusions Our findings emphasize the significance of considering microRNA changes at the cellular level and complement previous studies conducted at higher organizational levels, such as heart samples. While miR-146a has been previously implicated in T. cruzi infection, similarly to its involvement in many other immunological responses, miR-1246 and miR-708 are demonstrated here for the first time. Given their expression in multiple cell types, we anticipate our work as a starting point for future investigations into their role in the post-transcriptional regulation of T. cruzi infected cells and their potential as biomarkers for Chagas disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Rego
- Unidad de Bioinformática, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay
- Laboratorio de Genómica Evolutiva, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - María Gabriela Libisch
- Laboratorio de Interacciones Hospedero Patógeno/UBM, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Carlos Rovira
- Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Division of Oncology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Juan Pablo Tosar
- Laboratorio de Genómica Funcional, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay
- Unidad de Bioquímica Analítica, Centro de Investigaciones Nucleares, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Carlos Robello
- Laboratorio de Interacciones Hospedero Patógeno/UBM, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| |
Collapse
|