title: Protective immunity against Trypanosoma cruzi.
abstract: Upon infection, Trypanosoma cruzi triggers a strong immune response that has both protective and pathological consequences. In this work, several important questions regarding protective immunity are reviewed. Emphasis is placed on recent studies of the important protective role of CD8+ T cells and on previous studies of immunisation of domestic T. cruzi reservoirs that sought to address practical vaccination problems. Research on the maturation of memory cells and studies indicating that the prevalence of T. cruzi-specific T-cell responses and a high frequency of committed CD8+ T cells are associated with better clinical outcomes are also reviewed. Additionally, animal models in which protection was achieved without immunopathological consequences are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Patología Experimental, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Universidad Nacional de Salta, Argentina.
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Parodi
authors.forename: Angel Marcelo
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Padilla
authors.forename: Miguel Angel
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Basombrío
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000276:immunology*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000517:prevention & control; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D016052:Protozoan Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D016052:Protozoan Vaccines