African trypanosomiasis and antibodies: implications for vaccination, therapy and diagnosis.
African trypanosomiasis causes devastating effects on human populations and livestock herds in large parts of sub-Saharan Africa. Control of the disease is hampered by the lack of any efficient vaccination results in a field setting, and the severe side effects of current drug therapies. In addition, with the exception of Trypanosoma brucei gambiense infections, the diagnosis of trypanosomiasis has to rely on microscopic analysis of blood samples, as other specific tools are nonexistent. However, new developments in biotechnology, which include loop-mediated isothermal amplification as an adaptation to conventional PCR, as well as the antibody engineering that has allowed the development of Nanobody technology, offer new perspectives in both the detection and treatment of trypanosomiasis. In addition, recent data on parasite-induced B-cell memory destruction offer new insights into mechanisms of vaccine failure, and should lead us towards new strategies to overcome trypanosome defenses operating against the host immune system.
Magez
Stefan
S
Department of Molecular & Cellular Interactions, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology, Rijvisschestraat 120, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium. stemagez@vub.ac.be
Radwanska
Magdalena
M
D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000032:analysis; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology; D002417:Cattle; D006801:Humans; D007156:Immunologic Memory / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D036103:Nanotechnology; D021141:Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques; D016052:Protozoan Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology; D014347:Trypanosoma brucei gambiense / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity; D014353:Trypanosomiasis, African / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000517:prevention & control
D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D016052:Protozoan Vaccines