title: Area 51: How do Acanthamoeba invade the central nervous system?
abstract: Acanthamoeba granulomatous encephalitis generally develops as a result of haematogenous spread, but it is unclear how circulating amoebae enter the central nervous system (CNS) and cause inflammation. At present, the mechanisms which Acanthamoeba use to invade this incredibly well-protected area of the CNS and produce infection are not well understood. In this paper, we propose two key virulence factors: mannose-binding protein and extracellular serine proteases as key players in Acanthamoeba traversal of the blood-brain barrier leading to neuronal injury. Both molecules should provide excellent opportunities as potential targets in the rational development of therapeutic interventions against Acanthamoeba encephalitis.
authors.affiliation: Aga Khan University, Stadium Road, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Ruqaiyyah
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Siddiqui
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Emes
authors.forename: Hany
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Elsheikha
authors.forename: Naveed Ahmed
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Khan
mesh_terms: D000048:Acanthamoeba / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D000562:Amebiasis / Q000469:parasitology*; D000818:Animals; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier / Q000469:parasitology*; D020808:Central Nervous System Protozoal Infections / Q000469:parasitology*; D004660:Encephalitis / Q000469:parasitology*; D006801:Humans