title: Gene-deleted live-attenuated Trypanosoma cruzi parasites as vaccines to protect against Chagas disease.
abstract: Chagas disease is a neglected tropical disease caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. This illness is now becoming global, mainly due to congenital transmission, and so far, there are no prophylactic or therapeutic vaccines available to either prevent or treat Chagas disease. Therefore, different approaches aimed at identifying new protective immunogens are urgently needed. Live vaccines are likely to be more efficient in inducing protection, but safety issues linked with their use have been raised. The development of improved protozoan genetic manipulation tools and genomic and biological information has helped to increase the safety of live vaccines. These advances have generated a renewed interest in the use of genetically attenuated parasites as vaccines against Chagas disease. This review discusses the protective capacity of genetically attenuated parasite vaccines and the challenges and perspectives for the development of an effective whole-parasite Chagas disease vaccine.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Patología Experimental-CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Salta, Salta, Argentina.
authors.forename: Fernando J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Valdéz
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pérez Brandán
authors.forename: Arturo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: Miguel Ángel
authors.initials: MÁ
authors.lastname: Basombrío
mesh_terms: D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D055808:Drug Discovery / Q000639:trends; D017353:Gene Deletion; D006801:Humans; D016052:Protozoan Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D014613:Vaccines, Attenuated / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D016052:Protozoan Vaccines; D014613:Vaccines, Attenuated
keywords: Chagas disease; Trypanosoma cruzi; immune response; infectivity; live vaccine; parasite knock-out; safety