Leishmania tarentolae : A new frontier in the epidemiology and control of the leishmaniases

Abstract

Leishmaniasis (or the leishmaniases), classified as a neglected tropical parasitic disease, is found in parts of the tropics, subtropics and southern Europe. Leishmania parasites are transmitted by the bite of phlebotomine sand flies and million cases of human infection occur annually. Leishmania tarentolae has been historically considered a non‐pathogenic protozoan of reptiles, which has been studied mainly for its potential biotechnological applications. However, some strains of L. tarentolae appear to be transiently infective to mammals. In areas where leishmaniasis is endemic, recent molecular diagnostics and serological positivity to L. tarentolae in humans and dogs have spurred interest in the interactions between these mammalian hosts, reptiles and Leishmania infantum, the main aetiologic agent of human and canine leishmaniasis. In this review, we discuss the systematics and biology of L. tarentolae in the insect vectors and the vertebrate hosts and address questions about evolution of reptilian leishmaniae. Furthermore, we discuss the possible usefulness of L. tarentolae for new vaccination strategies.

Experimental feeding of Sergentomyia minuta on reptiles and mammals: comparison with Phlebotomus papatasi

“…Sergentomyia minuta is one of the most abundant sand fly species in Mediterranean basin and the main vector of Leishmania (Sauroleishmania) tarentolae, a non-pathogenic parasite of geckos [4,5]. Although S. minuta feeds preferentially on reptiles, blood meal analyses indicate it may occasionally feed on mammals, including humans [6][7][8][9][10][11].…”

Ciências Biológicas: Tendências temáticas, realidades e virtualidades

“…Dados revelam que mais de 1,5 milhões de pessoas vivem em áreas de risco em praticamente todos os estados do Brasil, sendo que nas últimas duas décadas foram registradas mais de 10 mil mortes provocadas pela doença (BRASIL, 2018). Já a leishmaniose é uma doença causada por protozoários do gênero Leishmania que é prevalente em 88 países de quatro continentes, apresentando registros de infecção anual em mais de 1 milhão de casos (WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION, 2018;MENDOZA-ROLDAN et al, 2022).…”

Efficacy of mucosal vaccination using a protozoan parasite as a vehicle for antigen delivery: IgG and neutralizing response after rectal administration of LeCoVax-2, a candidate vaccine against COVID-19

“…Considering the relevance of mucosal vaccination to confer protection against a vast array of infectious agents, we focused on an alternative vaccine platform, the protozoan parasite Leishmania tarentolae, which is possibly suitable for delivery through the enteral route. L. tarentolae is a reptile parasite and is not pathogenic to humans and other mammals [12,13]. This microorganism has already been manipulated for the expression of viral antigens and has been tested as a living vaccine vehicle in murine models, following classical subcutaneous injection (e.g., [14][15][16][17]).…”

“…The rationale that led us to hypothesize that this parasite is suitable for enteral administration, as a vehicle for antigen delivery and vaccination, is as follows: (1) Leishmania cells, including the promastigote stage, are resistant to osmotic shock and chemical and mechanical insults, owing to the presence of interlinked microtubules beneath the plasma membrane [18] the robustness of these cells thus makes them suitable for administration through alternative routes, e.g. through the enteral route; (2) the size of Leishmania promastigotes lies in the range of the particles that are expected to be internalized by microfold (M) cells in the intestine, which are involved in the transfer of antigens from the gut lumen to mononuclear phagocytes in Peyer's patches [19]; (3) both classical and recent studies prove that infection by Leishmania parasites can be acquired by oral ingestion, in addition to the common and well-established transmission through the bite of sand flies [13,[20][21]. The above issues, in particular the evidence of oral transmission in the natural cycle of L. tarentolae, strengthen the potential of this microorganism as a vehicle for the administration of antigens through an enteral route.…”

“…In addition, commercial kits are available for the genetic transformation of L. tarentolae, for the production of recombinant proteins [12,13]. Finally, protein glycosylation in L. tarentolae mimics that of mammals, which is an interesting feature for the production of viral antigens to be used as vaccines [12,13].…”