ERANET-LAC PROJECT: DEVELOPMENT OF NEW DIAGNOSTIC AND TREATMENT OPTIONS FOR HELMINTHIC NEGLECTED DISEASES

BELGAMO JULIAN; MARICONTI MARA; CASULLI ADRIANO; CÓRSICO BETINA; MATÍAS GASTÓN PÉREZ; CUCHER MARCELA; CASTILLO ESTELA; BREHM KLAUS; FRANCHINI GISELA; KOZIOL URIEL; BRUNETTI ENRICO; ROSENZVIT MARA CECILIA

Congreso; 11th European Congress on Tropical Medicine and International Health (ECTMIH 2019); 2019

Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

Our project aims at developing new therapeutic and diagnostic tools to contribute to the control of neglected diseases caused by helminthic parasites, such as cystic (CE) and alveolar (AE) echinococcosis. Due to the scarcity of available anthelmintic drugs and the possible emergence of resistance, the discovery of new anthelmintic drugs is mandatory. Our international and interdisciplinary team, comprised by European and Latin-American scientists, has already characterized a number of molecules that may play important roles in nutrient acquisition, attenuation of host?s immune response and development of these parasites and has also developed in vitro and in vivo models as well as studied epidemiological and clinical aspects of these diseases. We propose a novel approach based on distinct biological and metabolic aspects of helminth parasites, considering in particular parasite specific a) lipid binding proteins (LBPs) and b) microRNAs (miRNAs). These molecules are unique to these pathogens or highly divergent from the host counterparts and may exert essential functions, thus fulfilling the main requirements for good selective therapeutic targets. We will also assess their cellular expression in order to prioritize targets that are widely expressed, including in the key stem cell population. The uniqueness/divergence of several miRNAs and the ability to be detected in biological fluids also makes them potential new specific biomarkers. Ultrasound (US) surveys and sera collection from humans affected by CE will be performed in order to link the potentially new biomarkers in the stage specific approach according to WHOIWGE (Informal Working Group on Echinococcosis). In addition, US surveys will provide a rapid impact on the health system of the rural populations involved in the study. Sera from AE patients are available. We will evaluate specific parasite molecules as new therapeutic/diagnosis targets using bioinformatics, molecular biology, biochemistry and biophysical methods integrated with relevant clinical and epidemiological information. The expected outcomes of the project are the development of new compounds that bind and inhibit essential and unique molecules of these parasites and to find new detection tools, to improve the status of both treatment and early diagnosis of these complex and neglected diseases.