DESARROLLO DE UN MODELO ANIMAL DE INFECCIÓN GENITAL POR Chlamydia trachomatis PARA EL ESTUDIO IN VIVO DE LA PATOGÉNESIS.

FILI S; AGUSTIN LUJAN; DAMIANI MT; GAMBARTE J

Santiago de Chile

Otro; The cell in times of interdisciplinary research; 2016

Fundación Ciencia y Vida(Chile) / Institut Curie(Francia)

Sexually transmitted infections are a major global cause of acute illness, infertility and long-term sequelae with serious medical and psychological consequences for men, women and infants worldwide.Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct) is the most prevalent and curable bacterial sexually transmitted disease in the world. The World Health Organization estimated that 105.7 million new cases occurred in 2008, an increase of 4.1% compared to 2005. Ct causes multiple diseases such as acute cervicitis and pelvic inflammatory disease in women, and urethritis and orchitis in men. The biggest complication is chronic infection with severe reproductive consequences as tubal obstruction and infertility in both sexes. This is because eukaryotic proteins are modified by Ct for controlling the intracellular traffic of the infected cell, preventing that the vesicle in which Ct survives (called inclusion) can progress in the phagocytic pathway. Furthermore, Ct modulates the host immune response by altering antigen presentation, leading to exaggerated and constant inflammation. These factors contribute to the persistence and chronicity of inflammation associated to infection, leading to scarring and fibrosis.We consider that the development of an animal model of infection with Ct, simulating the natural conditions of human infection, are the best and most useful scenario to develop new therapeutic strategies to treat Ct infection, as well as being the indispensable bridge between the cell culture assays and human applications. We also think that this new model provides an effective alternative comparing to other animals models of infection; being less risky and/or traumatic, both for animals and researchers, since to establish the infection, the animals are not subjected to invasive surgeries and the manipulation of high concentrations of bacteria is avoided.