Trans-sialidase delivered as a naked DNA vaccine elicits an immunological response similar to a Trypanosoma cruzi infection

• Autor(a) principal: Costa,F.
• Data de Publicação: 1999
• Outros Autores: Pereira-Chioccola,V.L., Ribeirão,M., Schenkman,S., Rodrigues,M.M.
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research
• Texto Completo: http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0100-879X1999000200013
• topic: DNA vaccination; Trans-sialidase; Chagas' disease

Trypanosoma cruzi, the protozoan parasite that causes Chagas' disease, does not synthesize sialic acid, but expresses a trans-sialidase (TS) that catalyzes the transfer of sialic acid from host glycoconjugates to the parasite surface. Here, we review studies that characterize the immune response to the catalytic domain of the enzyme in humans during Chagas' disease or in mice following immunization with the TS gene. In both cases, there are antibodies that strongly inhibit the enzymatic activity and generation of interferon-<FONT FACE="Symbol">g</FONT>-producing T cells.