Immunopathology and the regulation of immune responses during Leishmania donovani infection

杜氏利什曼原虫感染期间的免疫病理学和免疫反应的调节

• 批准号: G0400786/1
• 负责人: Paul Kaye
• 金额: $ 132.57万
• 依托单位: University of York
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2006
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2006 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=G0400786%2F1
• 关键词: Immunopathology; regulation; immune; responses; during

Single celled parasites, called Leishmania, can be transmitted to humans by biting sand flies and cause a spectrum of diseases collectively known as leishmaniasis. Leishmaniasis is found in 88 countries and some 15M people are infected at any given time. One form of the disease, in which internal organs are affected (visceral leishmaniasis), accounts for approx 100,000 deaths annually, mainly in children. Visceral leishmaniasis occurs predominantly in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, The Sudan and Brazil, but it also occurs in many countries bordering the Mediterranean. The spread of HIV makes visceral leishmaniasis an increasingly important infection. Visceral leishmaniasis is also a severe disease of dogs, with 2-3M dogs infected in Europe alone. Infected dogs help maintain transmission of the disease to man. To understand why people die from this infection, and to help develop new vaccines and drugs for human and veterinary use, it is essential to understand more about how the infection attacks our organs and undermines the immune responses that normally protect us from infection. By studying the nature of the disease in experimental models and how it affects immunity, we shall be able to suggest novel approaches to treatment and aid in effective vaccine design. In addition to publication in peer-reviewed public access journals, the results from this study will be communicated via Outreach activities and by active public relations to disseminate news of important breakthroughs via the local and national press.

单细胞寄生虫，称为利什曼原虫，可以通过叮咬沙蝇传播给人类，并引起一系列疾病，统称为利什曼病。利什曼病已在 88 个国家发现，任何时候约有 1500 万人受到感染。一种影响内脏器官的疾病（内脏利什曼病）每年导致约 10 万人死亡，其中主要是儿童。内脏利什曼病主要发生在印度、孟加拉国、尼泊尔、苏丹和巴西，但也发生在许多地中海沿岸国家。艾滋病毒的传播使内脏利什曼病成为一种越来越重要的感染。内脏利什曼病也是犬类的一种严重疾病，仅在欧洲就有 2-300 万只狗受到感染。受感染的狗有助于维持疾病向人类的传播。为了了解人们为何死于这种感染，并帮助开发供人类和兽医使用的新疫苗和药物，有必要更多地了解这种感染如何攻击我们的器官并破坏通常保护我们免受感染的免疫反应。通过在实验模型中研究疾病的性质及其如何影响免疫力，我们将能够提出新的治疗方法并帮助有效的疫苗设计。除了在同行评审的公共期刊上发表之外，这项研究的结果还将通过外展活动和积极的公共关系进行传播，通过地方和国家媒体传播重要突破的新闻。