THERAPY FOR CHAGAS DISEASE IN BABOON MODEL

这个子项目是许多研究子项目中利用 资源由NIH/NCRR资助的中心拨款提供。子项目和 调查员(PI)可能从NIH的另一个来源获得了主要资金， 并因此可以在其他清晰的条目中表示。列出的机构是 该中心不一定是调查人员的机构。 恰加斯病是由一种寄生虫引起的，这种寄生虫由一种吸血细菌携带，这种寄生虫在中南美洲和美国南部流行。这种疾病会引起免疫系统的紊乱，并导致心脏病理。受感染的灵长类动物不应用于传染病研究或心脏研究。在SNPRC，2%的狒狒、4%的猕猴和12%的黑猩猩被感染。我们知道，这种感染至少在美国南部的一些其他灵长类动物设施中也是地方性的。查加斯病没有治疗方法。最初在动物或人类中的感染将持续终生。然而，泊沙康唑是一种被批准为人类使用的抗真菌新药，在治疗实验中感染了这种寄生虫的小鼠时，它在消除寄生虫方面表现出了很高的效率。我们正在一项研究中测试这种药物，该研究涉及自然感染的狒狒，以确定其消除寄生虫的效果。该实验将在研究开始和结束时进行心内膜心肌活组织检查，以便确定心脏中的寄生虫水平和病理进展。如果治疗成功，我们预计在美国南部的灵长类设施中使用它将降低青少年和饲养者的发病率和死亡率，并将增加可用于传染病研究的动物数量。即使治疗只取得了部分成功，受感染动物的健康状况也可能会改善。此外，如果这项实验至少取得了部分成功，结果将证明非人类灵长类动物作为开发恰加斯病治疗方法的模型的实用性。恰加斯病影响着拉丁美洲的1000万人和美国估计的10万人，以及美国南部数量不明的非人类灵长类动物。

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Chagas disease is caused by a parasite that is carried by a blood-sucking bug that is endemic in Central and South America and in southern U.S. This disease causes perturbations in the immune system and it causes cardiac pathology. Infected primates should not be used for studies in infectious disease research or cardiac research. At the SNPRC 2% of baboons, 4% of rhesus macaques and 12% of chimpanzees are infected. We know that this infection also is endemic at at least some of the other primate facilities in the southern U.S. There is no treatment for Chagas disease. The initial infection in animals or humans persists lifelong. However, posaconazole, a new drug that is approved as an anti-fungal for human use, has demonstrated a high level of efficacy in eliminating the parasites in treatment of mice that were experimentally infected with the parasite. We are testing this drug in a study involving naturally infected baboons for its efficacy in eliminating the parasite. The experiment will involve endomyocardial biopsy at the beginning and at the end of the study so that parasite levels in the heart and pathological progression can be determined. If the treatment is successful, we expect that its use at primate facilities in southern U.S. will decrease morbidity and mortality among juveniles and breeders, and will increase the number of animals available for research on infectious diseases. Even if the treatment is only partially successful, the health status of infected animals may improve. Furthermore, if the experiment achieves at least partial success, the results will demonstrate the utility of nonhuman primates as models for developing treatments for Chagas disease, which affects 10 million people in Latin America and an estimated 100,000 people in the U.S., as well as an undetermined number of nonhuman primates in the southern U.S.