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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Molecular And Functional Characterization Of Α-Galactosyl Epitopes In Trypanosoma Cruzi, Uriel Ortega Rodriguez
Molecular And Functional Characterization Of Α-Galactosyl Epitopes In Trypanosoma Cruzi, Uriel Ortega Rodriguez
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease (CD) currently affects 6-7 million people across the world. Currently, only two drugs, benznidazole and nifurtimox, are available for treatment of CD and they are highly toxic and less effective in the chronic stage of the disease. Specific biomarkers for diagnosis and follow-up of treatment do not exist in the clinical settings. following chemotherapy, patients take approximately 10-20 years to exhibit negative seroconversion with the conventional serology assays. Moreover, there is no vaccine available to prevent or treat CD. T. cruzi contains a complex cell surface consisting of several classes of glycoconjugates …
Expression And Functional Analysis Of Lipids And Glycolipids From The Mammal-Dwelling Stages Of Trypanosoma Cruzi, Felipe Gazos Lopes
Expression And Functional Analysis Of Lipids And Glycolipids From The Mammal-Dwelling Stages Of Trypanosoma Cruzi, Felipe Gazos Lopes
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
Trypanosoma cruzi is the causative agent of the life-threatening Chagas disease, in which increased platelet aggregation related to myocarditis is observed. Platelet-activating factor (PAF) is a potent intercellular lipid mediator and second messenger that exerts its activity through a PAF-specific receptor (PAFR). Previous data from our group suggested that T. cruzi synthesizes a phospholipid with PAF-like activity. The structure of T. cruzi PAF-like molecule, however, remains elusive. Here, we have purified and structurally characterized the putative T. cruzi PAF-like molecule by electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS). Our ESI-MS/MS data demonstrated that the T. cruzi PAF-like molecule is actually a lysophosphatidylcholine …