Chagas Disease Research

Chagas disease is a primary focus area of research in our labs as well as the Vaccine Center. Chagas is a serious condition afflicting approximately 6 to 7 million people around the world. The disease is caused by a protozoal parasite called Trypanosoma cruzi, which is transmitted by a triatomine insect known as the kissing bug. Our specific areas of interest:

• Tc-24 Chagas vaccine in clinical trials
• Vaccine-linked chemotherapy for human and veterinary use
  • Jones et al.-- The impact of vaccine-linked chemotherapy on liver health in a mouse model of chronic Trypanosoma cruzi infection--PLOS Negl Trop Dis
• mRNA vaccines for malaria and other parasitic pathogens
  • Versteeg, Pollet-- mRNA vaccines for malaria and other parasitic pathogens--Trends in mRNA Vaccine Research
  • Poveda et al.-- Harnessing RNA Technology to Advance Therapeutic Vaccine Antigens against Chagas Disease--ACS Appl Mater Interfaces
• Vaccine antigen discovery
  • Pollet et al.-- Tcj2 as a new Chagas disease mRNA vaccine candidate--Plos Pathog

• Diagnostic antigen discovery
  • Versteeg--Accelerating The Discovery and Evaluation of Vaccine Targets for Chagas Disease--ppt
• Assay development
  • Mejia-- Serologic testing for Trypanosoma cruzi in dogs--pre-print under review Testing in
    canines and humans
  • Mejia--Novel diagnostics to monitor post-treatment efficacy--ppt

• Hookworm proteins as host-directed therapy
  • Jones--Hookworm proteins as host-directed therapies for Chagas--ppt
• Probiotics to reduce the pathology of CD
  • Poveda-- Microbiome Alterations Driven by Trypanosoma cruzi—Microbiol Spectr Poveda--
  • Poveda--RNA Technology to Advance Therapeutic Vaccine Antigens--ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces

• Epidemiologic, immunologic, and clinical consequences of CD
  • Clark--Clinical features of Chagas disease progression and severity--Lancet Reg Health Am
• Chagas disease in the immunocompromised
  • Clark—Chagas disease in the immunocompromised host--Curr Op Inf Dis
  • Clark--Adaptation of Chagas Disease Screening Recommendations for a Community of At-risk HIV in the United States--Clin Infect Dis
• Vectors and transmissions
  • Gunter--Diagnosis of Acute Chagas Disease in a Belizean Child--Am J Trop Med Hyg

• Vaccine-linked chemotherapy for human and veterinary use
  • Jones et al.-- The impact of vaccine-linked chemotherapy on liver health in a mouse model of chronic Trypanosoma cruzi infection--PLOS Negl Trop Dis
• mRNA vaccines for malaria and other parasitic pathogens
  • Versteeg, Pollet-- mRNA vaccines for malaria and other parasitic pathogens--Trends in mRNA Vaccine Research
  • Poveda et al.-- Harnessing RNA Technology to Advance Therapeutic Vaccine Antigens against Chagas Disease--ACS Appl Mater Interfaces
• Vaccine antigen discovery
  • Pollet et al.-- Tcj2 as a new Chagas disease mRNA vaccine candidate--Plos Pathog