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Clinical and Vaccine Immunology, August 2007, p. 1005-1012, Vol. 14, No. 8
1071-412X/07/$08.00+0 doi:10.1128/CVI.00087-07
Copyright © 2007, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Infectious Disease Research Institute, 1124 Columbia St., Suite 400, Seattle, Washington 98104
Received 17 February 2007/ Returned for modification 9 May 2007/ Accepted 23 May 2007
Trypanosoma cruzi infection causes Chagas' disease, a chronic inflammatory disease. The specific inflammatory responses that cause Chagas' disease remain unclear, but data argue that parasites that persist in the host stimulate chronic self-damaging immune responses. Because T. cruzi appears to stimulate self-damaging responses, the enthusiasm to develop vaccines that boost antiparasite responses that might increase self-damaging responses has been limited. We previously demonstrated that immunization with a T. cruzi trans-sialidase protein or adoptive transfer of trans-sialidase-specific T-cell clones decreased parasitemia, morbidity, and mortality. Here we report that immunization or adoptive transfer with the protein or clones, before or during T. cruzi infection, boosts the anti-T. cruzi immune response without exacerbating acute or chronic tissue inflammation. These results argue that prophylactic and therapeutic immunotherapy for Chagas' disease can be developed safely.
Published ahead of print on 30 May 2007.
| Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. | Clin. Microbiol. Rev. | Infect. Immun. |
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