Induced pluripotent stem cell-derived human macrophages as an infection model for Trypanosoma cruzi.

ABSTRACT: Chagas disease, caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, affects millions of people globally. Unfortunately, the available treatment options, especially for the chronic stage of the disease, are suboptimal. Given the chronic nature of the disease and the elusive nature of the parasite, there is a high need for new and safer drugs that deliver sterile cure. Posaconazole was a promising lead in the drug discovery pipeline but ultimately failed in clinical trials due to patient relapses. This failure illustrates the need for a drug screening assay that can predict sterile cure by assessing recrudescence after treatment. Here, we used human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived macrophages (iMACs) as host cells for T. cruzi. The iMACs were highly susceptible to infection by the parasit

SUBMITTER: Baert L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12622848 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature