Placental Barrier Breakdown Induced by <i>Trypanosoma cruzi</i>-Derived Exovesicles: A Role for MMP-2 and MMP-9 in Congenital Chagas Disease.

ABSTRACT: Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease, can cross the placental barrier and be transmitted congenitally, yet the mechanisms underlying this process remain incompletely understood. Recent evidence suggests that T. cruzi-derived extracellular vesicles (TcEVs) may facilitate placental invasion by modulating host-pathogen interactions. In this study, we examined the effects of TcEVs on human placental explants (HPEs), focusing on their capacity to disrupt tissue architecture and modulate matrix metalloproteinases MMP-2 and MMP-9, enzymes critical for extracellular matrix remodeling. Term placental chorionic villi were cultured ex vivo and exposed to TcEVs, heat-inactivated TcEVs, infective trypomastigotes, or combinations thereof. TcEVs induced ultrastructural d

SUBMITTER: Fernandez-Moya A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12733037 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature