Aptamer based, non-PCR, non-serological detection of Chagas disease biomarkers in Trypanosoma cruzi infected mice.

ABSTRACT: Chagas disease affects about 5 million people across the world. The etiological agent, the intracellular parasite Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi), can be diagnosed using microscopy, serology or PCR based assays. However, each of these methods has their limitations regarding sensitivity and specificity, and thus to complement these existing diagnostic methods, alternate assays need to be developed. It is well documented that several parasite proteins called T. cruzi Excreted Secreted Antigens (TESA), are released into the blood of an infected host. These circulating parasite antigens could thus be used as highly specific biomarkers of T. cruzi infection. In this study, we have demonstrated that, using a SELEx based approach, parasite specific ligands called aptamers, can be used to detect TESA

SUBMITTER: Nagarkatti R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3894185 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature