A new human 3D-liver model unravels the role of galectins in liver infection by the parasite Entamoeba histolytica.

ABSTRACT: Investigations of human parasitic diseases depend on the availability of appropriate in vivo animal models and ex vivo experimental systems, and are particularly difficult for pathogens whose exclusive natural hosts are humans, such as Entamoeba histolytica, the protozoan parasite responsible for amoebiasis. This common infectious human disease affects the intestine and liver. In the liver sinusoids E. histolytica crosses the endothelium and penetrates into the parenchyma, with the concomitant initiation of inflammatory foci and subsequent abscess formation. Studying factors responsible for human liver infection is hampered by the complexity of the hepatic environment and by the restrictions inherent to the use of human samples. Therefore, we built a human 3D-liver in vitro model composed

SUBMITTER: Petropolis DB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4161482 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature