Generation of luciferase-expressing Leishmania infantum chagasi and assessment of miltefosine efficacy in infected hamsters through bioimaging.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The only oral drug available for the treatment of leishmaniasis is miltefosine, described and approved for visceral leishmaniasis in India. Miltefosine is under evaluation for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis in the Americas although its efficacy for the treatment of human visceral leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania infantum chagasi has not been described. Drug efficacy for visceral leishmaniasis is ideally tested in hamsters, an experimental model that mimics human disease. Luciferase has been validated as a quantitative tool for the determination of parasite burden in experimental leishmaniasis. However, there are no reports of luciferase detection in the model of progressive visceral leishmaniasis in hamsters. Therefore, the aims of this study were to generate

SUBMITTER: Reimao JQ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4332486 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature