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Pathogens
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Neglected and Emergent Diseases
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Neglected and Emergent Diseases

A special issue of Pathogens (ISSN 2076-0817). This special issue belongs to the section "Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2023) | Viewed by 11417

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Alexsandro Galdino

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Guest Editor
Laboratório de Biotecnologia de Microrganismos, Universidade Federal de São João Del-Rei (UFSJ), Campus Centro-Oeste, Divinópolis 35501-296, MG, Brazil
Interests: microbial biotechnology; molecular biology; recombinant proteins; immunodiagnostics
Dr. Rodolfo Cordeiro Giunchetti

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Guest Editor
Laboratório de Biologia das Interações Celulares, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil
Interests: leishmaniasis; vaccine; immunology; diagnosis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, 

Neglected diseases have serious implications for public health and economy of communities all over the world. They are endemic in many developing countries, constantly being associated with poor sanitary conditions and inadequate nutrition. Moreover, they have been neglected on both a national and international scale; therefore, communities in these underdeveloped countries lack access to necessary public health and healthcare systems for the treatment of neglected diseases. They represent one of the main causes of death and disability and, in this sense, represent a major obstacle to health security and human progress. Furthermore, serious challenges have arisen from infectious diseases, including the emergence of new ones. The emergence of new diseases, such as COVID-19, are accelerated by the globalized environment that we are living in. 

This Special Issue is focused on Neglected and Emerging Diseases. We invite you to submit original and review articles related to this issue. This Special Issue aims to provide new information about these diseases; a better understanding is essential to achieve control of such diseases. 

Prof. Dr. Alexsandro Galdino
Dr. Rodolfo Cordeiro Giunchetti
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Pathogens is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • neglected diseases
  • emerging diseases
  • public health
  • emergence
  • treatment

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

Jump to: Review

18 pages, 2516 KiB  
Article
Mathematical Model of the Spread of Hantavirus Infection
by Juan Pablo Gutiérrez-Jara, María Teresa Muñoz-Quezada, Fernando Córdova-Lepe and Alex Silva-Guzmán
Pathogens 2023, 12(9), 1147; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens12091147 - 08 Sep 2023
Viewed by 885
Abstract
A mathematical epidemiological model incorporating the mobility of rodents and human groups among zones of less or major contact between them is presented. The hantavirus infection dynamics is expressed using a model type SEIR (Susceptible-Exposed-Infectious-Removed), which incorporates the displacement of the rodent and [...] Read more.
A mathematical epidemiological model incorporating the mobility of rodents and human groups among zones of less or major contact between them is presented. The hantavirus infection dynamics is expressed using a model type SEIR (Susceptible-Exposed-Infectious-Removed), which incorporates the displacement of the rodent and the human, between the urban and rural sector, the latter being subdivided in populated and non-populated. The results show the impact that rodent or human displacement may have on the propagation of hantavirus infection. Human mobility is more significant than rodents in increasing the number of hantavirus infection cases. The results found may be used as a reference by the health authorities to develop more specific campaigns on the territorial dynamics of the rodent, attend to the mobility of humans in these territories, mainly agricultural and forestry workers, and strengthen control-prevention actions in the community, to prevent future outbreaks that are fatal. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Neglected and Emergent Diseases)
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21 pages, 3511 KiB  
Article
Immunotherapy Using Immunogenic Mimotopes Selected by Phage Display plus Amphotericin B Inducing a Therapeutic Response in Mice Infected with Leishmania amazonensis
by Tauane G. Soyer, Fernanda F. Ramos, Isabela A. G. Pereira, Daniela P. Lage, Raquel S. Bandeira, Marcelo M. de Jesus, Guilherme P. Costa, Amanda S. Machado, Camila S. Freitas, Danniele L. Vale, Vívian T. Martins, Alexsandro S. Galdino, Miguel A. Chávez-Fumagalli, Daniel Menezes-Souza, Mariana C. Duarte, Bruno M. Roatt, Eduardo A. F. Coelho and Grasiele S. V. Tavares
Pathogens 2023, 12(2), 314; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens12020314 - 14 Feb 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1541
Abstract
Leishmania amazonensis can cause cutaneous and visceral clinical manifestations of leishmaniasis in infected hosts. Once the treatment against disease is toxic, presents high cost, and/or there is the emergence of parasite-resistant strains, alternative means through which to control the disease must be developed. [...] Read more.
Leishmania amazonensis can cause cutaneous and visceral clinical manifestations of leishmaniasis in infected hosts. Once the treatment against disease is toxic, presents high cost, and/or there is the emergence of parasite-resistant strains, alternative means through which to control the disease must be developed. In this context, immunotherapeutics combining known drugs with immunogens could be applied to control infections and allow hosts to recover from the disease. In this study, immunotherapeutics protocols associating mimotopes selected by phage display and amphotericin B (AmpB) were evaluated in L. amazonensis-infected mice. Immunogens, A4 and A8 phages, were administered alone or associated with AmpB. Other animals received saline, AmpB, a wild-type phage (WTP), or WTP/AmpB as controls. Evaluations performed one and thirty days after the application of immunotherapeutics showed that the A4/AmpB and A8/AmpB combinations induced the most polarized Th1-type immune responses, which reflected in significant reductions in the lesion’s average diameter and in the parasite load in the infected tissue and distinct organs of the animals. In addition, the combination also reduced the drug toxicity, as compared to values found using it alone. In this context, preliminary data presented here suggest the potential to associate A4 and A8 phages with AmpB to be applied in future studies for treatment against leishmaniasis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Neglected and Emergent Diseases)
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11 pages, 2161 KiB  
Article
Proof of Concept of a Novel Multiepitope Recombinant Protein for the Serodiagnosis of Patients with Chagas Disease
by Juliana Martins Machado, Isabela Amorim Gonçalves Pereira, Ana Clara Gontijo Maia, Mariana Ferraz Chaves Francisco, Lais Moreira Nogueira, Isadora Braga Gandra, Anna Julia Ribeiro, Kamila Alves Silva, Carlos Ananias Aparecido Resende, Jonatas Oliveira da Silva, Michelli dos Santos, Ana Alice Maia Gonçalves, Grasiele de Sousa Vieira Tavares, Miguel Angel Chávez-Fumagalli, Mariana Campos-da-Paz, Rodolfo Cordeiro Giunchetti, Manoel Otávio da Costa Rocha, Ana Thereza Chaves, Eduardo Antônio Ferraz Coelho and Alexsandro Sobreira Galdino
Pathogens 2023, 12(2), 312; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens12020312 - 14 Feb 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1589
Abstract
Chagas disease remains a neglected disease that is considered to be a public health problem. The early diagnosis of cases is important to improve the prognosis of infected patients and prevent transmission. Serological tests are the method of choice for diagnosis. However, two [...] Read more.
Chagas disease remains a neglected disease that is considered to be a public health problem. The early diagnosis of cases is important to improve the prognosis of infected patients and prevent transmission. Serological tests are the method of choice for diagnosis. However, two serological tests are currently recommended to confirm positive cases. In this sense, more sensitive and specific serological tests need to be developed to overcome these current diagnosis problems. This study aimed to develop a new recombinant multiepitope protein for the diagnosis of Chagas disease, hereafter named rTC. The rTC was constructed based on amino acid sequences from different combinations of Trypanosoma cruzi antigens in the same polypeptide and tested using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to detect different types of Chagas disease. rTC was able to discriminate between indeterminate (IND) and cardiac (CARD) cases and cross-reactive diseases, as well as healthy samples, with 98.28% sensitivity and 96.67% specificity, respectively. These data suggest that rTC has the potential to be tested in future studies against a larger serological panel for the diagnosis of Chagas disease. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Neglected and Emergent Diseases)
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13 pages, 1676 KiB  
Article
rMELEISH: A Novel Recombinant Multiepitope-Based Protein Applied to the Serodiagnosis of Both Canine and Human Visceral Leishmaniasis
by Daniel Silva Dias, Juliana Martins Machado, Patrícia Aparecida Fernandes Ribeiro, Amanda Sanchez Machado, Fernanda Fonseca Ramos, Lais Moreira Nogueira, Ana Alice Maia Gonçalves, Luana de Sousa Ramos, Isadora Braga Gandra, Flaviane Silva Coutinho, Michelli dos Santos, Jonatas Oliveira da Silva, Miguel Angel Chávez-Fumagalli, Rafael Gonçalves Teixeira-Neto, Ana Thereza Chaves, Mariana Campos-da-Paz, Amanda A. Souza, Rodolfo Cordeiro Giunchetti, Sonia Maria Freitas, Sandra Lyon, Danielle Ferreira de Magalhães-Soares, Julia Angelica Gonçalves Silveira, Eduardo Sergio Silva, Eduardo Antonio Ferraz Coelho and Alexsandro Sobreira Galdinoadd Show full author list remove Hide full author list
Pathogens 2023, 12(2), 302; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens12020302 - 11 Feb 2023
Viewed by 1656
Abstract
Background: visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a critical public health problem in over ninety countries. The control measures adopted in Brazil have been insufficient when it comes to preventing the spread of this overlooked disease. In this context, a precise diagnosis of VL in [...] Read more.
Background: visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a critical public health problem in over ninety countries. The control measures adopted in Brazil have been insufficient when it comes to preventing the spread of this overlooked disease. In this context, a precise diagnosis of VL in dogs and humans could help to reduce the number of cases of this disease. Distinct studies for the diagnosis of VL have used single recombinant proteins in serological assays; however, the results have been variable, mainly in relation to the sensitivity of the antigens. In this context, the development of multiepitope-based proteins could be relevant to solving such problem. Methods: a chimeric protein (rMELEISH) was constructed based on amino acid sequences from kinesin 39 (k39), alpha-tubulin, and heat-shock proteins HSP70 and HSP 83.1, and tested in enzyme-linked immunosorbent (ELISA) for the detection of L. infantum infection using canine (n = 140) and human (n = 145) sera samples. Results: in the trials, rMELEISH was able to discriminate between VL cases and cross-reactive diseases and healthy samples, with sensitivity and specificity values of 100%, as compared to the use of a soluble Leishmania antigenic extract (SLA). Conclusions: the preliminary data suggest that rMELEISH has the potential to be tested in future studies against a larger serological panel and in field conditions for the diagnosis of canine and human VL. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Neglected and Emergent Diseases)
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Review

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16 pages, 3502 KiB  
Review
A Review of Major Patents on Potential Malaria Vaccine Targets
by Reysla Maria da Silveira Mariano, Ana Alice Maia Gonçalves, Diana Souza de Oliveira, Helen Silva Ribeiro, Diogo Fonseca Soares Pereira, Ingrid Soares Santos, Daniel Ferreira Lair, Augusto Ventura da Silva, Alexsandro Sobreira Galdino, Miguel Angel Chávez-Fumagalli, Denise da Silveira-Lemos, Walderez Ornelas Dutra and Rodolfo Cordeiro Giunchetti
Pathogens 2023, 12(2), 247; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens12020247 - 03 Feb 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3005
Abstract
Malaria is a parasitic infection that is a great public health concern and is responsible for high mortality rates worldwide. Different strategies have been employed to improve disease control, demonstrating the ineffectiveness of controlling vectors, and parasite resistance to antimalarial drugs requires the [...] Read more.
Malaria is a parasitic infection that is a great public health concern and is responsible for high mortality rates worldwide. Different strategies have been employed to improve disease control, demonstrating the ineffectiveness of controlling vectors, and parasite resistance to antimalarial drugs requires the development of an effective preventive vaccine. There are countless challenges to the development of such a vaccine directly related to the parasite’s complex life cycle. After more than four decades of basic research and clinical trials, the World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended the pre-erythrocytic Plasmodium falciparum (RTS, S) malaria vaccine for widespread use among children living in malaria-endemic areas. However, there is a consensus that major improvements are needed to develop a vaccine with a greater epidemiological impact in endemic areas. This review discusses novel strategies for malaria vaccine design taking the target stages within the parasite cycle into account. The design of the multi-component vaccine shows considerable potential, especially as it involves transmission-blocking vaccines (TBVs) that eliminate the parasite’s replication towards sporozoite stage parasites during a blood meal of female anopheline mosquitoes. Significant improvements have been made but additional efforts to achieve an efficient vaccine are required to improve control measures. Different strategies have been employed, thus demonstrating the ineffectiveness in controlling vectors, and parasite resistance to antimalarial drugs requires the development of a preventive vaccine. Despite having a vaccine in an advanced stage of development, such as the RTS, S malaria vaccine, the search for an effective vaccine against malaria is far from over. This review discusses novel strategies for malaria vaccine design taking into account the target stages within the parasite’s life cycle. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Neglected and Emergent Diseases)
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19 pages, 1869 KiB  
Review
Cytokine Networks as Targets for Preventing and Controlling Chagas Heart Disease
by Carolina Cattoni Koh, Eula G. A. Neves, Thaiany Goulart de Souza-Silva, Ana Carolina Carvalho, Cecília Horta Ramalho Pinto, Alexsandro Sobreira Galdino, Kenneth J. Gollob and Walderez Ornelas Dutra
Pathogens 2023, 12(2), 171; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens12020171 - 21 Jan 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2068
Abstract
Chagas disease, a neglected disease caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, is endemic in 21 Latin American countries, affecting 6–8 million people. Increasing numbers of Chagas disease cases have also been reported in non-endemic countries due to migration, contamination via blood transfusions [...] Read more.
Chagas disease, a neglected disease caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, is endemic in 21 Latin American countries, affecting 6–8 million people. Increasing numbers of Chagas disease cases have also been reported in non-endemic countries due to migration, contamination via blood transfusions or organ transplantation, characterizing Chagas as an emerging disease in such regions. While most individuals in the chronic phase of Chagas disease remain in an asymptomatic clinical form named indeterminate, approximately 30% of the patients develop a cardiomyopathy that is amongst the deadliest cardiopathies known. The clinical distinctions between the indeterminate and the cardiac clinical forms are associated with different immune responses mediated by innate and adaptive cells. In this review, we present a collection of studies focusing on the human disease, discussing several aspects that demonstrate the association between chemokines, cytokines, and cytotoxic molecules with the distinct clinical outcomes of human infection with Trypanosoma cruzi. In addition, we discuss the role of gene polymorphisms in the transcriptional control of these immunoregulatory molecules. Finally, we discuss the potential application of cytokine expression and gene polymorphisms as markers of susceptibility to developing the severe form of Chagas disease, and as targets for disease control. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Neglected and Emergent Diseases)
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