How Chagas Disease Parasite is a Silent Killer: New Research

Chagas disease acts as an infiltrator, spy, and assassin at different stages in its lifecycle. The parasite hides so well that most people don’t know they’re infected until it’s too late.

Kissing bugs carry the parasite and spread it while people sleep. These insects bite the face, which gave them their name. The parasite enters through wounds when the bug’s feces mix with the bite.

The parasite is a single-celled organism that changes four times. These changes help it survive shifts in acidity, temperature, and nutrients.

Researchers at the University of Cincinnati are trying to stop the parasite’s life cycle. They use gene editing to block the transformations that help it survive.

If the parasite can’t transform, it can’t complete its mission. Its cover is blown, and the host finally detects the enemy within.

What Key Protein Helps the Chagas Parasite Survive and Spread?

Researchers uncovered a key protein that helps Trypanosoma cruzi stay alive. This parasite causes Chagas disease and lives in both mammals and bugs.

The protein, called TcCARP3, controls chemical signals called cAMP. These signals help the parasite grow and survive in changing environments.

In trypanosomes, proteins called CARPs help regulate cAMP signals. TcCARP3 directly controls how much cAMP is inside the parasite.

Researchers removed, restored, and overproduced TcCARP3 in different parasite lines. Changing its levels affected the parasite’s ability to live and reproduce./p>

Without TcCARP3, the parasite struggles to survive stress, invade cells, and multiply. It also has trouble growing inside the gut of kissing bugs.

These findings show that TcCARP3 is vital to the parasite’s life cycle. Blocking this protein may offer a new way to fight Chagas disease.

What Makes Chagas Disease a Silent Killer?

Trypanosoma cruzi causes Chagas disease, a major tropical illness in the Americas. The World Health Organization estimates 7 million people are infected globally. Another 70 million people are at risk of infection.

Early symptoms of Chagas disease are mild or flu-like. Most people recover and return to daily life, but the parasite stays in the body. Decades later, about one-third of patients develop heart, gut, or brain problems. These issues can cause long-term disability or death.

Only two drugs are available to treat the disease early. Once the infection becomes chronic, these drugs no longer work.

Chagas disease is common in 21 Latin American countries. But it has now spread to the U.S., Canada, Europe, Asia, and Australia. The spread is fueled by human migration and kissing bugs moving into cities.

Inside the human body, T. cruzi changes into a form called an amastigote. In this form, it hides inside human cells and replicates. It then changes again into a bloodstream form called a trypomastigote.

This form invades new cells or transfers to another host. Inside the kissing bug, the parasite changes into a fast-replicating form called an epimastigote. Then it transforms into an infective form again.

This process of transformation is called metacyclogenesis. Each stage helps the parasite survive and spread.

Conclusion

A new study shows how Chagas disease spreads silently and becomes deadly over time. The parasite changes forms to survive in bugs and people. Stopping these changes could help control the disease worldwide.

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Logan Hamilton is a health and wellness freelance writer for hire. He’s passionate about crafting crystal-clear, captivating, and credible content that elevates brands and establishes trust. When not writing, Logan can be found hiking, sticking his nose in bizarre books, or playing drums in a local rock band. Find him at loganjameshamilton.com.