UGA researchers develop first test of cure for Chagas disease
New test protocol can detect low levels of Trypanosoma cruzi, the parasite that causes Chagas disease Researchers at the University of Georgia’s Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases have developed the first test to determine whether treatment for Chagas disease was effective. An estimated 6 million to 8 million people worldwide are infected with …
In the News: Rick Tarleton
UGA researchers develop first test of cure for Chagas disease (UGA Today) UGA Pioneers First Test for Chagas Disease Cure (Mirage) UGA researchers develop first test of cure for Chagas disease (Newswise) ¿Se curó la infección de Chagas? Un nuevo test podría dar la respuesta (Infobae) Chagas disease: Test for cure (Outbreak News Today) AN2 …
New T2T assembly of Cryptosporidium parvum IOWA II annotated with Legacy-Compatible Gene identifiers
Cryptosporidium parvum is a significant pathogen causing gastrointestinal infections in humans and animals. It is spread through ingesting contaminated food and water. Despite its global health significance, generating a C. parvum genome sequence has been challenging for many reasons including cloning and challenging subtelomeric regions. A new, gapless, hybrid, telomere-to-telomere genome assembly was created for …
Highly cross-reactive and competent effectors dominate the CD8+ T cell response in Trypanosoma cruzi infection
CD8+ T cells are key effectors in immune control of Trypanosoma cruzi infection. Within C57BL/6 mice, the T. cruzi-specific CD8+ T cell response is largely comprised of T cells recognizing trans-sialidase (TS)- and mucin-encoded epitopes. Despite their immunodominance, these epitope-specific CD8+ T cells are entirely dispensable for immune control. In a screen for epitopes inducing …
From Target Product Profiles (TPPs) to Target Specimen Profiles (TSPs): A New Concept in Infectious Disease Biobanking for Diagnostic Applications
A target specimen profile (TSP) corresponds to the required characteristics of the specimen panels needed to demonstrate that a diagnostic kit meets the target product profile (TPP). TSPs can guide biobanks in the prospective collection of sample panels to support the development and validation of diagnostics. Fay Betsou, Warren Fransman, Patrick Lammie. Diagnostics (Basel). 2025 …
Protocol for laboratory rearing and infection tracking of Rhodnius prolixus using 3D-printable designs
Human infections by Trypanosoma cruzi propagate via its blood-feeding triatomine vector. Investigating parasite-vector interactions depends upon robust techniques to rear insects and analyze infections. Here, we present a protocol for laboratory rearing and infection tracking of Rhodnius prolixus. We describe steps for housing, feeding, and sorting strategies using 3D-printable designs. We also detail procedures for …
Kurup wins prestigious PATH award for groundbreaking malaria research
The importance of persistence and dormancy in Trypanosoma cruzi infection and Chagas disease
Trypanosoma cruzi typically establishes a life-long infection in its mammalian hosts, causing the destruction of muscle tissues and ultimately resulting in potentially fatal Chagas disease. In this review, we consider the array of avoidance mechanisms that allow for T. cruzi persistence, many of which are unconventional among protozoan pathogens but which collectively are highly effective …




