Researchers from the University of São Paulo, USP, identified the mechanism by which the Leishmania RNA virus, or LRV, makes this protozoan more resistant to the organism, favoring the development of the most severe form of leishmaniasis, the cutaneous, in which there are destructive lesions in the mucous membranes and in the airways, bringing complications to the person.
Until now, it was already known that this virus made Leishmania more aggressive, however the mechanism by which the virus enabled the development of the protozoan was not known. This discovery is very important for the development of new therapeutic strategies for leishmaniasis so that serious forms of the disease are avoided and the person's quality of life is improved.
What was discovered
The objective of the research was to verify how the protozoan infected by the virus acted in the human body. For this, they observed that when infected Leishmania enters the body, the virus activates a structure present in human cells, called Toll-Like-Receptors 3, or TLR3, and stimulates the production of type 1 Interferon and regulates its activity, favoring the replication and permanence of the parasite and destruction of human cells by the autophagy process.
This happens because due to the regulation of interferon favorable to the parasite, the organism would have to produce the inflammasome, which is a set of proteins that act against the infectious agent, however the interferon prevents the action of the inflammasome, leaving the person more and more susceptible infection.
Thus, it was found that the presence of LRV in Leishmania allows the shutdown of various defense mechanisms of the person, which allows the development of the most severe forms of leishmaniasis.
This discovery is important for the development of new ways to fight the disease, and it is suggested that people who have this protozoan, in addition to receiving conventional treatment, should receive treatment with drugs that prevent the activity of the virus. However, this drug is still under investigation.
What is Leishmaniasis
Leishmaniasis is an infectious disease caused by the protozoan Leishmania sp . that can be transmitted by people through the bite of the mosquito of the genus Lutzomyia , popularly known as birigui or straw mosquito.
The symptoms of leishmaniasis vary according to the species of the protozoan and the immune system of the person, in addition to also depending on whether the protozoan is a carrier of LRV or not. In the case of Leishmania sp. being infected by the virus, the person is more likely to develop the severe form of the disease, cutaneous leishmaniasis, which is characterized by the appearance of open lesions in the mucosa and cartilage, mainly nose and mouth, which causes difficulties in speaking, breathing and swallowing, for example.
Learn to recognize all types of leishmaniasis.
