Chagas Disease is one of the most significant communicable diseases in Latin America, along with acute respiratory infections, childhood diarrheas, and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). In Argentina, according to the 2010 report from the World Health Organization, it is considered an endemic disease, affecting 7.2% of the total population of the country.
One of the most devastating manifestations of this disease is chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy, which affects approximately 30% of the infected individuals. Despite the large number of studies conducted, the exact factors leading an asymptomatic chronic patient to develop cardiac alterations are still unknown, although the persistence of the parasite in tissue reservoirs (cardiac, muscular, adipose tissue) and the immune response it generates are considered the main causes of the pathological conditions.
In this regard, our laboratory is interested in studying the immune response developed by the individual during the chronic phase of Chagas Disease. We aim to contribute to elucidating the pathogenic mechanisms that lead an asymptomatic chronic patient to experience cardiac alterations, as well as identify possible new targets with potential for the prevention and/or treatment of this disease. Following this same approach, we are focused on the characterization of proteins exclusive to T. cruzi, which are absent in the mammalian host, and which present high potential as diagnostic markers and/or new drug targets. Additionally, our laboratory offers High-Level Technological Services (STAN), dedicated to the production of recombinant proteins using different platforms and organisms, which we offer to the industry (for the development of diagnostic kits) and to academia (for basic and/or applied research).
Lab Members
Mariana Potenza, Ph.D.
Adjunct Researcher CONICET
marian.potenza@gmail.com
potenza@dna.uba.ar
Fátima Ferragut, Ph.D.
Micaela Ossowski, Ph.D.
Juan José Rosales Hurtado, Ph.D.
Post-doctoral Fellow ANCyT
rosaleshurtado@gmail.com
Karen Magalí Cruz
Juan Pablo Gallardo
Doctoral Fellow ANCyT
jpgallardo2013@outlook.com
Sofía Díaz
Doctoral Fellow ANCyT
sofia.diaz_694@outlook.com
Martín Carosella
Student
mcarosella@uade.edu.ar
Publications (2020-present)
Performance Assessment of ELISA Using the Trypanosoma cruzi-Specific Antigen Tc323 for the Diagnosis of Chronic Chagas Disease
Ossowski MS, Gallardo JP, Chadi R, Hernández Y, Fernández M, Marco JD, Triana-Chavez O, Nolan MS, Pech May A, Ramsey JM, Villar JC, Agüero F, Potenza M, Gómez KA.
ACS Infect Dis. 2024 Dec 13;10(12):4400-4412. doi: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.4c00784.
Alamandine, a protective component of the renin-angiotensin system, reduces cellular proliferation and interleukin-6 secretion in human macrophages through MasR-MrgDR heteromerization
Rukavina Mikusic NL, Silva MG, Erra Díaz FA, Pineda AM, Ferragut F, Gómez KA, Mazzitelli L, Gonzalez Maglio DH, Nuñez M, Santos RAS, Grecco HE, Gironacci MM.
Biochem Pharmacol. 2024 Nov;229:116480. doi: 10.1016/j.bcp.2024.116480.
Characterization of Novel Trypanosoma cruzi-Specific Antigen with Potential Use in the Diagnosis of Chagas Disease
Ossowski MS, Gallardo JP, Niborski LL, Rodríguez-Durán J, Lapadula WJ, Juri Ayub M, Chadi R, Hernandez Y, Fernandez ML, Potenza M, Gómez KA.
Int J Mol Sci. 2024 Jan 18;25(2):1202. doi: 10.3390/ijms25021202.
Activation-induced marker assays for identification of Trypanosoma cruzi-specific CD4 or CD8 T cells in chronic Chagas disease patients
Ferragut F, Cruz KM, Gallardo JP,Fernández M,Hernández Vasquez Y, Gómez KA
Immunology. 2023 Jun;169(2):185-203. doi: 10.1111/imm.13622.
Expression of Inhibitory Receptors TIGIT, TIM-3, and LAG-3 on CD4+ T Cells from Patients with Different Clinical Forms of Chronic Chagas Disease.
Ferragut F, Alcaraz PB, Beati P, Girard MC, Ossowski MS, Chadi R, Fernández M, Hernández-Vásquez Y, Acevedo GR, Gómez KA.
J Immunol. 2023 Mar 1;210(5):568-579. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.2200436.
The Kinetoplastid-Specific Protein TcCAL1 Plays Different Roles During In Vitro Differentiation and Host-Cell Invasion in Trypanosoma cruzi.
Rodríguez-Durán J, Gallardo JP, Alba Soto CD, Gómez KA, Potenza M.
Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2022 Jun 30;12:901880. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.901880.
Galectins in Chagas Disease: A Missing Link Between Trypanosoma cruzi Infection, Inflammation, and Tissue Damage.
Poncini CV, Benatar AF, Gomez KA, Rabinovich GA.
Front Microbiol. 2022 Jan 3;12:794765. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.794765.
In vitro differentiation of Trypanosoma cruzi epimastigotes into metacyclic trypomastigotes using a biphasic medium
Rodríguez Durán J, Muñoz-Calderón A, Gómez KA, Potenza M.
STAR Protocols. 2021. doi: 10.1016/j.xpro.2021.100703
Trypanosoma cruzi induces regulatory B-cell alterations in patients with chronic Chagas disease.
Girard MC, Ossowski MS, Muñoz-Calderón A, Fernández M, Hernández-Vásquez Y, Chadi R, Gómez KA.
Frontiers in Celullar and Infection Microbiology, Front. Cell. Infect. Microbiol. 2021. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.723549
IgE antibodies against Trypanosoma cruzi arginine kinase in patients with chronic Chagas disease.
Valera-Vera EA, Concepción JL, Cáceres AJ, Acevedo GR, Fernández M, Hernández Y, Digirolamo FA, Duschak VG, Soprano LL, Pereira CA, Miranda MR, Gómez KA.
Mol Immunol. 2021. doi: 10.1016/j.molimm.2021.06.024
T cell specificity: a great challenge in Chagas disease.
Ferragut F, Acevedo GR, Gómez KA.
Frontiers in Immunology, 2021. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.674078
Ex vivo characterization of Breg cells in patients with chronic Chagas disease.
Girard MC, Acevedo GR, Ossowski MS, Fernández M, Hernández Y, Chadi R, Gómez KA.
Sci Rep. 2021. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-84765-x
Recombinant antibody against Trypanosoma cruzi from patients with chronic Chagas heart disease recognizes mammalian nervous system.
Niborskia LL, Potenza M, Chirivi RGS, Simonetti L, Ossowski MS, Grippo V, May M, Staquicinie DI, Parodi-Talice A, Robello C, Comini MA, Alonso GD, Raats JMH, Gómez KA.
EBioMedicine. 2021. doi: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2020.103206
In Silico Guided Discovery of Novel Class I and II Trypanosoma cruzi Epitopes Recognized by T Cells from Chagas’ Disease Patients
Acevedo GR, Juiz NA, Ziblat A, Pérez Perri L, Girard MC, Ossowski MS, Fernández M, Hernández Y, Chadi R, Wittig M, Franke A, Nielsen M, Gómez KA.
J Immunol. 2020 Mar 15;204(6):1571-1581. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.
Ex Lab Members
Leticia L. Niborski Ph.D.
Alejandro F. Benatar Ph.D.
IBYME.
Laura Tasso
Instituto Nacional de Parasitología “Dr. Mario Fatala Chaben”
Gonzalo R. Acevedo, Ph.D.
Division of Experimental Medicine
University of California, San Francisco at Zuckerberg San Francisco General, USA
Lic. Lucas Perez Perri
Lic. Paula Alcaraz
Magalí Celeste Girard, Ph.D.
Jessica Rodriguez, Ph.D.
Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB)
Universidade de São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, Brazil
- Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Buenos Aires. 1990.
- Pharmaceutical, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Buenos Aires. 1992.
- Ph.D. University of Buenos Aires. 1998.
- Principal Researcher CONICET. 2024 – cont.
- Adjunt Professor, Department of Biological Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Buenos Aires. 2023 – cont.