Where: At the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) Glen Site, block E, room M1.3509, 1001 Decarie Boulevard, Montreal, Quebec H4A 3J1

When: Wednesday, February 26, 12–1 p.m.

Speaker: Rubens do Monte, MSc, DSc
René Rachou Institute – Oswaldo Cruz Foundation at Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil (Fiocruz Minas)

Molecular tool box to tackle leishmaniasis

Despite enormous efforts over the years to tackle leishmaniases, we are still with no or very few alternatives to treat, diagnose and prevent these diseases. To make it worse, disease urbanization is increasing together with the emergence of drug-resistant strains. There are cases of dermotropic-related species causing visceral leishmaniasis and vice versa, Leishmania infantum found in cutaneous lesions. Recently, a non-Leishmania trypanosomatid was found associated with a fatal form of visceral leishmaniasis in Brazil, revealing how complex is the pathogenicity of the disease. Our lab has focused efforts in three main fronts to tackle leishmaniasis: (I) selection of live- attenuated parasites—by amastigote-essential genes disruption—for the development of first-generation vaccines; (II) in vitro and in vivo drug screening to find alternatives for leishmaniasis chemotherapy and (III) the development of a LAMP (Loop-mediated isothermal amplification)-based molecular test to detect different Leishmania species. We have additionally track the antimony-resistance in L. braziliensis field isolates in Brazil.

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