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Impact
Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic infection found throughout the world. It is
caused by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii, commonly carried by cats and
other animals. People can become infected by eating raw or partly cooked
meat, or by touching anything that has come into contact with cat feces. While
more than 60 million people in the United States are infected with toxoplasmosis,
very few have symptoms because the immune system usually prevents the parasite
from causing illness. People with compromised immune system problems (i.e. AIDS
or cancer patients) may develop severe toxoplasmosis. Toxoplasma gondii
is related to the parasite that causes malaria,
and is sometimes used as a model for studies relevant to both parasites. If a
woman first becomes infected during pregnancy, her fetus is at risk for abnormal
brain development or miscarriage.
Symptoms
Symptoms of acute toxoplasmosis are flu-like and include swollen lymph
glands, muscle aches and pains that, if noticed at all, last for a few days to
several weeks. In immuno-compromised patients, toxoplasmosis can cause brain
infection and can be fatal.
SBRI's Role
SBRI combines expertise in cell biology and molecular genetics to decipher
the complexities of the parasite that causes toxoplasmosis. Similar to the
parasite that causes malaria, the toxoplasmosis parasite (Toxoplasma gondii)
contains a sub-cellular structure called a plastid, which is related to plant
chloroplasts. Specific metabolic pathways within this plastid are critical for
the survival of the parasites. The proteins necessary for these pathways are
made elsewhere in the cell and must be transported into the plastid. Researchers
at SBRI have identified the initial steps that direct proteins to this
structure. As the basic biology of this process becomes fully understood,
strategies for inhibiting the passage of the proteins may lead to new types of
treatment for both toxoplasmosis and malaria. With expertise in both cellular
and molecular genetics, scientists here are hoping to unlock the mysteries of
his fundamental process.
Jean Feagin, Ph.D., and Marilyn Parsons, Ph.D.,
are studying the molecular and cell biology of a unique organelle which may be
an excellent drug target for toxoplasmosis and malaria.
Links
CDC
Toxoplasmosis Center for Disease Control and Prevention
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