Clinical aspects of Chagas disease and implications for novel therapies

The interaction between the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi and the human host dates back 9000 years, as demonstrated by molecular analysis of material obtained from Andean mummies indicating the presence of the parasite's kinetoplast DNA in populations from Chile and Peru. This long-established interaction, which persists today, demonstrates that T. cruzi has established a very well adapted relationship with the human host. From a host-parasite relationship point-of-view this is desirable, however, such a high degree of adaptation is perhaps the foundation for many of the unknowns that surround this disease. Unveiling of the immunological mechanisms that underlie the establishment of pathology, identification of parasite-associated factors that determine strain-differential tissue tropism, discovery of host genetic elements that influence the development of different clinical forms of the disease, and understanding environmental factors that may influence the host-parasite interactions, are some of the key questions remaining to be answered. The response to these questions will aid in addressing some of the current challenges in Chagas disease: fulfilling the need for efficient diagnosis, developing effective prophylactic measures, discovering effective therapeutics, and finding methods to control disease progression.