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Updated: May 15, 2026
Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in the Dorsal Skin of Hamsters: a Useful Model for the Screening of Antileishmanial Drugs
Published on: April 21, 2012
Animal model for cutaneous leishmaniasis
Michael R Fischer1, Dominik John, Kordula Kautz-Neu
1Department of Dermatology, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany.
Using cutaneous leishmaniasis of mice, the existence of so-called T helper (Th) cells type 1 and type 2 had been identified more than 20 years ago. Nowadays, it is well accepted that additional T cell populations as well as B cell-mediated immunity is required for immunity against Leishmania major. Finally, using inbred mouse strains, the relevance of genetical factors that influence anti-pathogen immunity as well as elements of the skin-immune system have been identified. This protocol describes a model for murine experimental leishmaniasis that tries to mimic natural parasite transmission by several means: (1) utilization of only infectious-stage parasites that are found in sand fly saliva, (2) intradermal inoculation, and (3) infection with only 1,000 parasites similar to the numbers inoculated by an infected sand fly.
Using cutaneous leishmaniasis of mice, the existence of so-called T helper (Th) cells type 1 and type 2 had been identified more than 20 years ago. Nowadays, it is well accepted that additional T cell populations as well as B cell-mediated immunity is required for immunity against Leishmania major. Finally, using inbred mouse strains, the relevance of genetical factors that influence anti-pathogen immunity as well as elements of the skin-immune system have been identified. This protocol describes a model for murine experimental leishmaniasis that tries to mimic natural parasite transmission by several means: (1) utilization of only infectious-stage parasites that are found in sand fly saliva, (2) intradermal inoculation, and (3) infection with only 1,000 parasites similar to the numbers inoculated by an infected sand fly.
