Inflammatory and pro-resolving lipids in trypanosomatid infections: A key to understanding parasite control

Abstract

© 2018 López-Muñoz, Molina-Berríos, Campos-Estrada, Abarca-Sanhueza, Urrutia-Llancaqueo, Peña-Espinoza and Maya. Pathogenic trypanosomatids (Trypanosoma cruzi, Trypanosoma brucei, and Leishmania spp.) are protozoan parasites that cause neglected diseases affecting millions of people in Africa, Asia, and the Americas. In the process of infection, trypanosomatids evade and survive the immune system attack, which can lead to a chronic inflammatory state that induces cumulative damage, often killing the host in the long term. The immune mediators involved in this process are not entirely understood. Most of the research on the immunologic control of protozoan infections has been focused on acute inflammation. Nevertheless, when this process is not terminated adequately, permanent damage to the inflamed tissue may ensue. Recently, a second process, called resolution of inflammation, has been proposed to be a pivotal process in the control of parasite burden and establishment of chronic infe