Life Sciences & Biotechnology
Title : | Longevity of immunological memory in people with history of visceral leishmaniasis and impact of declining disease transmission on maintenance of immunological memory in context of India’s visceral leishmaniasis elimination campaign |
Area of research : | Life Sciences & Biotechnology |
Focus area : | Immunology and Infectious Diseases |
Principal Investigator : | Dr. Rajiv Kumar, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh |
Timeline Start Year : | 2023 |
Timeline End Year : | 2026 |
Contact info : | rajiv082@yahoo.com |
Details
Executive Summary : | Visceral leishmaniasis cases (VL) in India have decreased, but cases are still reported from endemic regions. A vaccine is still desirable to control and prevent re-emergence of the disease. There is still much to be learned about parasite reservoirs, CD4+ T cell memory persistence in humans, and how sequential infections influence pre-existing immune memory and longevity of the protective immune response. Experimental data suggests that immune responses in some cases may be competitive, while in other situations, one infectious agent can boost immunity to unrelated infections. Infections with Leishmania typically induce life-long protection against reinfection, but the exact nature of this is unclear. The disease is known to relapse and reinfection occur, albeit rarely. The drug of choice for VL treatment in India, Ambisome, may do better in killing parasites than traditional Stibogluconate compounds. This may prevent relapse but also have implications on protection against reinfection and how immunity is formed and maintained.
The risk of VL re-emergence and future outbreaks should not be neglected, especially if immunity is lost in the population. The rapid decline in VL cases in Bihar India may provide insight into the persistence of parasites and CD4+ T cell memory in humans following VL, in the absence of ongoing transmission. The project also offers the opportunity to revisit past VL cases and utilize a Demographic Surveillance site (DSS) for population data and serological samples dating back 15 years or more. |
Total Budget (INR): | 68,16,880 |
Organizations involved