Language

English

Publication Date

3-19-2026

Journal

Vaccine

DOI

10.1016/j.vaccine.2026.128296

Abstract

Chagas disease is a poverty-related neglected tropical disease caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi affecting approximately 6.3 million people, predominantly in the Americas. Approximately 30% of T. cruzi infections progress to chronic cardiomyopathy and 10% of these cases end in death from cardiac failure. The first-line drug Benznidazole (BNZ) require a prolonged treatment regimen and can be highly toxic. Here, we evaluate a therapeutic vaccine in T. cruzi-infected mice, based on the recombinant Trypomastigote Surface Antigen 1 (TSA-1.C4) protein and the emulsified adjuvant E6020, and in combination with a suboptimal dose of BNZ. We observed a reduced burden parasite in blood in mice receiving either with TSA-1.C4 vaccine alone or in combination with a low dose of BNZ. TSA-1.C4-specific IgG and isotype levels were increased in all experimental groups receiving TSA-1.C4 protein treatment, confirming its immunogenicity. Mice treated with TSA-1.C4 vaccine in combination with BNZ exhibit a reduced cardiac inflammation as well as an antigen-specific IFN-γ CD4+ T cells with an IL-2 and IL-4 cytokine production. Even though TSA-1.C4 vaccine alone induced a cytokine response by IFN-γ and IL-10 production, only the TSA-1.C4 vaccine plus BNZ reduced cardiac inflammatory infiltrate compared to infected untreated mice. In conclusion the therapeutic vaccine with a low dose of BNZ prevent cardiac inflammation and provide a balanced Th1/Th2 cytokine immune response in a murine model of acute Chagas disease.

Keywords

Animals, Nitroimidazoles, Chagas Disease, Trypanosoma cruzi, Cytokines, Mice, Antibodies, Protozoan, Female, Immunoglobulin G, Protozoan Vaccines, Antigens, Protozoan, Trypanocidal Agents, Immunotherapy, Mice, Inbred BALB C, Adjuvants, Immunologic, Protozoan Proteins, Benznidazole, Chagas disease, TSA-1.C4, Therapeutic vaccine, Trypanosoma cruzi

Published Open-Access

yes

Download

Share

COinS
 
 

To view the content in your browser, please download Adobe Reader or, alternately,
you may Download the file to your hard drive.

NOTE: The latest versions of Adobe Reader do not support viewing PDF files within Firefox on Mac OS and if you are using a modern (Intel) Mac, there is no official plugin for viewing PDF files within the browser window.