Scientists at the University of Georgia’s Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases have created the initial test to assess the effectiveness of treatments for Chagas disease.

Approximately 6 million to 8 million individuals globally are afflicted by Trypanosoma cruzi, the parasite responsible for Chagas disease.

“At present, during pharmaceutical trials, we can solely ascertain if a medication fails,” explained Rick Tarleton, Regents’ Professor at the UGA Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. “A cure test can reveal if a medication effectively eradicates the infection.”

One of the challenges in confirming if T. cruzi infection has been resolved by treatment is that the immune system often proficiently manages the infection. Existing tests lack the sensitivity required to detect minimal quantities of parasites.

“If you have a cup of tea with a smidgen of tea leaves in it, you may not encounter a tea leaf in each sip,” Tarleton remarked. “When parasites are scarce in the bloodstream, it diminishes the likelihood that a blood sample will include any.”

“We’ve collected two samples from the same individual simultaneously—one came back positive, while the other was negative. Which result is accurate?”

Thousands perish from Chagas annually

Chagas disease claims over 10,000 lives each year, predominantly in Central and South America. However, it is also a concern in the United States, where the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 280,000 individuals are living with this ailment.

This disease does not only afflict humans. Numerous mammals, including wildlife and domestic dogs, can also contract it.

The Tarleton team performed extensive PCR testing on samples collected from naturally infected macaque monkeys, dogs, and humans. They also fragmented the DNA to achieve a more uniform distribution within the sample. Standard PCR testing does not conduct DNA fragmentation.

“Returning to Rick’s tea leaf analogy, it’s akin to taking a whole tea leaf, breaking it into tiny pieces, and then stirring the tea before sipping,” stated Brooke White, lead researcher of the study. “This boosts the likelihood of detecting DNA.”

New assay effectively identifies parasite infection in monkeys, dogs, and humans

The naturally infected macaques were observed over a span of 12 months with monthly blood evaluations. A subset also had blood samples taken seven times over four weeks. Along with the thorough PCR testing, the researchers cultivated T. cruzi cultures from the blood samples, confirming that the new method accurately identifies infections even when the quantity of parasites is extremely low.

“As the macaques contracted the infection in a manner similar to humans and dogs, and their disease progression aligns, we are confident this test will be effective in other species,” Tarleton noted.

Partners at Texas A&M and in Argentina also provided samples from naturally infected dogs and humans, respectively. The researchers observed comparable results to those in macaques.

A demand for improved drug treatments for Chagas disease

There is an urgent need for new therapeutic options for Chagas disease. However, in the absence of a definitive cure test, researchers can only identify what does not work. While the new method is effective, the researchers emphasized that it is also labor-intensive and time-consuming, resulting in higher costs.

To address this, the researchers explored technologies that could expedite and reduce expenses during the process.

“This cure test is truly a transformative advancement for drug treatment research,” remarked White. “We are already collaborating with other research teams with the hope of developing a quicker and more economical method for assessing parasite load in their drug treatment studies involving macaques, dogs, and humans.”

The researchers initiated collaboration with Countable Labs, whose new technology permits quicker analysis of larger samples. Reducing expenditures and enhancing efficiency significantly increases the likelihood of this test being applied in a clinical environment.

“Our current objective is to transition this test from the research lab to a clinical diagnostic lab, ensuring it is broadly accessible for identifying human and dog infections and monitoring treatment results,” stated Tarleton.

The research was co-authored by Daniel Hall from the UGA Department of Statistics. Other co-authors include Carolyn Hodo, Sarah Hamer, Ashley Saunders, and Susana Laucella.

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