Kinetoplastid Internet Symposium: A KISs for 2002.

Abstract

Wanderley de Souza (Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) offered to head up the scientific agenda with a comprehensive description of how breakthroughs in the study of trypanosome cell biology could be translated into new drug targets and into affirmative action in combating disease. Kwang-Poo Chang (Chicago Medical School, IL, USA) and Brad McGwire (University of Illinois, IL, USA) focused on pathoantigenic determinants and their role in determining the virulence and pathogenesis of leishmaniasis, particularly on the complex interactions between multiple determinants, which can lead to various outcomes. The online discussion forum was then used to explore the importance of these antigenic determinants in the fabrication of immunoprophylactics, especially with regard to live attenuated Leishmania vaccines.Serap Aksoy (Yale University School of Medicine, CT, USA), Zhengrong Hao (Yale University School of Medicine) and Patricia Strickler (Yale University School of Medicine) authored an intriguing discussion on the importance of molecular studies directed at dissecting tsetse–trypanosome interactions. The response role of insect defensins and the possible use of paratransgenic tsetse with transformed Wolbachia (rendering tsetse refractory to trypanosome infection) were discussed in the article and online.Joao Carlos Dias (Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Belo Horizonte, Brazil) and Christopher Schofield (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK) presented a fascinating report highlighting the current status of Chagas disease control throughout Latin America. The report emphasized the need to capitalize on recent gains made by regional programs, such as the Southern Cone Initiative, to prevent the disease re-emerging in areas where transmission has effectively been eliminated. Moreover, such programs should be extended into regions where the disease is still endemic. In particular, the report highlighted research areas that are most likely to produce significant steps forward in combating Chagas disease including triatomine sampling, migratory behavior and epidemiological analysis, improved serological tests, new drug designs and analysis of regional program structures.Finally, a strong poster session covering advances from the fields of diagnostics and chemotherapy was presented online. One significant presentation from Wendy Gibson et al. (University of Bristol, UK) described markers that identified Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense from other members of the Trypanosoma brucei complex. Other presentations covered the phylogenetic identity of Leishmania mexicana (Amalia Monroy-Ostria and Omar Hernandez-Montes, Col. Casco de Santo Tomas, Mexico) and the T. brucei genome initiative using single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) suitable for population analysis in African trypanosomes (Emmanuelle Bart-Delabesse et al., University of Cambridge, UK). The use of internal transcribed spacer ribosomal DNA (ITS-rDNA) for diagnosing Trypanosoma lewisi in laboratory animals was also described by Marc Desquesnes and colleagues (Centre International de Recherche-Developpement sur l'Elevage en zone Subhumide, Burkina Faso). Posters on veterinary chemotherapeutics by Alain Bourdichon et al. (Atarost, Hamburg, Germany) discussed the efficacy of diminazene against Trypanosoma evansi in combination with antipyrine or Trypan (procaine) and using liposomes as a delivery vehicle.Until the launch of Kinetoplastid Biology and Disease, articles from the conference will remain online at http://www.trypanosome.com We invite volunteers interested in co-ordinating further Internet meetings or developing integrated Internet resources for kinetoplastid diseases to contact us.