Human Trypanosoma cruzi chronic infection leads to individual level steady-state parasitemia: Implications for drug-trial optimization in Chagas disease

by De Salazar PM, Sosa-Estani S, Salvador F, Sulleiro E, Sánchez-Montalvá A, Ribeiro I, Israel Molina I, Buckee CO. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases 2022; 16(11):e0010828. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010828

Summary: The evaluation of therapeutic responses to currently available and potential new treatments for Chagas disease is based on detection of Trypanosoma cruzi parasites in the blood. However, this is challenging because even when using the most accurate diagnostic tools, parasites cannot be detected in a substantial proportion of infected individuals. The authors of this manuscript characterized the dynamics of parasitemia over time in individuals suffering from chronic Chagas disease. They found evidence that parasitemia remains at a steady-state in untreated individuals for long periods of time; this steady-state can be quantified and predicted at an individual level. This analysis improves our understanding of parasite dynamics and provides a novel background for optimizing future drug efficacy trials in Chagas disease.

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