Vertical Transmission of Babesia microti and the Role of Maternal Antibodies to Prevent Infection
Abstract
Study Rationale, Objectives, and Aims: Human babesiosis is an emerging tick-borne infectious disease with annual cases increasing in frequency and geographic range in the United States. Most babesiosis cases are caused by the protozoan parasite, Babesia microti, a close relative of Plasmodium falciparum, the causative agent of the most severe form of human malaria. Babesiosis poses a significant health burden, especially to immunocompromised individuals. These parasites infect red blood cells and are most commonly transmitted by Ixodes species ticks, but may also be spread during blood transfusions and from mother to offspring (vertical transmission). To date, and despite the obvious risk to humans, little is known about vertical transmission of B. microti. Further understanding of this transmission pathway is expected to guide the development of therapeutic strategies for humans to prevent transmission from mother to newborns. Our proposed research is relevant to at least two Tick-Borne Disease Research Programs Focus Areas in the pathogenesis category, specifically: Immune evasion and/or tolerance of TB pathogens and Understanding the potential role of maternal-fetal transmission and the ability to prevent tick-borne diseases (TBD) by this mode of transmission. Our research is directly relevant to the first Focus Area, as Specific Aim 1 will determine the immune response of offspring infected via the vertical transmission pathway, which will provide vital data into how hosts respond to B. microti infection from this pathway. Our research is also directly relevant to the second Focus Area because Specific Aims 2 and 3 will focus on the mechanisms involved and the timing of maternally inherited antibodies to prevent or reduce infection and will investigate specific host species responses to vertically transmitted infection and antigen-specific antibody treatments. Data from these studies will provide crucial information for understanding how mammalian offspring may be affected by vertically acquired B. microti infection. We propose to investigate different treatment methods for vertically acquired B. microti infection, which may be utilized to improve human health, especially for expectant mothers and infants. PI Career Goals: Funding of this research will directly advance my research career by providing me with the necessary funds to pursue this innovative and essential research and will help establish me as an independent researcher in my field. My specific career goals are to perform essential research that will benefit not only to the scientific community, but will also improve the health and well-being of people affected by TBDs. My other goals are to advance my research and teaching skills to become a tenured professor and leader in my field, provide paramount mentorship and support to my students, and to advance our knowledge about parasite transmission and pathogenesis with an eye toward improving human health. The proposed research will improve my scientific repertoire by providing me with new lab skills in immunology and genetic analyses, allowing me to become a more interdisciplinary scientist. I was the first researcher in the United States to discover vertical transmission in the reservoir host and how this pathway may contribute to higher human babesiosis cases. Very little research has been done on this transmission pathway worldwide, and financial support of this proposal will allow me to become a leader in babesiosis research. Dr. Ben Mamoun and I have designed a career development plan that (1) will allow me to increase my skills through lab training sessions at Yale, (2) includes construction of attainable career and research goals that will provide me with novel results to present at scientific conferences and publish in prominent peer-reviewed journals, and (3) will establish me as an expert in the TBD field. Research Applicability: With the increased frequency and geograp
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Dec 28, 2022
- Source ID
- W81XWH2210854
Entities
People
- Danielle Tufts
Organizations
- United States Army
- University of Pittsburgh