Toxoplasmosis is a zoonotic parasitic disease caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii, and affects humans as well as livestock. The importance of the human global infectious burden is reflected by the classification of T. gondii as the 4th most important foodborne parasite among 24 of public health importance.
T. gondii can infect any warm-blooded animal but its definitive host is felids (mainly cats) where the sexual cycle leads to oocyst formation and shedding into the environment, where they can persist for a long time. Infection of livestock consuming contaminated feed, soil, or water can then result in T. gondii transmission to humans by consumption of undercooked contaminated meat. Humans can also be infected by oocysts from contaminated vegetables or water. With the increasing importance of the OneHealth approach, a better understanding of the special relationships between the parasite and its definitive host will lead to the development or improvement of vaccines targeting cats, to prevent oocysts shedding and the spread of this zoonosis to livestock and humans.
The development of effective vaccines against toxoplasmosis in both animals and humans has been greatly hampered by the lack of available data on the sexual reproductive cycle of the parasite, only occurring in felids. Indeed, until now, research on the T. gondii life cycle and host immunity, has been performed mainly in intermediate hosts of T. gondii, where infection leads to formation of tissue cysts but never oocysts. Therefore, exploring cat immune responses to T. gondii, will help to understand why felids are the parasite’s unique definitive host. Existing evidence shows that the pattern of TLR expression in cats is different to mice or humans, and certain enzymes are only found in cats and not in mice. There is much more to explore to decipher the T. gondii sexual life cycle in cats and understand the feline-specific immune response to allow the development of better tools to control the infection in cats, livestock and humans.
In this Research Topic we aim to bring together researchers from the field of parasite immunology, especially on Toxoplasma gondii or related tissue cyst-causing Apicomplexa, and the host immune response, with a focus on the definitive host, the cat. Therefore, we welcome the submission of Reviews, Original Research papers, Perspectives, covering but not limited to:
• Our current and new knowledge of the host immune response to T. gondii, with a focus on the definitive host, but also on intermediate hosts or on other cyst-causing Apicomplexa, contributing to the immunological and life cycle understanding of T. gondii.
• The complex relationships of T. gondii with cats, regarding the innate and/or adaptive immune response as well as metabolism or others, with a comparative immunological point of view when possible
• Vaccination studies using different types of vectors to induce anti-T. gondii immune response in intermediate and/or definitive hosts
• Identification of new targets for development or improvement of vaccine strategies targeting felids but also intermediates hosts (such as livestock or rodents)
Toxoplasmosis is a zoonotic parasitic disease caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii, and affects humans as well as livestock. The importance of the human global infectious burden is reflected by the classification of T. gondii as the 4th most important foodborne parasite among 24 of public health importance.
T. gondii can infect any warm-blooded animal but its definitive host is felids (mainly cats) where the sexual cycle leads to oocyst formation and shedding into the environment, where they can persist for a long time. Infection of livestock consuming contaminated feed, soil, or water can then result in T. gondii transmission to humans by consumption of undercooked contaminated meat. Humans can also be infected by oocysts from contaminated vegetables or water. With the increasing importance of the OneHealth approach, a better understanding of the special relationships between the parasite and its definitive host will lead to the development or improvement of vaccines targeting cats, to prevent oocysts shedding and the spread of this zoonosis to livestock and humans.
The development of effective vaccines against toxoplasmosis in both animals and humans has been greatly hampered by the lack of available data on the sexual reproductive cycle of the parasite, only occurring in felids. Indeed, until now, research on the T. gondii life cycle and host immunity, has been performed mainly in intermediate hosts of T. gondii, where infection leads to formation of tissue cysts but never oocysts. Therefore, exploring cat immune responses to T. gondii, will help to understand why felids are the parasite’s unique definitive host. Existing evidence shows that the pattern of TLR expression in cats is different to mice or humans, and certain enzymes are only found in cats and not in mice. There is much more to explore to decipher the T. gondii sexual life cycle in cats and understand the feline-specific immune response to allow the development of better tools to control the infection in cats, livestock and humans.
In this Research Topic we aim to bring together researchers from the field of parasite immunology, especially on Toxoplasma gondii or related tissue cyst-causing Apicomplexa, and the host immune response, with a focus on the definitive host, the cat. Therefore, we welcome the submission of Reviews, Original Research papers, Perspectives, covering but not limited to:
• Our current and new knowledge of the host immune response to T. gondii, with a focus on the definitive host, but also on intermediate hosts or on other cyst-causing Apicomplexa, contributing to the immunological and life cycle understanding of T. gondii.
• The complex relationships of T. gondii with cats, regarding the innate and/or adaptive immune response as well as metabolism or others, with a comparative immunological point of view when possible
• Vaccination studies using different types of vectors to induce anti-T. gondii immune response in intermediate and/or definitive hosts
• Identification of new targets for development or improvement of vaccine strategies targeting felids but also intermediates hosts (such as livestock or rodents)