Lipid droplets (lipid bodies, LDs) are dynamic organelles that have important roles in
regulating lipid metabolism, energy homeostasis, cell signaling, membrane trafficking, and …

Sand flies are blood-feeding insects and vectors of the Leishmania parasite. For many
years, saliva of these insects has represented a gold mine for the discovery of molecules …

The broad use of transgenic and gene-targeted mice has established bone marrow-derived
macrophages (BMDM) as important mammalian host cells for investigation of the …

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease that is triggered by both genetic and
environmental factors, resulting in the destruction of pancreatic β cells. The disruption of the …

Leishmaniasis is a zoonotic and vector-borne infectious disease that is caused by the genus
Leishmania belonging to the trypanosomatid family. The protozoan parasite has a digenetic …

People are infected with Leishmania donovani when the parasite is deposited in the dermis
during the blood meal of the sand fly vector. Most infected people develop a subclinical …

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a chronic and fatal disease caused by Leishmania infantum in
Brazil. Leukocyte recruitment to infected tissue is a crucial event for the control of infections …

Introduction Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) participates in the immune
response to Toxoplasma gondii, triggers ERK1/2 and prostaglandin E 2 (PGE 2) activation …

Sand fly-parasite and sand fly-host interactions play an important role in the transmission of
leishmaniasis. Vector molecules relevant for such interactions include midgut and salivary …

Background Saliva is a key element of interaction between hematophagous mosquitoes and
their vertebrate hosts. In addition to allowing a successful blood meal by neutralizing or …