Key Advances in Chagas Disease Treatment and Cure Rates: Insights from Experts

The Chagas disease it is endemic 21 American countriesaffecting approximately 6 million people worldwide, and most unknown Your condition. In addition, 30,000 new cases are diagnosed each year, 12,000 deaths on average and approximately 9,000 newborns are infected during pregnancy, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Caused by the parasitic Trypanosoma cruzi and drawn by vinchukasthe pathology is also mentioned triatomiasis americana forks which could be fatal if not treated in time. In Argentina, it is considered that 1.6 million living with Chagas disease and An additional 7 million are at risk about contracting it, according to data from Healthy World Foundation.

To deal with the latest advances in the disease, the Buenos Aires city was the headquarters of the Chagas Research Platform Plenary Meetingorganized by the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi, for its acronym in English).

It was about the 11th edition of this field that calls researchers, professionals and technicians national and international to present and discuss the research and development more advanced to provide new therapeutic options for an infectious disease.

The meeting, which took place on May 8, aimed to find out and establish, together, what it is key advancement and identification of clinical research needs about this pathology. Under this view, one of the main goals was to generate evidence for clinical and public health decisions that improve access to medical care. Also, digital tools were explored to use open science, disseminate information and educate about Chagas.

The opening of the event was led by the following experts: María Jesus Pinazo, responsible for the Chagas Program (DND); Elvira Idalia Hernandez, President of the International Federation of Associations of People with Chagas Disease (FINDECHAGAS); Hector Daniel Cotoregional consultant on Chagas disease at the Pan American Health Organization (OPS); Marcelo Aprilexecutive director of the Mundo Sano Foundation Argentina y Alejandro Schijman, director of the Molecular Biology of Chagas disease laboratory INGEBI–CONICET.

“This initiative, created and coordinated by the DNDi, brings together experts, representatives of the population at risk and other actors involved in promoting the development of new treatments and dealing with the challenges associated with this forgotten disease,” said María-Jesús Pinazo.

Then, Elvira Idalia Hernández pointed out: “Chagas must be a priority. he is Diagnosis and treatment must be immediate to avoid a heart condition that can lead to death.. And partnerships are key in welcoming and advising affected people and identifying deficiencies in local systems.”

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) identified the commitment to eliminate Chagas as a public health problem. In this regard, Héctor Coto highlighted the collaboration with strategic partners to increase the effectiveness of health interventions. “For us, Chagas disease is a priority and that’s why it was included in the OPS Elimination Initiative, “which aims to eliminate 30 infectious diseases as a public health problem between now and 2030. Despite the progress made, we still face many challenges,” he said.

At the same time, Marcelo Abril, Executive Director of Mundo Sano Foundation Argentinahe pointed out the common history between the Foundation and DNDi, such as achieving the registration of benznidazole, one of the medicines available to treat the disease, before the FDA (Food and Drug Administration, for its acronym in English).

“This statement allows us to imagine and have access to a better future for people affected by Chagas medicines and diagnostic and treatment tools“, consider April.

In another part of his presentation, he mentioned the awareness-raising activities, the projects on the ground and the places of communication promoted by Mundo Sano, such as the “Red Atendiendo Chagas”, which tries to help people who need to take care closer to the teams. health that can be given.

Honduran microbiologist Bottazzi, known for her research in tropical vaccine and co-director, with Dr. Peter Hotez, of development vaccines for various tropical and emerging diseases at Baylor School of Medicine, in Houston (Texas), in partnership with Texas Children’s Hospital, USA, referred to the advances in therapeutic vaccine development against Chagas disease.

Vaccines are therapeutic targeted therapies what change in immune response of the person affected by the Trypanosoma cruzi, which is a parasite that causes Chagas disease. They are developed as a strategy to improve the quality of life and health of people with the disease.

In addition, the specialist explored the strategies being made to identify potential vaccine candidates, with the idea of ​​changing the immune response. In turn, he spoke about the progress made in the development of preclinical studies and the progress that makes it possible to evaluate the safety and potential ability to improve the therapeutic effectiveness of treatments through clinical trials.

Regarding the date on which the therapeutic vaccine could be available, Bottazzi commented: “The plan has been prepared and now the organizations that support these initiatives must have the intention and have the attention to finance the finances. the next stages of development“.

The Chagas Research Platform Scientific Meeting also addressed other topics of scientific and community interest such as new perspectives in drug and biomarker discovery in Chagas; new evidence to improve access to disease treatment; generate evidence based on open access to data and samples; and updates on ongoing clinical trials.