Dr. Louis Weiss was awarded a $2.1 million grant over five years by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to study the cyst wall of Toxoplasma gondii, a widespread parasite that usually lies dormant in patients, but can be reactivated when the immune system is stressed, such as in patients with congenital toxoplasmosis or in patients with AIDS. Under these conditions, the dormant bradyzoite stage of Toxoplasma can cause significant brain pathology, as cysts filled with hibernating parasites can reactivate frequently causing localized damageto the central nervous system. The cyst wall surrounding the bradyzoites has been shown to contain many stage-specific proteins; they may hold the key to understanding their biology and what causes them to reactivate in disease-causing forms. Dr. Weiss plans to use proteomic, immunologic and genetic approaches to identify novel components of the cyst wall, taking advantage of special purification techinques that his laboratory has previously developed for this structure. Because Toxoplasma can be transmitted through contaminated water and food, these studies will shed light on this parasite, which poses a significant threat to public health. Dr. Weiss is a professor of medicine and pathology.
Posted on: Wednesday, December 14, 2011