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Int J Biol Sci 2011; 7(9):1382-1390. doi:10.7150/ijbs.7.1382 This issue Cite

Review

Role of Co-stimulation in Leishmaniasis

Rashmi Tuladhar^1,2, Gayathri Natarajan^1,2, Abhay R Satoskar^{1,2 ✉}

1. Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43221, USA.
2. Department of Pathology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43221, USA.

✉ Corresponding author: Abhay R Satoskar, MD, PhD, Department of Pathology, 129 Hamilton Hall, 1645 Neil Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43210. Email: abhay.satosakredu

Abstract

Leishmania are obligate intracellular parasites that cause a wide spectrum of diseases ranging from cutaneous, mucocutaneous and the visceral kind. Persistence or resolution of leishmaniasis is governed by host immune response. Co-stimulation is an important secondary signal that governs the extent, strength and direction of the immune response that follows. Co-stimulation by CD40, B7 and OX40 family has been shown to influence the outcome following Leishmania infection and manipulation of these pathways has shown promise for use in immune therapy of leishmaniasis. In this review, we discuss the roles of CD40, B7 and OX40 co-stimulatory pathways in regulating immunity to Leishmania and their implications in the treatment of this disease.

Keywords: Leishmaniasis, Leishmania, co-stimulatory pathways, immunity

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