M. D. Lewis

A panel of phenotypically and genotypically diverse bioluminescent: fluorescent Trypanosoma cruzi strains as a resource for Chagas disease research

The paper describes a panel of bioluminescent and fluorescent Trypanosoma cruzi strains to study Chagas disease, enabling real-time monitoring of infection dynamics and drug screening.

Dynamics of Trypanosoma cruzi infection in hamsters and novel association with progressive motor dysfunction

This study establishes a hamster model of Trypanosoma cruzi infection using bioluminescence imaging, revealing chronic tissue pathology and motor dysfunction not seen in mice.

Trypanosoma cruzi persisters that survive benznidazole treatment in vitro and in vivo are in a transient non-proliferative state.

This study identifies benznidazole-treated Trypanosoma cruzi persisters as transient non-proliferative parasites, not localized to specific tissues, and suggests their survival may involve DNA damage response or pre-existing non-replicative states.

Enteric nervous system regeneration and functional cure of experimental digestive Chagas disease with trypanocidal chemotherapy

This study shows that curative treatment with benznidazole at 6 weeks post-infection reverses digestive Chagas disease symptoms in mice, while delayed treatment leads to irreversible damage.

Experimental microevolution of Trypanosoma cruzi reveals hybridization and clonal mechanisms driving rapid diversification of genome sequence and structure.

This study experimentally evolves Trypanosoma cruzi hybrids, showing tetraploid formation, mutation accumulation, and genome erosion over generations, suggesting adaptive potential through genetic exchange.

Local association of Trypanosoma cruzi chronic infection foci and enteric neuropathic lesions at the tissue micro-domain scale

The paper identifies chronic T. cruzi infection foci in the colon linked to enteric neuropathic lesions, suggesting chemotherapy could prevent chronic disease.

Incomplete recruitment of protective T cells facilitates Trypanosoma cruzi persistence in the mouse colon

This study shows that incomplete T cell recruitment to infection sites in the mouse colon allows Trypanosoma cruzi to persist chronically despite systemic T cell immunity.

In vivo analysis of Trypanosoma cruzi persistence foci at single cell resolution

This study identifies skeletal muscle and skin as major sites of Trypanosoma cruzi persistence in chronic murine infections using high-sensitivity imaging.

Intracellular DNA replication and differentiation of Trypanosoma cruzi is asynchronous within individual host cells in vivo at all stages of infection

This study uses genetically modified parasites to show that T. cruzi replication and differentiation are asynchronous within host cells throughout infection.

Immunity conferred by drug-cured experimental Trypanosoma cruzi infections is long-lasting and cross-strain protective

This study shows that drug-cured Trypanosoma cruzi infections in mice provide long-lasting, cross-strain immunity against re-infection, outperforming recombinant vaccines.