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Persistence of Toxoplasma gondii in the central nervous system: a fine‐tuned balance between the parasite, the brain and the immune system
Author(s) -
Blanchard N.,
Dunay I. R.,
Schlüter D.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
parasite immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.795
H-Index - 75
eISSN - 1365-3024
pISSN - 0141-9838
DOI - 10.1111/pim.12173
Subject(s) - biology , toxoplasma gondii , immune system , immunology , microglia , major histocompatibility complex , toxoplasmosis , central nervous system , chemokine , antigen , neuroscience , inflammation , antibody
Summary Upon infection of humans and animals with Toxoplasma gondii , the parasites persist as intraneuronal cysts that are controlled, but not eliminated by the immune system. In particular, intracerebral T cells are crucial in the control of T. gondii infection and are supported by essential functions from other leukocyte populations. Additionally, brain‐resident cells including astrocytes, microglia and neurons contribute to the intracerebral immune response by the production of cytokines, chemokines and expression of immunoregulatory cell surface molecules, such as major histocompatibility ( MHC ) antigens. However, the in vivo behaviour of these individual cell populations, specifically their interaction during cerebral toxoplasmosis, remains to be elucidated. We discuss here what is known about the function of T cells, recruited myeloid cells and brain‐resident cells, with particular emphasis on the potential cross‐regulation of these cell populations, in governing cerebral toxoplasmosis.