Cardiac and Digestive Forms of Chagas Disease: An Update on Pathogenesis, Genetics, and Therapeutic Targets

Abstract excerpt

Chagas disease, caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi ( T. cruzi ), is a neglected disease affecting around 6 million people, with no effective antiparasitic drugs or vaccines. About 40% of Chagas disease patients develop symptomatic forms in the chronic phase of infection, chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy (CCC) or digestive forms like megaoesophagus and megacolon, while most infected patients (60%)...