Chagas’ disease caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi) is widespread in Central and South America infecting an estimated 12 to 14 million people, with infection often leading to chronic myocarditis resulting in high morbidity and mortality. In addition to our catalog of T. cruzi parasites and triatomine vectors, BEI Resources now offers monoclonal antibodies raised against parasite stage-specific surface antigens, which play important roles during infection. These antigens include the trypomastigote-specific antigen Ssp-1 (BEI Resources NR-50891) and the amastigote-specific surface antigen Ssp-4 (BEI Resources NR-50892). Studies have shown the presence of Ssp-4 in tissue culture supernatants of T. cruzi-infected cells and the presence of anti-Ssp4 antibodies in sera from chagasic patients. These monoclonal antibodies were generously contributed by Dr. Norma Andrews, University of Maryland.  Dr. Andrews generated these monoclonal antibodies while at the laboratory of Dr. Ruth Nussenzweig, New York University.
Image:  Immunofluorescence staining of amastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi, strain TcVT-1 (BEI Resources NR-36630) with Monoclonal Anti-Trypanosoma cruzi, NR-50892. A, Light microscopy image of T. cruzi-infected kidney epithelial cells (ATCC^® CCL-26™). B, Immunostaining of intracellular amastigotes with NR-50892 labeled with a FITC-conjugated rabbit anti-mouse antibody. Host cell and parasite nuclei are stained with DAPI.

References:

1. Andrews, N. W., et al. “Stage-Specific Surface Antigens Expressed during the Morphogenesis of Vertebrate Forms of Trypanosoma cruzi.”  Exp. Parasitol. 64 (1987):  474-484.  PubMed:  3315736.
2. Andrews, N. W., et al. “Developmentally Regulated, Phospholipase C-Mediated Release of the Major Surface Glycoprotein of Amastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi.”  167 (1988):  300-314.  PubMed:  3279152.