Investigative Workshop: Modeling Toxoplasma Gondii

Topic:
Mathematical modeling of life cycle, stage conversion, and clonal expansion of Toxoplasma gondii



Meeting dates:
May 13-15, 2010



Organizers:

Xiaopeng Zhao (Biomedical Engineering Dept., University of Tennessee, Knoxville)

Chunlei Su (Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville)

Jitender P. Dubey (Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, United States Department of Agriculture)

Michel Langlais (Institut Mathematiques de Bordeaux, Universite Victor Segalen Bordeaux)

Suzanne Lenhart (NIMBioS Associate Director for Education and Outreach; Department of Mathematics, University of Tennessee, Knoxville)

Jaewook Joo (Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Tennessee, Knoxville)



Objectives: Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is considered as one of the most successful parasites for its unusual ability to infect a wide range of intermediate hosts, including all mammals and birds. Up to 11% of the human population in the US and 20% in the world are chronically infected. Toxoplasmosis can cause life-threatening encephalitis in immunocompromised persons such as AIDS patients and recipients of organ transplants and cancer chemotherapy. Infection acquired during pregnancy may spread and cause severe problems to the fetus such as damages to the baby's eyes, nervous system, skin, and ears. Toxoplasmosis also has significant effects on human and animal behavior and may lead to neuropsychiatric disorders, e.g. schizophrenia.



T. gondii has a complex life cycle that involves multiple hosts and includes sexual and asexual replications. After ingestion by the hosts, sporozoites rapidly differentiate into tachyzoites, fast-replicating parasites which disseminate within the host and lead to the acute phase of infection. Most of tachyzoites are eliminated by the innate and adaptive cell-mediated immune responses of immunocompetent hosts, but some differentiate into the dormant bradyzoites. The differentiation of tachyzoites into the bradyzoite stage plays indispensible roles in the development of tissue cysts and, thus, in the life-long persistence of parasites in the host. T. gondii has high genetic diversity, with hundreds of genotypes existing globally. However, only one lineage (type II) is widespread and predominates in the global populations, a phenomenon known as clonal expansion.



This workshop aims to explore mathematical tools and problems in describing the life cycle, stage conversion, and clonal expansion of T. gondii by bringing together expertise in parasitic diseases, epidemiology, population genetics, disease modeling, network dynamics, evolutionary dynamics, and nonlinear analysis. We will also explore various modeling and analysis methods for their potential applications in public health strategies and in diagnosis, suppression, and prevention of Toxoplasmosis.



Application deadline: March 1, 2010.



To apply CLICK HERE.



Source:

Catherine Crawley

National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS)