New Insights in Acanthamoeba
A special issue of Pathogens (ISSN 2076-0817).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 March 2022) | Viewed by 44065
Special Issue Editor
Interests: protozoa; parasites; free living amoeba; water quality; chemotherapy
Special Issue Information
Dear colleagues,
During the last few decades, Acanthamoeba have been frequently reported as a potentially pathogenic free-living protozoa. The several reports of Acanthamoeba species in soil, dust, air, snow, and aquatic environments, including ponds, swimming pools or hot tubs, contact lens solutions, hospital surroundings, etc. reveal its ubiquity. The name Acanthamoeba was coined by adding the Greek term “acanth”, which means spikes, to “amoeba”, indicating the presence of spine-like structures (now known as acanthopodia) on its surface.
It has been demonstrated that this genus is capable of causing a sight-threatening keratitis (AK), fatal granulomatous encephalitis (GAE), and cutaneous disorders. While GAE cases are mainly reported among immunocompromised patients, with few cases in immunocompetent hosts, the incidence of AK has risen over the past several decades. The misunderstanding of the pathogenesis and its pathophysiology, diagnostic delays, and problems associated with chemotherapeutic interventions enhance the importance of looking into this genus.
Based on rRNA gene sequences, the genus Acanthamoeba is divided into 22 different genotypes to date (T1 – T22). The genotype T4 has been the most commonly associated with AK, GAE, and other cutaneous infections. Although we need a more in-depth examination of why T4 isolates are most abundant in human infections, there is evidence that this capability could be due to their greater virulence and transmissibility and their reduced susceptibility to chemotherapeutic agents.
Parasite biology, genetic diversity, environmental spread, and host susceptibility, among other factors, play an important role in Acanthamoeba infections. Acanthamoeba presents two stages in its life cycle, the vegetative trophozoite phase, with a diameter of 13–23 μm, and a dormant phase called cyst, of 13–23 μm. Its use as cellular model to study differentiation mechanisms, motility and phagocytosis, bacterial pathogenesis, and evolutionary processes has led to an increase in interest in this genus.
In the ecosystem, protozoa such as Acanthamoeba influence the structure of the microbial community and enhance nutrient recycling. Moreover, Acanthamoeba is capable of acting as Trojan horse for other potential human microbes, including viral, bacterial, protist, and yeast pathogens, increasing the human health risks. However, the exact nature of symbiosis and the benefits it represents for the amoeba host are still unknown.
Therefore, in spite of the large knowledge on these protozoa, we still need to clarify some aspects related to their pathogenesis and biology or their relationships with other microorganisms, which could better explain their invasion mechanisms and prevent Acanthamoeba infections. For this Special Issue of Pathogens, we invite you to submit a review or research article related to Acanthamoeba genus. We look forward to your contribution.
Potential topics include but are not limited to:
- Acanthamoeba distribution in human-related environments;
- The role(s) of Acanthamoeba in the ecosystems;
- New therapies on Acanthamoeba;
- AK and GAE diagnosis;
- Acanthamoeba as Trojan horses.
Dr. María Reyes Batlle
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- Acanthamoeba
- ubiquity
- Acanthamoeba distribution
- Acanthamoeba genotyping
- genotypes
- keratitis
- Granulomatous Amoebic Encephalitis
- Acanthamoeba diagnosis
- immunocompromised
- therapy
- prevention
- Trojan horses
- endosymbiont
- endocytobiont
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