Efficacy of Miltefosine in Eliminating Non-Pathogenic Naegleria lovaniensis Amebas in Culture
Date
April 2021
Location
Online
Description
The Naegleria genus is made up of free-living amebas that have a wide distribution across soil and fresh-water environments. N. fowleri invokes particular interest due to its causative role in the pathogenesis of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). PAM is a rapidly progressing disease of the Central Nervous System (CNS) that results in death in 97% of cases after infection has occurred. The CDC currently advises the use of miltefosine in combination with several other treatments in identified cases of PAM. Miltefosine has been shown to have an eliminating effect on N. fowleri, but the mechanisms of their interaction remain largely undefined. Due to lab constraints on safely handling N. fowleri, our attention has turned to maintaining a closely related environmental isolate, N. lovaniensis. N. lovaniensis has demonstrated similar antigenic traits as N. fowleri, but is non-pathogenic in humans. A standard growth curve of N. lovaniensis grown in axenic PYFNH medium at 37°C is being established. Our goal is to then compare this to amebas inoculated with miltefosine. Our results of experimentation with N. lovaniensis will then be compared to published studies and experiments conducted with N. fowleri to identify potential physiological differences that could constitute N. fowleri’s pathogenicity.
Presentation Type
Presentation
Efficacy of Miltefosine in Eliminating Non-Pathogenic Naegleria lovaniensis Amebas in Culture
Online
The Naegleria genus is made up of free-living amebas that have a wide distribution across soil and fresh-water environments. N. fowleri invokes particular interest due to its causative role in the pathogenesis of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). PAM is a rapidly progressing disease of the Central Nervous System (CNS) that results in death in 97% of cases after infection has occurred. The CDC currently advises the use of miltefosine in combination with several other treatments in identified cases of PAM. Miltefosine has been shown to have an eliminating effect on N. fowleri, but the mechanisms of their interaction remain largely undefined. Due to lab constraints on safely handling N. fowleri, our attention has turned to maintaining a closely related environmental isolate, N. lovaniensis. N. lovaniensis has demonstrated similar antigenic traits as N. fowleri, but is non-pathogenic in humans. A standard growth curve of N. lovaniensis grown in axenic PYFNH medium at 37°C is being established. Our goal is to then compare this to amebas inoculated with miltefosine. Our results of experimentation with N. lovaniensis will then be compared to published studies and experiments conducted with N. fowleri to identify potential physiological differences that could constitute N. fowleri’s pathogenicity.