Long-Term Neuroimaging Findings in a Murine Model of Human Extraparenchymal Neurocysticercosis
Neurocysticercosis is caused by the establishment of <i>Taenia solium</i> cysticerci in the central nervous system. The extraparenchymal form (ExP-NCC) is the most severe clinical presentation that may remain asymptomatic for years. Current treatment involves cysticidal drugs (albendazole and/or praziquantel) combined with glucocorticoids to manage the associated neuroinflammation; however, only ∼30% of patients respond effectively. This highlights the need to improve therapeutic strategies. Herein, the experimental murine model of human ExP-NCC was further characterized to improve its usefulness in testing new therapies. In humans, cysts grow slowly in the basal cisterns of the subarachnoid space, and patients become symptomatic years after the infection. Thus, a long-term follow-up was performed by using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with sequences allowing volumetric analysis. MRI confirmed NCC in 77% of infected rats, all exhibiting extraparenchymal localization and persistently elevated levels of HP10, a marker of viable cysticerci. Imaging also enabled precise cyst localization and estimation of the parasite-occupied volume.
Authors
- Marta Romano (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2932-0801)
- Roger Carrillo‐Mezo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8719-4589)
- Gladis Fragoso (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3885-1858)
- Alejandro Méndez‐Zavala (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8228-6553)
- Juan José Ortíz-Retana
- Edda Sciutto (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5608-5355)
- Juan A Hernández-Aceves (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6451-8832)
- Luis Concha (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7842-3869)
- Nelly Villalobos (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8505-335X)
- Pedro Tadao Hamamoto Filho (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6436-9307)
- Raúl J. Bobes (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2553-5661)
- Montserrat Mejía-Hernández
- Alejandro Espinosa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9455-4500)
- Marisela Hernández (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9995-4688)
- Agnès Fleury (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8930-2202)
Institutions
- Cal Humanities (US)
- Instituto de Estudios Avanzados (VE)
- Fundação de Estudo e Pesquisa em Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (BR)
- Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía (MX)
- Colciencias (CO)
- Instituto Politécnico Nacional (MX)
- Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp) (BR)
- Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (MX)
Publication Details
- Journal
- ACS Infectious Diseases
- Published
- 2025-08-18
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1021/acsinfecdis.5c00431
- Primary Topic
- Parasitic infections in humans and animals
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
- Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico
- Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
- Universidade Estadual Paulista
- Dirección General de Asuntos del Personal Académico, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México